High potential and gifted education

At Niagara Park Public School, HPGE lives in our everyday practice. We recognise that many students demonstrate high potential, and our role is to help that potential grow into something powerful.

• Identifying and nurturing potential: Teachers use assessment data and evidence-informed practices to identify students’ learning needs, ensuring lessons are challenging and engaging. We offer tailored learning pathways, including enrichment, extension, and acceleration opportunities.

• Referral process: Through assessment and classroom observation, teachers may refer students to the HPGE team for consideration. The team reviews evidence and collaborates to identify opportunities for each learner across the four domains—intellectual, creative, social-emotional, and physical.

• Supportive environments: Our classrooms foster belonging, encourage risk-taking, perseverance, and collaboration, and value every student’s unique strength.

• Dynamic learning: Groupings are flexible, students often take on leadership roles, and feedback is strengths-based, with clear goals and opportunities for self-assessment.

• Teacher expertise: Our staff engage in ongoing professional learning to ensure that the diverse needs of all learners—including high potential and gifted students—are met with precision and care.

Every student is individual, so the opportunities we provide are flexible and diverse.

• Developing strengths: Students extend their talents through a wide range of enrichment opportunities, including public speaking, academic competitions, 3D printing and coding clubs, art and craft clubs, choir, dance, band, creative writing groups, sporting teams, and wellbeing programs. Participation in whole-school inclusion and wellbeing initiatives ensures every learner can shine.

• Celebrating talent: Achievement and creativity are showcased at school expos, assemblies, and performances featuring our concert and training bands, choir, and dance groups.

• Growing leadership: Our Year 6 Leadership Program and Buddy Bench Program provide students from Years 3–6 with opportunities to lead, plan, and coordinate lunchtime games and activities that promote connection and inclusivity.

• Supporting wellbeing: Wellbeing is embedded in our school culture through weekly expectation lessons, regular student check-ins, and proactive monitoring of emotional wellbeing.

• Engaging playgrounds: We are proud to offer dynamic and inclusive play spaces that cater to a wide range of interests and abilities. Our large oval provides ample room for active play, featuring two soccer fields, cricket nets, and open areas for running, games, and skill development. Students also enjoy access to two well-equipped playgrounds that promote physical activity, cooperation, and fun. Structured activities such as teacher-led sport sessions foster teamwork and resilience, while the open library offers a calm, creative space for reading and exploration. Our loose parts play area further encourages imagination and innovation as students collaborate to build, design, and problem-solve. Together, these engaging environments nurture connection, wellbeing, and a strong sense of belonging for every child.

• Sporting excellence: Representative pathways are offered through Brisbane Water PSSA partnerships. Talented athletes are encouraged to trial for PSSA teams, with successful students going on to compete at regional and state levels—developing skills, teamwork, and confidence.

Our students participate in a wide range of statewide programs to extend and enrich student potential.

• Students participate in opportunities such Premier’s Spelling Bee, Regional Public Speaking competitions and NSW Department of Education Art HPGE programs.

• The Representative School Sport Pathway and PSSA events enable our students to trial and compete in sports at regional, state and national levels, fostering discipline, commitment and collaboration.

• Our student's involvement in The Central Coast Dance Festival provides opportunity for students to trial for regional dance troupes as well as State Dance Festival. This gives them access to dance instruction from experienced choreographers and dancers as well as the opportunity to perform for large audiences in highly respected venues, encouraging professional commitment and responsibility.

• Our Partnerships with Rumbalara and Gibberagong Environment Education Centres deepens our students’ intellectual curiosity while developing innovation and collaboration on environment. The programs our students are engaged in, extend their learning in the both the creative and intellectual domain.

• 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.