High potential and gifted education

We implement the NSW Department of Education (DoE) High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) Policy through:

1. Ongoing identification of high potential and gifted students using a range of formative and summative assessment data across intellectual, creative, social-emotional and physical domains.
2. Differentiated teaching and learning practices that adjust pace, complexity and depth to provide appropriate challenge and high expectations.
3. High-quality learning tasks that promote critical and creative thinking, student choice, authenticity and cross-curricular connections.
4. Flexible and fluid grouping practices that enable students to work with peers of similar readiness, ability or interest, and to move between groups as learning needs change.
5. Explicit teaching of higher-order thinking and problem-solving strategies, supporting students to think deeply, reflect and apply learning across contexts.
6. Targeted learning goals and talent development opportunities, informed by strengths-based data and ongoing assessment.
7. Explicit teaching and use of peer and self-assessment, enabling students to monitor progress and take ownership of learning.
8. Strengths-based descriptive feedback and goal-setting processes, supporting student agency and continuous improvement.
9. Planned opportunities for leadership, collaboration and extension, including structured peer learning and reflective practice.
10. Supportive and safe learning environments that promote confidence, resilience, risk-taking and perseverance, consistent with high challenge and high support.

We provide a range of planned and inclusive opportunities that align with the NSW DoE HPGE Policy, supporting talent development across the intellectual, creative, social-emotional and physical domains.

1. Intellectual domain enrichment through debating, chess club and participation in academic competitions (e.g. ICAS), providing opportunities for advanced reasoning, strategic thinking and academic challenge.
2. Creative domain development through music ensembles (band and choir) and visual arts programs, including photography and drama and access to specialist teachers in music and dance.
3. Physical domain pathways through participation in Hornsby Zone School Sports (HZSS), including Summer and Winter competitions, enabling students to demonstrate and extend sporting potential in a supportive, competitive environment. Many of our students trial and receive offers into zone teams.
4. Leadership and social-emotional development through student leadership structures, including Student Parliament with elected Prime Ministers and Deputy Prime Ministers, and involvement in the district's Student Ambassador's Project.
5. Peer Support programs led by student leaders, fostering leadership capability, empathy and positive peer relationships.
6. Whole-school wellbeing programs that support student engagement, resilience and self-regulation, such as Rock and Water, PAX and U R Strong.
7. Inclusive participation in school-wide wellbeing and inclusion initiatives, ensuring high potential students are supported alongside their peers.
8. Structured pathways for talent development, allowing students to access extension, representation and leadership opportunities across multiple domains.
9. Equitable access to enrichment opportunities, with programs designed to identify, nurture and extend diverse forms of high potential.
10. A culture of high challenge and high support, where excellence, participation and wellbeing are valued together.

Our students access external and system-level opportunities that align with the NSW DoE HPGE Policy and support talent development across multiple domains.

1. Intellectual and creative domain extension through participation in the Multicultural Public Speaking Competition, developing advanced communication, critical thinking and cultural understanding.
2. Creative domain enrichment through involvement in large-scale music ensembles, including Pulse Alive Choir, providing high-level performance and collaboration experiences.
3. Whole-school physical domain development through participation in the Premier’s Sporting Challenge (PSC), promoting physical activity, leadership pathways and staff professional learning.
4. Physical domain talent pathways through the Representative School Sport Pathway and Hornsby Zone School Sports (HZSS), enabling students to trial and compete at regional, state and national levels.
5. Development of personal and social capabilities, including discipline, commitment, teamwork and resilience, through competitive and performance-based experiences.
6. Equitable access to system-supported opportunities, ensuring students with high potential can be identified and supported beyond the classroom.
7. Leadership development opportunities embedded within sporting and performance pathways.
8. Alignment with departmental initiatives and priorities, strengthening continuity between school-based and system-wide HPGE provision.
9. High challenge with high support, balancing excellence, wellbeing and student engagement.
10. Ongoing evaluation of student participation and growth, informing future planning and talent development.