High potential and gifted education

At Sandon Public School, our teachers are dedicated to recognising high potential in students through objective, valid, and reliable assessments as part of ongoing formative evaluation. This helps guide teaching and learning across creative, intellectual, physical, and social-emotional areas.

They carefully assess and identify the unique learning needs of all high potential, gifted, and highly gifted students, ensuring each student receives personalised programs and support designed to nurture their individual talents and abilities.

At Sandon Public School, we believe that every student has extraordinary potential waiting to be unlocked. Our teachers set ambitious goals for all learners, knowing that personalised, research-backed learning experiences are key to sparking growth and achievement.

Together with families, the school community, and beyond, we foster a collaborative spirit that fuels continuous professional learning and innovation. This partnership empowers our teachers to be champions of excellence, inspiring every high potential and gifted student to shine brightly and reach new heights.

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.

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

Across our school

Creative and intellectual: academic competitions, Sydney Academy of Chess tournaments, Thalgarrah Art Camp, Multicultural Perspectives Public Speaking Competition, organized by the NSW Department of Education Arts unit.
Intellectual and digital: Game Changer Challenge, the department's award-winning design thinking competition open to public schools across NSW, Premier's Spelling Bee
Physical: the Premier's Sporting Challenge, NSW Primary Schools Sports Association (PSSA) representative school sport.
Social-emotional: Year 6 student leadership program, peer support.

Across NSW

STEM education: Includes enrichment partnerships, STEM on Demand, iSTEM elective (Stage 5), Girls in STEM, and Young Space Explorers.
The Arts Unit: Offers a wide range of opportunities in music, dance, drama, and film and digital media projects.
The Sports Unit: Provides opportunities through programs like the Premier's Sporting Challenge, Burn2Learn, and inclusive and adaptive sports.
The Game Changer Challenge: An opportunity for teams to solve future-focused problems using human-centered design.
Premier's Debating Challenge: A statewide debate competition supported by The Arts Unit.