High potential and gifted education

At Waratah West Public School we are committed to the NSW Department of Education’s High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) policy, with a strong focus on talent development across intellectual, creative, social-emotional, and physical domains.

At our school, we recognise, ignite and nurture these strengths early. We support advanced learners with quality learning experiences to help them grow and thrive. In line with the NSW Department of Education’s High Potential and Gifted Education Policy, the school embraces the principle that every student—regardless of background or personal circumstances—deserves access to programs that meet their unique learning needs and nurture their talents.

Our approach focuses on four key domains:

Creative Domain: We provide opportunities for students to develop innovative thinking and artistic expression, encouraging originality and problem-solving through diverse creative activities.
Intellectual Domain: We challenge students with enriched learning experiences that promote higher-order thinking, deep inquiry, and advanced knowledge across the curriculum.
Physical Domain: Recognising the importance of physical development, we support students in enhancing their coordination, health, and physical skills through targeted activities and sports.
Social-Emotional Domain: We prioritise the emotional wellbeing and social development of gifted students, fostering resilience, self-awareness, and positive relationships to help them thrive within our school community.

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

We challenge our students to think, create, lead and grow every day.

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.
We provide learning experiences that promote choice, authenticity, and critical and creative thinking.
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, and informed by student voice.

Interest and talent development groups K-6 cover the creative, intellectual, physical and social and emotional domains. Activities include, art, dance, drama, yoga, chess, bike riding, circus arts, cooking, Aboriginal culture, and environmental education.
Specialist expertise is sourced through community contacts, with talent development groups supported by local artists, professional sport coaching, local drama groups and local musicians.

Students deepen strengths through competitions, and STEM and coding pathways in interest groups such as Robotics.
Talent is celebrated through school showcases such as Undilla Creative Arts Showcase, choir, Aboriginal dance, art groups, dance and drama groups.
Sport opportunities are provided weekly with specialist sport teachers delivering lessons and identifying opportunities for enrichment.
Leadership grows through the student leadership forums and wellbeing is made visible with daily check ins and Gotcha4Life Mentally Fit Schools.

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. These opportunities include: