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?

At Iona Public School, we are dedicated to recognising and nurturing the diverse talents and abilities of every student. Guided by the NSW Department of Education’s High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) Policy, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and stimulating learning environment that supports students with high potential across intellectual, creative, social-emotional, and physical domains.

We celebrate the individual strengths of our learners and provide a broad range of opportunities to ensure that students with high potential and giftedness are identified early, supported with care, and challenged with purpose. Through tailored teaching strategies, enrichment activities, and targeted interventions, we empower our students to reach their fullest potential and excel both academically and personally.

At Iona Public School, we understand that high potential is the foundation upon which extraordinary achievement is built - and with the right encouragement and resources, every student can flourish.

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 an inclusive and evidence-based approach that recognises and supports students who demonstrate the potential for high performance. These students may excel in one or more of the following domains identified by the NSW Department of Education:

Intellectual - advanced learning capacity in areas such as reading, writing, mathematics, problem-solving, and abstract thinking.
Creative - exceptional ability to generate original ideas, think critically, and express themselves through innovation or the arts.
Social-Emotional - strong leadership, empathy, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to collaborate and influence others effectively.
Physical - outstanding physical abilities and talent in areas such as sport, dance, or movement-based activities.

Students with high potential perform or have the capacity to perform at levels significantly beyond those of their peers. With the right support, learning environments and enrichment opportunities, these students can achieve outstanding outcomes.

At its core, HPGE is about ensuring equity and excellence in education. It involves the early identification of students with high potential and the delivery of differentiated teaching that challenges, engages, and extends their learning.

At Iona Public School, we are committed to providing all students with access to opportunities that nurture their strengths and talents. Through targeted programs, enriched learning experiences, and a supportive school culture, we help students grow into confident, capable, and self-motivated learners.

HPGE is not just for academically gifted students it values a wide range of abilities and ensures that every student has the opportunity to realise their full potential.

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 Iona Public School, HPGE lives in everyday practice. Many students have high potential, and we help that potential to grow into something powerful.

Teachers identify students' learning needs in the classroom and use evidence-informed teaching practices to challenge and extend students. We provide learning pathways, including enrichment and extension programs and acceleration.
Our supportive classroom environments promote a sense of belonging and encourage risk-taking, creativity and collaboration.
Groups are flexible, students take lead roles, and feedback is strengths-based with clear goals and self-assessment.
Our teachers engage in professional learning to support the diverse needs of all students, including our high potential and gifted learners.

Across our school

Every student is individual, so opportunities are flexible and diverse.

Students deepen strengths through debating and public speaking competitions and STEM and coding programs.
Talent is celebrated through school musicals and a K-6 choir. Students in Stage 2 and 3 have the opportunity to participate in visual arts and music classes with students from the Maitland Learning Community coordinated by Maitland High School.
Leadership grows through School Representative Council, student lead peer support programs, Rock and Water program and wellbeing is made visible with PBL awards.
Daily life invites curiosity and belonging, through lunch time craft and environmental groups.
Sport matters too, with Small School PSSA sporting teams, training, coaching and competitions that include differentiated PE.

Across NSW

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

Students participate in opportunities such as the Hunter EV Solar Boat and Car Challenge, Premier’s Sporting Challenge, Premier’s Multicultural Public Speaking, Premier's Reading Challenge Hunter's Writers Festival, Newcastle Permanent Mathematics Competition, Write 4 Fun, and Harmony Day poetry and songwriting competitions.
Statewide and NSW Department of Education support is available for high potential and gifted students, and we help with entries, preparation and reflection so every experience feeds back into learning.