High Potential and Gifted Education applies to all NSW public schools, teachers, and students. It describes a framework to develop the talent of high potential and gifted students.
Educational excellence for high potential, gifted and highly gifted students is driven by quality teaching and learning practices and nurtured in quality learning environments. Your child will be afforded differentiated and personalised learning experiences across the four broad categories of natural abilities: Intellectual, Creative, Socio-Emotional and Physical, to foster their giftedness and realise their potential. Our sustained focus on the individual growth and improvement of every student ensures students have a personalised learning experience that caters to their needs.
Academic Excellence
Academic excellence stems from our commitment to enhancing the individual growth and attainment of every child in every classroom every day. We believe all students, regardless of background or personal circumstances, have the right to access high quality learning that meets their learning needs and enhances their potential. Your child will be supported by expert teachers who will enhance their ability to perform, achieve and excel
Extension Stream
Extension classes in Years 7-10, and extension pathways in Years 11 and 12 ensure our highly capable students have the rigour and challenge they require to accelerate in their learning and achievement. Year 7 students are offered placement in the extension class based on their performance in the ACER assessment on Transition Day, NAPLAN performance in Year 5 and evidence provided by their primary school. Extension class placement for courses in Years 8-10 is determined students’ performance in formal and informal assessment throughout the year. Extension pathways in Years 11 and 12 are informed by student performance in Years 10 and 11 and guided by professional advice from the school executive.
International Competition and Assessments for Schools (ICAS)
The internationally recognised ICAS competitions inspires students to improve performance by assessing their higher order thinking skills and intellectual excellence in six domains: English, Mathematics, Science, Digital Technologies, Writing and Spelling. Every year many of our students achieve Distinctions and High Distinctions across a range of domains, with one student recently achieving the prestigious ICAS Medal for Digital Technologies.
Academic Competitions
Your child can also participate in academic competitions such as the ANSTO Hackathon and Science and Engineering Challenge where they will engage in unique, fast-paced action projects, design creative solutions working alongside industry mentors, deepen their skills in design thinking and pitch solutions to wicked problems. Every year, our talented Legal Studies students compete in the NSW Law Society’s Mock Trial competition to advance their skills as they argue a case against an opposing school before a serving magistrate. Our school has a long history of excellence in the Mock Trial competition, with the 2023 team placing 2nd; the highest placed public high school in NSW. Our highly competitive students have also achieved success in both local and statewide public speaking and debating competitions where they consistently demonstrate the prowess to lead debate and deliver powerful orations.
