High potential and gifted education (HPGE)

At Urunga Public School, we proudly align our High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) program with the NSW Department of Education’s HPGE policy, recognising the unique strengths and diverse needs of our gifted and high potential students. Our commitment is to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment that challenges and extends every learner, ensuring they are engaged, motivated, and empowered to reach their full potential.

Our HPGE approach at Urunga Public School is designed to identify and nurture giftedness across multiple domains, reflecting the Department’s focus on supporting the whole child. We embrace a broad and inclusive understanding of giftedness to foster excellence not only academically, but also creatively, physically, and socially, preparing students for lifelong success, wellbeing, and active participation in their community.

Our program focuses on four key domains:

Creative Domain: We provide diverse opportunities for students to develop innovative thinking, artistic talents, and original problem-solving skills through a range of creative activities.

Intellectual Domain: We challenge students with enriched and differentiated learning experiences that promote critical thinking, deep inquiry, and advanced knowledge across all curriculum areas.

Physical Domain: Valuing the importance of physical health and development, we encourage and support students to enhance their coordination, fitness, and physical skills through targeted activities and sports involvement.

Social-Emotional Domain: We prioritise the social and emotional wellbeing of gifted learners, fostering resilience, self-awareness, empathy, and positive relationships to help them thrive as confident and connected members of our school community.

At Urunga Public School, we are dedicated to implementing the NSW Department of Education’s HPGE policy through a comprehensive, student-centred approach that nurtures and celebrates 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.

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 Urunga Public School, our High Potential and Gifted Education program uses ongoing formative assessment to carefully monitor each student’s progress and adjust learning tasks to meet their needs. We offer advanced learning pathways and extension opportunities that challenge students and allow them to deepen their understanding across all subjects.

Differentiated Learning Tasks and Flexible Grouping

Learning tasks are designed with varying levels of complexity and tailored to individual student needs. Students work independently, in pairs, or within flexible groups based on ability or interest, ensuring appropriate challenge while fostering collaboration, leadership, motivation, and social skills.

Advanced Learning Pathways and Extension Opportunities

Students have access to advanced and extension learning opportunities, including accelerated content and enrichment activities, to deepen their understanding and maintain engagement across all subjects.

Explicit Teaching of Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving Strategies

Teachers explicitly teach critical thinking and problem-solving skills through targeted lessons. This helps students approach complex problems confidently and develop higher-order thinking across disciplines.

Targeted Learning Goals and Strengths-Based Feedback

Individualised learning goals are set to target students’ specific areas for growth. Strengths-based feedback supports students in recognising achievements and setting realistic next steps, enhancing motivation and self-assessment skills.

Student Leadership and Voice

Students are encouraged to take on leadership roles, including leading physical demonstrations, team strategies in al Key Learning Areas, classroom responsibilities, and participation in goal setting and self-assessment. This builds ownership, confidence, and important leadership skills.

Supportive Learning Environments

Our classrooms foster a safe, supportive atmosphere that encourages exploration, risk-taking, and perseverance. Structured peer collaboration and reflection are embedded to develop social-emotional skills and resilience.

Ongoing Professional Learning and Collaboration

Teachers regularly engage in professional learning focused on HPGE strategies and collaboratively plan differentiated curriculum units. This shared expertise ensures consistent, high-quality teaching that supports gifted and high potential learners effectively.

Across Our School Community and Beyond

At Urunga Public School, we recognise that every student is unique. We provide flexible and diverse opportunities that allow students to explore and grow their strengths beyond the classroom.

Our school offers a variety of whole-school programs designed to support student growth and engagement. We identify students with high potential and provide targeted enrichment, extension, and extra-curricular activities.

Students are encouraged to develop leadership skills and take part in many programs that celebrate and extend their talents, foster wellbeing, and connect learning with the wider community.

Beyond the school, students participate in statewide programs and have access to local, state, and national competitions and events to further develop their potential.

At Urunga Public School, we are committed to supporting every learner holistically by providing rich and diverse opportunities across school, community, and beyond.

Key Activities and Opportunities Include: