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.

At Ultimo Public School, every learner’s potential is our priority. We recognise that many students have high potential, and we are committed to helping that potential grow into something powerful. Our practices align with the NSW Department of Education’s High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) policy, which emphasises 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 (Cognitive) 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.

Why choose us for your high potential or gifted child?

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.

Recognising potential and developing talent

Our teachers find potential and nurture our students to be the best they can be.

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 Ultimo Public School, we recognise that high potential exists in many forms across all learners. Our approach to High Potential and Gifted Education (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 tasks that adjust pace, complexity and higher-order thinking.
Formative assessment to monitor growth and adapt learning.
Advanced learning pathways, including accelerated or compacted content.
Explicit teaching of critical thinking and problem-solving strategies.
Opportunities for abstraction, inquiry, and curriculum depth.
Tasks that promote choice, authenticity, and critical and creative thinking including cross-curricular projects.
Flexible grouping for collaborative ideation and presentation.
Differentiated movement tasks and skill refinement in PDHPE.
Targeted learning goals for coordination, agility, and control.
Opportunities to take on lead roles in physical demonstrations or team strategy.
Supportive learning environments that enable exploration and self-assessment.
Strengths-based feedback and goal setting.
Opportunities for leadership within the classroom.
Structured peer collaboration and reflection.
Safe learning environments that encourage confidence, risk-taking, and perseverance.

Across our school

At Ultimo Public School, High Potential and Gifted Education is an essential part of our core mission. We acknowledge and foster the unique abilities of every student by offering flexible, diverse, and enriching opportunities that promote development across academic, creative, social, and physical areas.

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

Debating
STEM and coding clubs
Academic competitions
Visual arts and drama showcases
Sports (PSSA)
House competitions
Student leadership (SRC)
Wellbeing programs
Participation in whole-school inclusion and wellbeing initiatives.

Across NSW

We actively engage in statewide competitions and activities, offering our students valuable opportunities to challenge themselves and showcase their best performance. Through this collaborative and enriched approach, we ensure that every student’s unique talents at Ultimo Public School are recognised, nurtured, and celebrated.

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

The Premier’s Spelling Bee promotes our students’ vocabulary development and attention to detail in competitive settings.
The Premier’s Debating Challenge helps our students to build logical arguments and confidence in public speaking.
STEM Enrichment Partnerships with high schools and university's
The Schools Spectacular is an iconic performing arts event that celebrates the talents, diversity and creativity of students from across NSW public schools.
Participation in (state/regional) drama ensembles promotes character exploration, storytelling and expressive freedom.
Participation in music ensembles (e.g. State Wind Orchestra, State Choirs) hones our students’ musical skills, discipline and ensemble awareness.
The Premier’s Sporting Challenge (PSC) promotes whole-school participation in physical activity with leadership pathways and professional learning.
PSSA events enable our students to trial and compete in sports fostering discipline, commitment and collaboration.

Public speaking competitions provide students with valuable opportunities to develop and showcase their communication skills, confidence, and critical thinking. These competitions challenge students to articulate their ideas clearly, engage diverse audiences, and think creatively under pressure, fostering personal growth and enhancing their academic and social abilities.

Participation in sports competitions plays a key role in supporting students’ growth and development in sport. Students have the opportunity to engage in regular, structured competition that enhances their physical skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship. This involvement promotes healthy lifestyle habits, builds confidence, and encourages resilience, helping students to develop both athletically and personally.

We offer a range of opportunities for students to participate in performance groups, nurturing their talents in music, drama, and dance. Being part of these groups helps students build confidence, develop teamwork and communication skills, and express their creativity in a supportive environment. These experiences contribute to their personal growth and enrich their overall learning journey.

Our High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) maths groups are designed to support the development of advanced mathematical thinking. These groups provide students with challenging and engaging learning experiences that encourage problem-solving, critical reasoning, and deep inquiry. By working collaboratively on complex concepts, students enhance their mathematical skills, creativity, and confidence, fostering a strong foundation for continued academic success.

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.

background

light

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.