High potential and gifted education

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

At Comboyne Public School, we are proud to be a small rural school that embodies the spirit of community, collaboration, and innovation in education. Our commitment to providing a nurturing and inclusive learning environment is enhanced by our close partnerships with similar schools in the region. Through these collaborations, we share resources, best practices, and experiences that enrich our educational programs and support our students' diverse needs. In this way we are ensuring that every child is known, valued and cared for.

These include:-

Manning Small Schools Network

As a member of this network students have access to a variety interschool activities and competitions including:

Debating, Visual Arts, Photography, Rube Goldberg Machines, Public Speaking and Lockout Competitions

Comboyne Public School

School Dance Groups, Choir, Games and Sports (in addition to class sporting programs), Lower North Coast Dance Festival and a variety of STEM clubs and activities.

In our classroom

Explicit, teaching plays a key role in meeting the needs of High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) students by making learning intentions, success criteria, and thinking processes clear and visible. Through clear modelling, guided practice, and timely feedback, teachers extend HPGE students’ understanding while ensuring depth, accuracy, and challenge. In our classrooms, students' needs are met through highly differentiated instruction such as higher-order questioning, enrichment tasks, and opportunities for independent or inquiry-based learning. This approach ensures HPGE students remain engaged, appropriately challenged, and supported to reach their full potential alongside their peers.

Across our school

High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) needs are supported across the school through a coordinated, whole-school approach that builds staff capacity and provides targeted opportunities for students. Ongoing professional learning ensures teachers understand HPGE identification and effective differentiation practices, while networking with the Manning Small Schools enables the sharing of expertise, resources, and extension opportunities. Employing staff with specialised skills further strengthens program delivery, and the strategic purchase of equipment and resources ensures students’ specific learning, creative, and academic needs are effectively met.

Across NSW

As a NSW public school, High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) needs are supported through state-wide policies, programs, and partnerships that promote consistent and equitable provision. Staff engage in Department of Education professional learning aligned with the NSW HPGE Policy, while state-wide networks and initiatives provide opportunities for collaboration, moderation, and extension beyond the local context. Access to specialist staff, selective and virtual programs, and targeted funding enables schools to provide appropriate challenges, and the provision of state-supported resources and equipment ensures high potential students’ diverse academic, creative, and intellectual needs are met across NSW.

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.

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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