High potential and gifted education

Our teachers are committed to identifying high potential in students by using objective, valid, and reliable measures as part of formative assessment to support and inform teaching and learning across the creative, intellectual, physical, and social–emotional domains.

Teachers actively assess and identify the specific learning needs of all high potential, gifted, and highly gifted students, ensuring that every student has access to tailored programs and support that meet their unique learning needs.

Our planning is shaped by the belief that teachers must hold high expectations for all students, recognising that every student requires differentiated and evidence-informed learning opportunities to optimise growth and achievement.

We collaborate with families, our school community, and the wider community, and engage in ongoing professional learning to build teacher capability and enhance growth and achievement for all high potential and gifted students. Through these actions, our teachers are dedicated to being the catalyst for high performance and talent development for every student.

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 Padstow Park Public School, we recognise that high potential exists in many forms across all learners. Our approach to HPGE is embedded in everyday teaching and learning, guided by a strong focus on formative assessment, evidence-based practices, and effective differentiation to meet the unique needs of every student.

Here are some of the evidence based teaching strategies used in the classroom to support all students

Differentiated learning tasks and flexible grouping to adjust pace, complexity and higher order thinking.
Provide strengths based feedback and goal-setting.
High expectations embedded in lesson planning to encourage students to set personal goals and reflect on their progress.
teachers engaging in ongoing professional learning and collaboration to share best practices to ensure all students benefit from consistent quality instruction.

Across our school

At Padstow Park Public School, we recognise and nurture the unique talents of every student by providing flexible, diverse, and enriching opportunities that support growth across academic, creative, social, and physical domains.

Here are some of the opportunities available to support the talent development of students at Padstow Park Public School:

Choir
Music (Recorder and String ensembles)
Interschool sport competitions
Representative Sport pathways
Public Speaking and Debating
Dance groups
Chess Club
STEM and Coding Club
Wellbeing programs
Student leadership roles through the Student Representative Council and peer support
Years 4-6 participation in HPGE programs with 3 local High schools
Curriculum aligned excursions and incursions
School camp

Across NSW

We actively participate in statewide competitions and activities, providing our students with valuable opportunities to challenge themselves and perform at their best. Through this collaborative and enriched approach, we ensure every student’s unique talents are recognised, developed, and celebrated.

Here are some of the opportunities available to support the talent development of students at Padstow Park Public School:

The Premier's Spelling Bee
The Schools Spectacular
NSW PSSA Sport pathways
Statewide choral and music ensembles
Statewide dance ensembles
Participation in the Festival of Choral Music; Primary Proms and Festival of Instrumental Music.