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

Our students engage with HPGE education in the classroom, in our school, and across NSW.

In our classroom

At Picnic Point High School, differentiation opportunities are embedded into our everyday teaching and learning. Our HPGE students are identified and supported through rigorous PLASPs which re reviewed each semester to ensure learning goals are tailored to their individual needs. At PPHS we offer:

HPGE Extension Classes in stages 4 and 5. These extension classes are merit based to support the Intellectual Domain, a target in our school excellence plan.
Differentiated learning opportunities in every classroom to extend learners. Staff are upskilled throughout the year by our HPGE Team members who have undergone training at UNSW in the COGE(Certificate of Gifted Education) certification process. The HPGE Team works closely in all key learning areas to ensure that teaching and learning caters to stretch and support our students.
STEM classroom Challenges in partnership with NextGenStemHub
Engineering Geologist - Helen Baxter - Crawford STEM workshops for post school pathways
Our school HPGE Team work together with our wider staff body to ensure that each classroom environment supports a foundation of differentiation and learning opportunities that encourage higher order thinking, deep knowledge and deep understanding as well as student creativity and collaboration.

Across our school

At Picnic Point High School we know that each and every student is different. We offer a wide variety of opportunities across each of the four HPGE domains to ensure that each of our students is known, valued and cared for.

Intellectual

High Potential PLASPS Stages 4 and 5 nominated students
Astronomy Night
High Achievers Morning Tea
Rewards Day
Public Speaking Competitions
Debating Competition
Write A Book in a Day Competition
STEM club
ARPANSA Incursion
Lego Robotics Challenge
ANSTO STEM Excursion

Physical

Grade Sport opportunities in netball, touch football, soccer, basketball
Be STREETSMART Excursion
Recreational sport at various local centres including Bankstown Entertainment Park, Fishing, Bowling, Go Karting, Yoga, Gym. These sports work on a rotational basis and many new sports are added each term to cater for the everchanging needs of our students.
School, District, Region, State and National opportunities for student’s to compete in individual sports as well as team competitions and knock out programs in the BSSSA as well as SSW zones.
Coaching Initiatives 7-10.

Creative

Art Gallery excursions
Schools Spectacular
NSW Public School Senior Singers
PULSE Alive
'In Concert' NSW Public Schools Combined Choir

Social/emotional

School leadership team
We are PPHS Day
Breakfast Club
Gardening Club
Keith’s closet
Knitting and crocheting groups for ‘Wrap with Love’
Transitions Team which work directly with our local year 6 student’s to ensure a smooth transition from primary school to high school.
Local interschool Coaching programs run by our students in a variety of local primary schools

Across NSW

Our students participate in a wide range of statewide programs to extend and enrich student potential such as:

SLR Coaching programs in partnership with multiple primary school's in our community.
Coaching Pathways for Primary School Athletic Carnivals
University partnerships UNSW- Certificate of Gifted Education for staff
Premiers Public Speaking & Debating Competitions
Schools Spectacular
NSW Public School Senior Singers
PULSE Alive
'In Concert' NSW Public Schools Combined Choir
ANSTO STEM Day
Lego Robotics Challenge
NSW Olympics Unleashed program