High potential and gifted education

Blacksmiths Public School proudly follows the guidelines set out by the NSW Department of Education’s High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) policy, which acknowledges the varied talents and needs of gifted and high potential students. Our school is dedicated to creating an inclusive, supportive learning environment that challenges every student, helping them stay engaged and motivated while reaching their highest potential. We offer programs that identify and nurture giftedness in many areas, in line with the Department’s focus on supporting the overall development of each child. By adopting a comprehensive approach to giftedness, we strive to promote excellence not only in academics but also in creativity, physical skills, and social abilities, equipping students for lifelong achievement and wellbeing.

Our approach focuses on four key domains:

Creative Domain: We provide opportunities for students to develop innovative thinking and artistic expression, encouraging originality and problem-solving through diverse creative activities.
Intellectual Domain: We challenge students with enriched learning experiences that promote higher-order thinking, deep inquiry, and advanced knowledge across the curriculum.
Physical Domain: Recognising the importance of physical development, we support students in enhancing their coordination, health, and physical skills through targeted activities and sports.
Social-Emotional Domain: We prioritise the emotional wellbeing and social development of gifted students, fostering resilience, self-awareness, and positive relationships to help them thrive within our school community.

At Blacksmiths Public School, we are dedicated to implementing the NSW Department of Education’s HPGE policy by providing a comprehensive, student-centred approach that nurtures the potential of every learner across these four domains.

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

Our students engage with HPGE education in the classroom, in our school, and across NSW.

In our classroom

At Blacksmiths Public School, the principles of High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) are seamlessly incorporated into everyday learning. Many of our students demonstrate remarkable talents, and we are committed to nurturing these abilities into meaningful achievements.

Our educators carefully assess each student’s learning needs within the classroom and implement evidence-based strategies to extend and challenge their skills. Identification of students with high potential or giftedness—across cognitive, creative, physical, or social-emotional domains—is undertaken by teachers. This information is shared across the school to provide consistent and effective support for all learners.

We cultivate supportive classroom environments that promote belonging, creativity, risk-taking, and collaboration. Gifted students, particularly those in the cognitive domain, receive tailored instruction to match their individual level of challenge through open-ended tasks and enrichment opportunities.

Our approach includes flexible grouping, leadership roles, and feedback focused on students’ strengths, alongside clear goals and self-assessment.

These practices reflect the NSW Department of Education’s HPGE policy, which stresses the importance of fostering giftedness across four key domains:

Creative Domain: Encouraging students to generate original ideas and express themselves through creative thinking, problem-solving, and artistic activities.
Intellectual (Cognitive) Domain: Providing stimulating learning opportunities that nurture advanced thinking, inquiry, and intellectual growth.
Physical Domain: Supporting physical development and wellbeing through activities that enhance coordination, health, and physical skills.
Social-Emotional Domain: Building emotional resilience, self-awareness, and positive social skills to promote the wellbeing of gifted learners.

At Blacksmiths Public School, we are committed to nurturing the whole child by recognising and fostering each student’s unique potential across these four domains, ensuring all learners are empowered to thrive.

Across our school and Galgabba Community of Schools

At Blacksmiths Public School, we offer a wide range of opportunities to support and enrich our High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) students both within the school and the wider community. Our programs are designed to nurture talents across multiple domains, providing pathways for students to excel and engage beyond the classroom.

Students can participate in our Coding Club, which fosters strategic thinking and problem-solving skills. We offer diverse Creative Arts opportunities, including dance ensembles, star struck, choir, and creative arts events, allowing students to develop their artistic talents and collaborate with peers. We support guitar lessons that provides a chance to explore musical skills in a supportive environment.

For those with sporting interests, we have school sporting teams and representative sporting pathways that encourage physical development and teamwork.

Leadership skills are cultivated through involvement in the multiple school leadership roles and student voice opportunities throughout the school.

We also support students in developing their communication and critical thinking abilities through Public Speaking and spelling programs. Additionally, our students have the chance to participate in a variety of academic competitions that challenge and extend their intellectual growth.

In addition, Blacksmiths Public School has a wonderful connection with our Galgabba Community of Schools. We hold Domain Discovery Days across all schools, to provide opportunities for all students to learn and grow and be identified in one or more HPGE domains.

Across NSW

The Premier’s Spelling Bee promotes our students’ vocabulary development and attention to detail in competitive settings.

Our STEM Enrichment Partnerships with industry and universities deepen our students’ intellectual curiosity while developing innovation and collaboration.

Star Struck is an iconic performing arts event that celebrates the talents, diversity and creativity of students from across NSW public schools.
The Representative School Sport Pathway and PSSA and CHSSA events enable our students to trial and compete in sports at regional, state and national levels, fostering discipline, commitment and collaboration.
The Premier’s Sporting Challenge (PSC) promotes whole-school participation in physical activity with leadership pathways and professional learning.