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.

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.

Additional learning support

At our school, we ensure every student is ready to learn. We support all students with any additional needs and/or supports required to enrich their learning opportunities whilst at Putland. Supports commence at any stage of enrolment and vary on requirement and need.

Support that fits your child's needs

Some students need extra support to feel confident and engage. We work closely with families to make support plans and adjustments that suits each child’s needs.

Additional learning support can include:

teachers and support staff working together
providing programs to help high potential and gifted students with their advanced learning needs
small group tutoring to provide targeted literacy and numeracy support for students
regular stakeholder meetings across key people
changes to the classrooms:
- accessible classrooms
- assistive technology
- instructional resources
extra guidance, simpler content or different focus during lessons
assessment adjustments:
- more time
- simpler language
- breaks during tasks
- different ways to complete a task (e.g. oral presentations instead of written tasks).

Learning and support team

Our learning and support team helps make sure every student gets the help they need at the right time. The team works together to:

understand each student’s needs
plan adjustments and supports
monitor progress
work across the whole center to find key working strategies to implement

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 Putland School, we provide a personalised and secure learning environment where each student’s potential is nurtured through responsive and evidence-informed teaching practices. Our focus is on meeting individual learning needs while upholding the privacy and wellbeing requirements of our safe and secure setting.

· Utilise shared information and resources to collaborate across the site in planning for each young person.

· Ongoing formative assessment practices that closely monitor student growth and inform instructional adjustments, allowing for personalised learning experiences that meet individual needs.

· Teachers identify students’ strengths and learning needs using confidential, school-based assessment and observation.

· Learning experiences are differentiated and designed to extend students through logical reasoning, problem-solving and critical-thinking activities appropriate to our setting.

· Supportive classroom environments promote belonging, engagement and positive learning behaviours.

· Teachers participate in targeted professional learning to support diverse learners, including those with high potential.

Across our school

Putland School uses a whole-school approach to recognise and support high potential learners, ensuring all enrichment and extension opportunities comply with our secure and confidential context. We work collaboratively to create consistent, individualised learning pathways that promote student growth.

· Staff use shared processes to identify and respond to high potential across intellectual, creative, social-emotional and physical domains.

· Programs and supports are adapted and collaborate to meet the diverse needs of our students in a Youth Justice setting.

· Individual learning plans guide student progress and outline extension opportunities aligned with strengths and goals.

· The school continually reviews practices to ensure equity, accessibility and privacy for all learners.

Across NSW

Putland School aligns its practices with the NSW Department of Education’s High Potential and Gifted Education Policy. The policy supports equitable access to challenging, engaging and appropriately adjusted learning for students with high potential across all NSW public schools.

· The HPGE Policy promotes talent development across four domains: intellectual, creative, social-emotional and physical.

· Schools implement evidence-informed strategies to recognise high potential and provide appropriate challenges.

· The policy emphasises inclusive, strengths-based learning for all students.

· Students also have access to boarder opportunities beyond our school community including:

o Distance education courses for specialist subjects and/or unique interests

o Access to further educational opportunities such as TAFE and/or University.

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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