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 Pitt Town Public School, we are committed to the NSW Department of Education’s High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) Policy, which ensures that students with high potential across all areas of ability are identified, supported and challenged to thrive. The policy recognises that students may demonstrate high potential — and the capacity for gifted performance - in one or more of four domains: intellectual, creative, social emotional and physical.

Our HPGE process includes a continuous cycle of assessment, identification, planning, implementation and evaluation, ensuring that all students with potential and giftedness are recognised and extended across all four domains.

Through enrichment, extension, and extra-curricular opportunities, we provide engaging pathways to coach talent, build confidence and develop capabilities that prepare students for high school and life beyond.

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 Pitt Town Public School, HPGE lives in everyday practice. Many students have high potential, and we help that potential to grow into something powerful.

Teachers identify students' learning needs in the classroom and use evidence-informed teaching practices to challenge and extend students. We provide learning pathways, including enrichment and extension programs and acceleration.
Our supportive classroom environments promote a sense of belonging and encourage risk-taking, creativity and collaboration.
Groups are flexible, students take lead roles, and feedback is strengths-based with clear goals and self-assessment.
Our teachers engage in professional learning to support the diverse needs of all students, including our high potential and gifted learners.

Across our school

Every student is individual, so opportunities are flexible and diverse.

Students deepen strengths through debating and chess competitions and STEM and coding pathways like Lego Club and makerspace projects.
Talent is celebrated across the arts through end-of-year drama concerts, visual arts co-curricular clubs and competitions, and our school choir, which performs at the Hawkesbury Performing Arts Festival.
Students can join stage extra-curricular dance groups that perform at assemblies, open days, the local shopping centre and the Hawkesbury Performing Arts Festival. They also have opportunities to audition for Hawkesbury and state dance troupes that perform and compete throughout the year. In addition, Stage 3 students lead the Kindergarten dance group, working together to choreograph routines and run the lunch sessions.
Leadership is fostered through the SRC, school leadership programs and excursions, representative opportunities across the Hawkesbury, and roles such as school captains, house captains, library monitors, PBL and environmental leaders, as well as leading and facilitating peer support programs across the school.
Sport matters too, with Sydney West teams, Hawkesbury PSSA competitive teams, representative pathways, knockout competitions, gala days and differentiated sport sessions.
Participation in extension numeracy activities each week.
Involvement in extension or support programs such as public speaking and debating competitions and the Premiers Spelling Bee.
Supporting students’ social and emotional development, students engage in buddy programs, including a Year 6 and Kindergarten buddy system, as well as a preschool transition program where they visit local preschools throughout the year.
Opportunities to connect young readers with great literature and empower them to share their opinions and creativity through participation in Shadow Judging.