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

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 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

Some students learn faster and more easily than others. These students may show natural abilities in creative, intellectual, physical, and/or social-emotional domains.

At our school, we recognise and nurture these strengths early. We support high potential students with great lessons and activities to help them grow and thrive.

In our classroom

At Blackwell 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.
We provide tasks that promote choice, authenticity, and critical and creative thinking.
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, Spelling Bee competitions, critical thinking workshops, and STEM and coding pathways using robotics.
Talent is celebrated through school musicals and showcases such as Blackwell's Got Talent and the annual Blackwell School Concert. Blackwell participates in the STEPs musical festival and The Blue Mountain Dance Festivals with choir and dance group performances. Our students also participate in the Sydney Dance Sport Championships, which is a Ballroom dancing competition. Blackwell has been the champion school for the past 5 years.
Leadership grows through our elected SRC, our Junior AECG, mentoring and peer support sessions.
Daily life invites curiosity and belonging, with Open Library at lunch, plus clubs like Chess, drawing and Lego.
Blackwell students have the opportunity to participate in State Knockout competitions and our District Gala days. Our school enjoys participating in Gala days organised by different sporting groups, including AFL, NSW Oz Tag, NSW Netball, NSW Touch, the Wanderers Soccer and NRL Rugby League.

Statewide

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

Students participate in opportunities such as Premier’s Spelling Bee, Debating, Sydney Dance Sport Championships and STEPS music festivals.
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.