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?

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

We identify students' learning needs in the classroom and use evidence-informed teaching practices to challenge and extend students. We provide learning pathways, including enrichment programs. Our teachers engage in professional learning to support the diverse needs of all students, including our high potential and gifted learners.

At Sherwood Ridge PS at a classroom level, HPGE students are supported through:

• differentiated tasks that adjust pace, complexity and promote higher-order thinking​
• formative assessment to monitor growth and adapt learning​
• explicit teaching of critical thinking and problem-solving strategies
• opportunities for inquiry and deep knowledge of the curriculum
• tasks that promote choice, authenticity, and critical and creative thinking​ including cross-curricular projects
• flexible grouping for collaborative learning and presentation​
• 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

Across our school

Our school recognises that every student is an individual, and we provide flexible and diverse opportunities for students to explore and grow their strengths outside the classroom. We identify and support students with high potential through targeted enrichment, extension and extra-curricular opportunities. All of our students, including high potential and gifted students, are encouraged to take on leadership roles.

At Sherwood Ridge PS at a school level, HPGE students are supported through:

• debating workshops
• debating with local schools
• Hills Public Speaking inter-school competition
• Hills Band Festival competition
• music ensembles, in particular the SRPS String Ensemble
• sport skill development workshops
• science fair
• peer mentoring, in particular the Buddy Program
• sport representation, including PSSA teams
• performance-based groups, including dance groups and choir
• School Band program
• School sport carnivals, including swimming, athletics and cross country
• opportunity to apply for both Opportunity Class placement for entry to Year 5 and Selective High School placement for Year 7
• wellbeing programs, including student-led peer groups
• participation in whole-school inclusion and wellbeing initiatives
• community programs, including the Kids Giving Back program
• The Hills-Kellyville Rotary Club Writing Competition
• student leadership in every year group K-6, such as SRC, library monitors, cultural and community leaders and many more.
• External programs offered at our school after school hours include Chess Club, Coding Club, Chinese Community Language School classes, Cool Kids Music, School Band tutorials, Einstein Kids, Turkish Community Language classes and the Australian Girls Choir.

Across NSW

Our students participate in a wide range of statewide programs to extend and enrich student potential. We provide access to local, state and national competitions and events to help students explore and extend their talents.

At Sherwood Ridge PS at a system level, HPGE students are supported through:

Intellectual Domain

• The Premier’s Debating Challenge helps our students to build logical arguments and confidence in public speaking.
• Involvement in the Game Changer Challenge empowers our students to solve future-focused problems using design thinking.
• The Maths Olympiad Program fosters creative and critical thinking in mathematics and challenges high-achieving and talented students.
• WriteOn Competition allows our students to develop skills in writing to express their ideas with the opportunity for them to become published authors.
• MindQuest offers different courses for students in Years 1-6 designed to enrich and extend students of similar interests and abilities to foster student potential in a range of experiences, including science, space, mathematics, writing, art and robotics.

Creative Domain

• The Synergy Dance Festival celebrates the performance of dance by our students from Kindergarten to Year 6 providing them an opportunity to display their skills in dance in a theatrical setting, to a supportive audience.
• The Hills Performing Arts Festival showcases the talents of students from various schools in the region, featuring a wide range of performances, including dance groups, choirs, and bands, providing a platform for our young performers to develop confidence and teamwork.
• Film By Student Workshops help our students gain expertise in various aspects of filmmaking, enabling them to explore their creativity and express themselves through film.
• Calendar for Cultural Diversity is an opportunity for our students who are talented in visual arts to submit an artwork for inclusion in this calendar which is published for all public schools in NSW.
• Pulse Alive is an opportunity for our students to demonstrate their talent and interest in the performing arts, showcasing thousands of singers, dancers, public speakers, actors, and musicians from NSW public schools.

Social-Emotional Domain

• GRIP Leadership Conference develops the leadership skills of school students, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to make a significant contribution to their schools.

Physical Domain

• The Premier’s Sporting Challenge (PSC) promotes whole-school participation in physical activity with leadership pathways and professional learning.
• The Representative School Sport Pathway and PSSA events enable our students to trial and compete in sports at regional, state and national levels, fostering discipline, commitment and collaboration.

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