High potential and gifted education

Some students learn faster and more easily than others. These students may shine in creativity, thinking, leadership or sport.

At our school, we recognise and nurture these strengths early. We support advanced learners with great lessons and activities to help them grow and thrive.

Why choose us for your high potential or gifted child?

Recognising potential and developing talent

Our teachers find potential and nurture our students to be the best they can be.

Tailored lessons

Each student has different abilities. Teachers respond to each student’s ability by providing extra challenges and extension activities to keep learning exciting and engaging.

Rich opportunities and activities

Students can take part in opportunities to develop their talent in the arts, sport, leadership and more.

Opening doors to wider experiences

Our students can participate in a wide range of state-wide opportunities that aim to extend and enrich student potential.

What is high potential and gifted education?

High potential and gifted education (HPGE) is how our school supports students with advanced learning needs.

We do this through:

effective teaching strategies like enrichment, extension and acceleration

tailored support during lessons that stretch, challenge and inspire

access to a wide range of opportunities both within and beyond our school.

Our high potential and gifted education opportunities

Our students engage with HPGE education in the classroom, in our school, and across NSW.

In our classroom

At Gladstone Public School, our small, multi-level learning environment allows us to know students well and identify high potential through ongoing assessment and daily classroom interactions. We use evidence-informed teaching practices to differentiate learning and provide flexible pathways, including enrichment, extension and, where appropriate, acceleration. These pathways support inclusive, fair, safe and respectful learning and promote positive peer interactions across age groups. We do this through programs and opportunities including:

Differentiated teaching and learning
Flexible grouping and collaborative learning
Ongoing assessment to monitor growth and adapt learning
Student agency and goal setting
Personalised learning

Across our school

At Gladstone Public School we know our students well and recognise that every child has unique strengths and interests. We support students with high potential through personalised learning, targeted enrichment and flexible extension opportunities that build on individual strengths. Our small-school setting allows us to adapt learning pathways, respond to student interests and provide meaningful opportunities that foster curiosity, creativity and a love of learning. We do this through programs and opportunities including:

Whole school wellbeing programs and student led initiatives
Student leadership (SRC)
Peer mentoring
Whole school music programs
Visual arts programs and whole school visual arts showcase
Inclusive sports programs
Community engagement

Across NSW

At Gladstone Public School, we extend learning opportunities through strong connections with our small school networks and the wider Macleay Valley public schools. These partnerships allow us to collaborate, share expertise and provide enrichment and extension opportunities that foster student strengths, interests and high potential.

Where appropriate, students also participate in opportunities offered by the NSW Department of Education beyond our local networks. Programs such as:

The Premier’s Sporting Challenge (PSC) promotes whole-school participation in physical activity with leadership pathways and professional learning.
The Premier’s Reading Challenge encourages students to explore quality literature and engage in a diverse range of books. The challenge focuses on personal growth in reading habits to improve literacy skills.
The Representative School Sport Pathway and PSSA events enable our students to trial and compete in sports at regional, state and national levels, fostering discipline, commitment and collaboration.