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 Galston Public School, high potential and gifted education (HPGE) is integrated in our everyday practice. 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 tasks 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.
Our practices align with the NSW Department of Education’s HPGE policy, which highlights the importance of supporting giftedness across four essential domains:
- Creative domain – supporting students to develop original ideas and express themselves through creative thinking, problem-solving, and artistic pursuits.
- Intellectual domain – offering challenging learning experiences that nurture advanced thinking, deep inquiry, and intellectual development.
- Physical domain – encouraging physical growth and wellbeing through activities that improve coordination, health, and physical skills.
- Social-Emotional domain – promoting emotional resilience, self-awareness, and positive social interactions to support the wellbeing of gifted learners.
Our school is dedicated to fostering the whole child by recognising and nurturing each student’s potential across these four domains, ensuring every learner is empowered to succeed.
Some of the opportunities available to support the talent development of students at our school:
- Band
- Choir
- Dance Group
- Drama Club – Extra Curricular
- Drum Group
- Public Speaking
- Technology and Robotics/Lego Club
- Showcase of learning days – ES1 to S3
- Community Engagement – Inter-generational Choir, Carols, Christmas Cards for Seniors
- Year 4/Year 9 Galston High School Projects
- HPGE days at Environmental Education Centres
- Lunchtime Clubs (Gardening, library play space etc)
- Specialist Science Program K-6
- School Sport
- School Carnivals and Gala Days
- House Sports Captains
- Student Leadership
- SRC Representatives
- Kindergarten Buddies
- Resilience Project
- Strong Positive Behaviour for Learning expectations
Some of the opportunities available to support the talent development of students at our school:
- DoE Arts Unit Festival of Choral and Instrumental Music
- DoE Arts Unit Pulse Alive Dance
- Hills Public Speaking Competition
- APSMO Maths Olympiad and Maths Explorer
- Premier’s Reading Challenge
- Premier’s Spelling Bee
- Premier’s Sporting Challenge
- PSSA Representation
- PSSA Team Pathways
- PSSA Zone Pathways
- Specialist sporting opportunities for students with disability – Boccia and 10 pin bowling
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.