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.
At Gilgandra Public School, we are committed to recognising and nurturing high potential and gifted students, ensuring every student has the opportunity to thrive at our school.
- Teachers identify students' learning needs in the classroom and use evidence-informed teaching practices to challenge and extend students. We provide differentiated tasks that adjust pace, complexity and higher order thinking.
- Our supportive classroom environments promote a sense of belonging and encourage confidence, risk-taking, and perseverance.
- All teachers engage in professional learning to support the diverse needs of all students, including our high potential and gifted learners, using formative assessment to monitor student growth and adapt learning opportunities.
Our school recognises that every student is individual, and we provide flexible and diverse opportunities for students to explore and grow their strengths outside the classroom. Students at Gilgandra Public School have the opportunity to be a part of many of the following activities on offer across the 4 domains of potential.
Intellectual: Australian Maths Trust Maths Competitions, The Premiers Spelling Bee and Premiers Reading Challenge, Lunchtime Open Library and Technology activities, LEGO robotics, Chess Club.
Physical: PSSA, Inclusive Sports Activity Days, Swim School, NSW Sports and Recreation Coaching Clinics, Handball Competitions.
Creative: Wiradjuri Boys Dance Group, Girls and Boys Dance groups, Lunchtime Arts and Crafts, Gilgandra Film and Arts Festival.
Social/Emotional: Student leadership opportunities, including SRC and buddy programs, Whole school Bounce Back and PBL Wellbeing programs, Kindergarten and High school transitions and community partnership programs with Cooee Lodge Hostel.
We provide access to local, state and national competitions and events to help student explore and extend their talents.
- The Premier’s Spelling Bee promotes our students’ vocabulary development and attention to detail in competitive settings.
- Our enrichment program in partnership with Aurora College, provides students with opportunities to expand their intellectual curiosity while enhancing their skills in innovation and collaboration.
- The NSW Premiers Reading Challenge allows our students to engage with high-quality literature, seeking to inspire students to develop a love of reading for enjoyment and leisure, deepening their reading experiences and skills.
- Moorambilla Voices aims to enhance students’ artistic skills and creative expression through Music, Dance, and the Visual Arts, inspiring and empowering our student’s creativity and fostering community spirit.
Maths competition:
We are proud to celebrate the achievements of our students who participated in the Australian Mathematics Trust Competition-a unique and challenging set of questions specifically designed to inspire, extend and recognise the mathematical knowledge and understanding of students. Participation in the competition gave students an opportunity to develop and build on their confidence and resilience, engage in creative ways of thinking and develop problem-solving strategies. Their success reflects the values embedded within our school culture: try your best, apply yourself to your work and learn as much as you can!
The Premiers Spelling Bee:
Our participation in the Premiers Spelling Bee is one example of the ways our school encourages students to develop confidence, expand their vocabulary and increase their spelling capabilities. This competition challenges Year 3 to Year 6 students to become more confident uses of language, develop sportsmanship with a range of peers and develop individual goals for themselves as they move forward in their understanding of more complex and rich vocabularies. We are proud to have some exceptional up and coming literature talents within our school!
Boys Aboriginal Dance Group:
The Wiradjuri Boys Dance Group, as part of our High Potential Education program, recognises and nurtures students’ unique potential by fostering their creativity, self-expression, and cultural connection through movement and Dance. This vibrant initiative promotes a deep sense of belonging and pride, enriching personal growth and strengthening our school community.
Contemporary Dance group:
Weekly Dance lessons are a powerful opportunity for students to develop their skills in creativity and self-expression, developing overall confidence and wellbeing. Led and supported by talented and dedicated educators with a personal background in Dance, these lessons are driven by student voice and agency, showcasing the exceptional creative talent development opportunities within our school. School celebrations and community events including the ‘Goin to Gil’ parade, have offered a platform for our students to shine and showcase their individual and collaborative talents.
Chess Club:
The Gilgandra Public School Chess Club offers our students a unique and exciting opportunity to develop their skills and challenge their teachers and friends from across the whole school community. Weekly lunchtime and recess practices are offered by our dedicated teaching staff, with school wide competitions fostering a sense of inclusion, excitement and higher order thinking, bringing new curiosity to an age-old game.
NAIDOC Week Traditional Games:
Throughout the school year, our students are gifted the opportunity to learn about and engage with a range of Traditional Aboriginal Gams and Sports with various local community members and wider school community stakeholders. These experiences promote physical activity, coordination development and teamwork, whilst supporting our students to gain a deeper understanding of and appreciation towards Aboriginal cultures, histories and traditions.
Cooee Lodge Hostel Program:
Collaboration, connection and community partnerships are an integral part of daily life at our school. The partnership between Gilgandra Public School and Cooee Lodge Hostel, provides valuable opportunities for students to strengthen their social and emotional wellbeing while reaching their full potential through positive connections with the wider community. This collaboration benefits both students and residents, enriching lives through shared experiences, intergenerational understanding, and a strong sense of community engagement.
Help for your high potential child
If your child shows signs of high potential, contact us. We can share how our HPGE support can guide their learning journey.
Student opportunities and activities
Discover the opportunities our students have at our school.
Learning
Find out about our approach to learning and supporting students to progress