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

At Faulconbridge Public School, we are committed to recognising, nurturing and developing the strengths and potential of every child. Our High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) approach is inclusive, ongoing and responsive, supporting students aged 5–12 across the four domains: intellectual, creative, social–emotional and physical.

How We Identify High Potential

Identification at Faulconbridge Public School is a continuous cycle that recognises potential can emerge at different times and in different ways..

Family
• Information from our Meet the Teacher platform
• Parent questionnaires and conversations

Classroom Data
• Observations from learning opportunities that promote student agency
• Work samples, formative assessment and student voice

Professional Learning
• Two dedicated HPGE professional learning sessions per term
• Teachers collaboratively analyse data and identify strengths and opportunities

Purposeful and Planned Teaching
• Differentiation, enrichment and extension aligned to one or more HPGE domains
• Flexible grouping, challenge and acceleration where appropriate

Evaluate, Reflect and Refine
• Ongoing review of teaching practices, programming and student achievement
• Planning next steps for learning

This cycle is ongoing and ensures students are supported as they grow and develop.

Tailored lessons

Genius Hour

Genius Hour is a structured, inquiry-based approach where students explore topics they are curious about.

Through Genius Hour, students:

• Develop curiosity and motivation
• Build research, problem-solving and creative skills
• Demonstrate strengths that may not always be visible in traditional tasks

Genius Hour plays a key role in both identifying and developing high potential.

Accelerated Subject Learning

Accelerated subject learning provides students with access to curriculum content beyond their expected stage when they demonstrate readiness.

This may include:

• Working above stage outcomes in specific subjects
• Flexible grouping across classes or stages
• Increased depth, complexity and challenge

Acceleration is carefully planned and monitored to support both learning and wellbeing.

Student Agency

Student agency means students have voice, choice and ownership in their learning.

We promote agency by:

• Offering choice in learning tasks and outcomes
• Encouraging goal setting and reflection
• Designing learning that requires independence and decision-making

Agency builds confidence, resilience and strong learner identity.

Parallel Timetabling

Parallel timetabling allows classes or stages to learn at the same time, enabling:

• Flexible grouping based on need or readiness
• Targeted extension and enrichment
• Shared expertise and collaborative teaching

This structure supports equity, challenge and consistency.

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.

Blue Mountains Network of Schools

Faulconbridge Public School works with the Blue Mountains network of schools to expand opportunities for high potential students.

Through this network, students may access:

• Cross-school enrichment opportunities
• Shared expertise and specialist programs
• Extended learning experiences beyond the classroom

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 Faulconbridge, we offer all students opportunities to grow, show talent and take risks with their learning. These include:

Differentiated tasks that adjust pace, complexity and higher-order thinking.
Formative assessment to monitor growth and adapt learning.
Advanced learning pathways, including accelerated or compacted content.
Explicit teaching of critical thinking and problem-solving strategies.
Opportunities for abstraction, inquiry, and curriculum depth.
Tasks that promote choice, authenticity, and critical and creative thinking including cross-curricular projects.
Flexible grouping for collaborative ideation and presentation.
Differentiated movement tasks and skill refinement in PDHPE.
Targeted learning goals for coordination, agility, and control.
Opportunities to take on lead roles in physical demonstrations or team strategy.
Supportive learning environments that enable exploration and self-assessment.
Strengths-based feedback and goal setting.
Opportunities for leadership within the classroom.
Structured peer collaboration and reflection.
Safe learning environments that encourage confidence, risk-taking, and perseverance.