High potential and gifted education

At our school, HPGE (High Potential and Gifted Education) is an integral part of our commitment to meeting the diverse learning needs of all students. Within the classroom, we use individual learning goals to tailor learning experiences for students who demonstrate advanced abilities and learn quickly across subject areas. These goals provide extension options that challenge students to deepen their understanding and apply higher-order thinking skills. Additionally, all students in Years 3 to 6 participate in public speaking activities, building their confidence, communication skills, and ability to express ideas clearly in front of an audience.

Beyond the classroom, our whole-school initiatives offer a range of opportunities to further develop the talents and leadership skills of our HPGE students. Public speaking competitions, Science Fair, creative arts, news crew, school leadership roles, and mentoring programs enable students to take on responsibility and support younger peers, fostering a strong sense of community and personal growth. These experiences help students build resilience, collaboration skills, and a commitment to service, all of which are essential for their ongoing development.

We also provide a variety of beyond-school opportunities to enrich the learning journey of our HPGE students. These include representing the school in PSSA sports competitions, participating in the Tournament of Minds problem-solving challenges, and accessing the Wollongong HPGE class for Year 5 students, which offers a specialised extension program. Additionally, students can showcase their creative talents through performance opportunities facilitated by the Department of Education’s school arts unit. Together, these programs ensure that our HPGE students are supported to reach their full potential in academic, creative, and leadership domains.

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

Learn more about HPGE.

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.

Contact us

HPGE in the classroom

HPGE at Mount Kembla Public School is an integral part of daily teaching and learning. We inspire our students to think critically, innovate, lead, and develop continuously. We foster supportive classroom environments that promote belonging, creativity, risk-taking, and collaboration. Some of our classroom opportunities are:

• Individual learning goals that build from student strengths

• Integrated, balanced curriculum that explicitly teaching skills and strategies to learn about history, geography, and science
• Differentiated tasks that vary in pace, complexity, and encourage higher-order thinking
• Formative assessments to track progress and adapt learning plans
• Explicit instruction in critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Flexible grouping to foster collaboration and idea-sharing
• Supportive environments that encourage exploration and self-assessment
• Strengths-based feedback combined with clear goal setting
• Opportunities for students to assume leadership roles in the classroom
• Structured peer collaboration and reflective practices
• Safe learning spaces that promote confidence, perseverance, and a willingness to take risks.

HPGE beyond the classroom

At Mount Kembla Public School, High Potential and Gifted Education is a key focus. We value and develop the distinctive abilities of each student by offering flexible, varied, and stimulating opportunities that promote growth in academic, creative, social, and physical areas.

• PSSA sport

• Public speaking
• Dance groups
• School camp
• Wellbeing programs - SRC, school leadership
• Curriculum aligned excursions & incursions
• ICT enrichment through robotics and programming
• News crew
• Lego Masters