High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE)
At our school, we are committed to supporting the growth and developing the talent, of our high-achieving learners and those demonstrating high potential or whom are gifted.
We identify these students early, across the four domains of high potential: intellectual, physical, creative and social-emotional. Through differentiated learning experiences and enrichment opportunities, we ensure our high potential and gifted students remain challenged, engaged, and motivated.
What is High Potential and Gifted Education?
High Potential Students
High potential students are those who demonstrate the capacity to perform significantly beyond the expectations of their peers in one or more areas of learning. Their abilities may be evident across a range of domains — intellectual, creative, social-emotional, or physical — and may be assessed as exceeding the typical range for students of the same age.
Gifted Students
Gifted students are those whose potential significantly exceeds that of their peers in one or more domains, such as intellectual, creative, social-emotional, or physical. Educational researchers, including Gagné, estimate that approximately 10% of students may be considered gifted.
These students often demonstrate advanced learning abilities and develop skills or achieve mastery at a much faster rate than others their age.
Highly Gifted Students
Highly gifted students are those whose potential vastly exceeds that of their age peers in one or more domains. Typically, these students are assessed within the top 1% or less of the population in terms of ability.
Because of their exceptional capacity to learn and process complex information, highly gifted students often require significant and specialised curriculum adjustments. These may include accelerated learning pathways, individualised programs, or targeted support to ensure both their academic and wellbeing needs are met.
At Wattle Grove Public School, we recognise and support the diverse needs of high potential and gifted learners. These students may benefit from enriched, extended, or differentiated learning experiences that provide greater depth, complexity, and challenge to help them reach their full potential.
We do this through:
- effective teaching strategies that enrich, extend and accelerate.
- tailored support during lessons that stretch, challenge and inspire.
- access to a wide range of opportunities both within and beyond our school.
Learn more about HPGE
Why choose us for your high potential or gifted child?
Recognising Potential and Developing Talent
At Wattle Grove Public School, we believe that every student has the capacity to achieve excellence. We are committed to recognising each learner’s unique potential and providing the support and challenge they need to thrive.
Through high expectations, differentiated teaching, and a focus on continuous growth, we create opportunities for all students to explore their strengths, build their skills, and develop their talents across a range of learning domains.
Tailored lessons
Each student has different abilities. Teachers respond to each student’s strengths by providing extra challenges and extension activities to keep learning exciting and engaging.
Rich opportunities and activities
We are committed to developing high potential across the four domains: creative, intellectual, physical and social-emotional.
Opening doors to wider experiences
High Potential and Gifted Education is a priority in our school and is embedded in our teaching and learning programs.
'My Schools Spectacular teachers believe in me and my talent in dance' - Amelia, School Vice Captain.
Our High Potential and Gifted Education opportunities
Our students can take part in HPGE opportunities in the classroom, in our school, and across NSW.
- Accelerated learning.
- Differentiated tasks that adjust pace, complexity and higher-order thinking.
- Formative assessment to monitor growth and adapt learning.
- Explicit teaching of critical thinking and problem-solving strategies.
- Tasks that promote choice, authenticity, and critical and creative thinking including cross-curricular projects.
- Strengths-based feedback and goal setting.
- Safe learning environments that encourage confidence, risk-taking, and perseverance.
- Enrichment classes.
- Ambassador program.
- Debating competitions.
- Public speaking competitions.
- Maths Olympiad.
- Maths Games.
- Maths Cup.
- Chess Club.
- Environmental Groups.
- STEM activities.
- Dance ensembles.
- Visual arts program.
- Enrichment groups in literacy and numeracy.
- Sporting inter-school competitions.
- Peer mentoring programs.
- Student leadership (prefect body)
- Student leadership (SRC)
- Aboriginal Cultural program.
- Aboriginal Dance Group.
- Aboriginal Public Speaking competition.
- Community of Schools challenge cup (CoS).
- Wellbeing program.
- Choir.
- The Premier’s Spelling Bee promotes our students’ vocabulary development and attention to detail in competitive settings.
- The Premier’s Debating Challenge helps our students to build logical arguments and confidence in public speaking.
- The Schools' Spectacular is an iconic performing arts event that celebrates the talents, diversity and creativity of students from across NSW public schools.
- Regional Dance ensembles.
- The Premier’s Sporting Challenge (PSC) promotes whole-school participation in physical activity with leadership pathways and professional learning.
- Zone, Regional, State sport representation.
- ICAS competitions (Writing, Spelling, Mathematics, English, Digital Technologies and Science).
Help for your high potential child
If your child shows signs of high potential, please contact us. We can share how our HPGE support can guide their learning journey.
Student opportunities and activities
Discover the clubs, sports and other opportunities our students have beyond the classroom.
Learning
As a school, we value the relationship we have with our parents and carers. Together we will be better able to support the learning journey of our students. We welcome opportunities to partner with you and to discuss your child’s learning throughout the year and encourage you to contact your child’s teacher/s if you wish to discuss their progress and learning goals.