High potential and gifted education
At Eastern Creek Public School, we believe that every child’s potential matters. We recognise that some students demonstrate high potential or gifted abilities in one or more of the four domains identified by the NSW Department of Education: Intellectual, Physical, Creative and Social-Emotional.
We nurture these abilities through high-quality teaching, personalised learning and meaningful challenges that promote critical thinking, creativity, leadership and personal growth.
Students are identified using a range of assessment methods, including teacher observations, classroom-based assessments, ability testing and student self-nominations. Where appropriate, further assessment may be conducted by the school psychologist to ensure students receive targeted support.
Our school provides flexible learning opportunities such as ability grouping, enrichment and extension programs, including STEM and English challenges, and personalised learning plans when required.
Students are encouraged to participate in academic, creative and sporting opportunities at local, state and national levels, including reading, writing and mathematics competitions, public speaking, chess, music programs and the Premier’s debating, reading, spelling and sporting challenges. Creative talents are celebrated through events such as Limelight and Art on the Hill. We also value multilingual learners and recognise language skills as a strength within our school community.
Beyond the classroom, students can engage in extracurricular activities including debating, chess club, garden club, choir and djembe drumming.
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.
We are committed to recognising and nurturing high potential and gifted students, ensuring every student can thrive at our school.
Staff regularly use differentiated tasks within their programming and teaching that adjust pace, tasks and complexity.
Flexible groupings for collaborative ideation and presentation, targeted learning goals, and strengths-based feedback is used to cater to individual learning profiles.
Our staff regularly engage in professional development to ensure the most current research-based practices are being used.
Students are able to engage in opportunities including:
- Debating
- Public Speaking
- Playground Pals
- Student Representative Council
- Student leadership opportunities
- Participation in whole-school inclusion and wellbeing initiatives
- Learn to swim
- Cultural activities including Liven Deadly
- Excursions and incursions
- Lunchtime and interest-based groups
- Musica Viva
- Dance
- Chess
- Djembe
- Swimming, Athletics and Cross Country Carnivals
Students with high potential and advanced learning needs are supported through our HPGE approach, giving them access to learning opportunities at a zone, regional and state level that extend and challenge them. Our students have opportunities including:
- NSW Premier's Reading Challenge
- NSW Premier's SPorting Challenge
- NSW Premier's Spelling Bee Challenge
- Multicultural Public Speaking
- Chess on the Hill
- Art on the Hill
- ICAS competitions
- Selective High School Testing
- Opportunity Class Testing
- Zone, Regional and State Carnivals
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.
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