2007 for years 8, 10 and 11. By 2011 (the centenary of the school's opening) all students had been selected through the Gifted and Talented Program. The gifted program in WA is based on Francois Gagne's Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent. Governance In 2012, Perth Modern became an Independent Public School. School structure Despite the worldwide acceptance of corporal punishment in education at the time of the school's opening, as a tool to enforce authority, students were instead encouraged to develop self-discipline and motivation through the message that education was the key to future success. This is reflected through the motto "Savoir C'est Pouvoir" (Knowledge is Power) and the school emblem of the Sphinx (a reference to the character in Oedipus) which represented knowledge and wisdom. Although Perth Modern has always been a co-educational school, when it initially opened in 1911, boys and girls were still kept apart in different classrooms and entrances. However, as a co-educational school, it was able to provide the same quality of education to girls as was provided to the boys of the school. House system Perth Modern School was excluded by WA private schools from joining established interschool sporting competitions. In 1915, Red, Blue, Gold and Sphinx factions were created to promote sporting rivalry. In 2007, a new house system was introduced to promote competition, recognition of achievement, and participation in extracurricular activities. The houses were named after the school's first four principals: Fredrick Brown, Joseph Parsons, Noel Sampson and Talbot Downing. Awards are given to students who achieve a certain number of required house points. Annually, the house which has achieved the most points is recognised as the Champion House. Admissions All students attend Perth Modern School based on their performance in the Academic Selective Entrance Test, which has been criticised for unfairly advantaging those from privileged backgrounds. Of 2,563 students who sat the test in order to begin schooling in 2020, 225 were accepted. In 2019, the school was criticised for its lack of socio-educationally disadvantaged students, with 98% of students coming from above-average socio-educational backgrounds, and for having no Indigenous Australian students. Nationally, the school is the second most advantaged, behind only Sydney Grammar School. This prompted calls for changes to the WA system for assessing and supporting gifted students, as the school should reflect the diversity of gifted people. Myriad barriers to inclusivity at the school were noted, including