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 Berowra Public School, we recognise and nurture these strengths early. We are proud to align our approach with the NSW Department of Education’s High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) policy, which recognises the diverse strengths and needs of high potential and gifted students. We are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive learning environment that challenges and extends all learners, ensuring they are engaged, motivated and able to reach their full 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 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.
At Berowra Public School, we are dedicated to implementing the NSW Department of Education’s HPGE policy by providing a comprehensive, student-centred approach that nurtures the potential of every learner across these four domains.
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.
Our high potential and gifted education opportunities
Our students engage with HPGE education in the classroom, in our school, and across NSW.
At Berowra Public School, we prioritise a tailored approach to education, ensuring that each student's unique potential is nurtured through innovative and responsive teaching practices.
- 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, perseverance 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.
Every student is individual, so opportunities are flexible and diverse.
- Students deepen strengths through public speaking, debating, maths extension groups.
- Talent is celebrated through school performances and at our assemblies and school events.
- Leadership grows through our Student Leadership Team, Student Parliament, Student Focus groups and our Student Voice initiative.
- Daily life invites curiosity and belonging, with a lunchtime puzzle club, garden club, chess club and our Student Media Team.
- Sport matters too, with weekly HZZS sport, training, coaching and house competitions that include differentiated PE.
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.
- Premier's Debating Challenge
- Premier's Spelling Bee
- Sydney North Dance Festival, Schools Spectacular, Arts NorthWest Festival, Festival of Instrumental Music
- HZSS and NSW PSSA School sport pathways
- Australian Problem-Solving Mathematical Olympiads (APSMO)
Statewide and NSW Department of Education support is available for high potential and gifted students, and we help with entries, preparation and reflection so every experience feeds back into learning.
"Berowra Public School truly shines when it comes to the arts. My child has discovered a passion for music and dance through the school’s vibrant band programme and creative dance classes. These opportunities allow students to express themselves, build confidence and develop skills that go far beyond the classroom." - a parent of Berowra Public School
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