Botany Public School

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Emailbotany-p.school@det.nsw.edu.au

High Potential and Gifted Education

Students working on a laptop

Understanding High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) at BPS

At Botany Public School, we are committed to nurturing the talents and potential of every student. As part of this commitment, we follow the NSW Department of Education’s High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) Policy, which guides how schools identify and support students who demonstrate high potential across a range of areas.

Understanding High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) at BPS

At Botany Public School, we are committed to nurturing the talents and potential of every student. As part of this commitment, we follow the NSW Department of Education’s High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) Policy, which guides how schools identify and support students who demonstrate high potential across a range of areas.

 

The Four Domains of High Potential

The HPGE policy identifies four key domains in which students may show high potential or giftedness:

  1. Intellectual – Advanced learning capacity in areas such as reading, writing, problem solving or critical thinking.
  2. Creative – Originality, imagination, and innovative thinking in visual or performing arts, writing, or design.
  3. Social-Emotional – Leadership skills, empathy, motivation, and emotional intelligence beyond age expectations.
  4. Physical – Exceptional physical abilities, coordination, or athletic skill in sports or movement-based activities.

Four domains of HPGE
students reading

High potential or gifted
teacher working with students

High Potential vs Gifted vs Highly Gifted

Understanding the differences between these terms can help clarify how schools support different learners:

  • High Potential: A student has the capacity for high performance but may not be achieving at a high level yet. With the right environment, these students can flourish.
  • Gifted: A student consistently demonstrates performance significantly above age-level expectations. They usually grasp new concepts quickly and need tasks that challenge and extend their learning.
  • Highly Gifted: A smaller group of students who perform at extraordinary levels well beyond their age peers. These students may need more tailored and accelerated learning plans.

How Do We Support HPGE Students?

At BPS, we use a range of methods to identify and support students with high potential or giftedness. This may include teacher observations, classroom assessments, standardised testing or student work samples. Once identified, students may be supported through classroom differentiation, enrichment tasks, social-emotional support or, in some cases, Personalised Learning and Support Plans (PLSPs).

We are proud to offer a wide range of opportunities to help students with high potential thrive across all four domains—intellectual, creative, social-emotional, and physical.

Our support goes beyond the classroom. We offer a rich selection of extra-curricular programs  that provide challenge and enrichment for our HPGE students. These include:

Extra-curricular:

  • 🏀 Sport
  • ♟️ Chess
  • 🎭 Drama & Dance
  • 🈶 Chinese Language

In addition, our students are encouraged to participate in departmental and statewide initiatives such as:

Academic & Creative Competitions:

  • 🎤 Debating
  • 🗣️ Public Speaking
  • 🐝 Spelling Bee
  • 🎨 Operation Art – showcasing creative expression in visual arts
  • 🏀 Sport (PSSA)

These programs allow students to pursue their passions, be challenged at appropriate levels, and connect with like-minded peers.

Families are key partners in this process, and we welcome your insights and involvement. If you believe your child may be showing high potential in one or more of these domains, please don’t hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or a member of the school executive team.

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