High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE)
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.
High potential
High potential students are those whose potential exceeds that of students of the same age in one or more domains. Their potential may be assessed as beyond the average range across any domain. They may benefit from an enriched or extended curriculum and learning opportunities beyond the typical level of students the same age.
Gifted
Gifted students’ potential significantly exceeds that of students of the same age in one or more domains. They may benefit from an extended curriculum and learning opportunities significantly beyond the typical level of students the same age.
Highly gifted
Gifted students’ potential significantly exceeds that of students of the same age in one or more domains. They may benefit from an extended curriculum and learning opportunities significantly beyond the typical level of students the same age.
Our High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) Opportunities
At Cronulla South Public School, HPGE is embedded in daily practice. By recognising and fostering individual talents across creative, intellectual, physical, and social-emotional domains, the school helps students reach personal excellence and have a positive impact.
- At our school, teachers carefully identify each student's unique learning needs and use proven, evidence-informed teaching strategies to both challenge and inspire them. We offer tailored learning pathways, including enrichment programs and opportunities for acceleration, to help every student reach their full potential.
- Our welcoming and supportive classrooms foster a strong sense of belonging, encouraging students to take risks, express creativity, and collaborate with confidence.
- Learning groups are flexible, allowing students to take on leadership roles, while feedback focuses on their strengths, supported by clear goals and opportunities for self-assessment.
- Our dedicated teachers continuously engage in professional development to meet the diverse needs of all learners, including those with high potential and gifted abilities.
- For gifted and highly gifted students, we provide personalised Individual Learning Plans designed to nurture their talents and accelerate their growth.
- Our school has a dedicated HPGE team that fosters a culture of high expectations throughout the entire school community.
- Teaching and learning programs incorporate evidence-informed differentiation, guided by a variety of ongoing assessments tracked from Kindergarten to Year 6.
- Students enhance their strengths through a broad range of extracurricular activities that support all four domains of high potential and gifted education.
- Our teachers support students at every level by nurturing their talents and providing meaningful opportunities for growth.
- Students at our school have the chance to participate in a variety of exciting opportunities, including the Department of Education’s APSMO Maths Olympiad, Premier’s Spelling Bee, Premier’s Multicultural Public Speaking, enrichment classes in collaboration with other Sutherland Shire schools, PSSA and sporting events up to the national level, network creative arts programs, art competitions, and much more.
- We also provide support for high potential and gifted students through state-wide and NSW Department of Education programs. Our team assists with entries, preparation, and reflection to ensure every experience contributes to ongoing learning and development.
The Four Domains of High Potential and Gifted Education
Intellectual Domain
The intellectual domain of potential refers to natural abilities in processing, understanding, reasoning, and the transfer of learning. Signs of high potential in the intellectual domain include verbal, numerical, logic and spatial aptitudes, synthesis and evaluation, abstract thinking, use of long term and working memory, and problem solving.
Creative Domain
The creative domain of potential refers to natural abilities in imagination, invention and originality. Signs of high potential in the creative domain include originality, innovation and inventiveness that have social value in organising ideas, images, words, sound, movement or objects (including digital media).
Physical Domain
The physical domain of potential refers to natural abilities in muscular movement and motor control. Signs of high potential in the physical domain include power, speed, muscular strength, endurance, flexibility, speed of reflexes, agility, coordination and balance.
Social-Emotional Domain
The social-emotional domain of potential refers to natural abilities in self-management and relating to and interacting with others. Signs of high potential in the social-emotional domain include empathy, social ease, tactfulness, perceptiveness, influence and persuasiveness, eloquence, leadership and charisma.
Cronulla South Public School Programs and Opportunities:
- Enrichment classes specifically designed for students showing high potential in the intellectual domain such as You're Write and Maths Olympiad.
- Collaborating with peers from across the region in the 'By the Sea' enrichment program, developing inductive and deductive thinking skills alongside expert teachers and high school educators.
Cronulla South Public School Programs and Opportunities:
- Enrichment programs such as ‘Create’ where students collaborate with expert educators and industry professionals to develop their talents.
- Creative arts opportunities through extracurricular activities such as dance, choir, and music.
Cronulla South Public School Programs and Opportunities:
- Competing in advanced pathways, including Cronulla Zone PSSA trials, Sydney East PSSA, and NSW State Trials.
- Specialist teachers provide expert physical education instruction.
- Participation in Athletics Carnivals.
- Participation in Swimming Carnivals.
- Participation in Cross Country Carnivals.
Cronulla South Public School Programs and Opportunities:
- Public speaking and debating competitions.
- Waves of Leadership initiative, empowering students to develop confidence, communication skills, and responsibility.
- Leadership teams, including school captains and sports captains.
- Playground Pals program.
Highlights from our enrichment programs
Your Write
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.
Student opportunities and activities
Discover the opportunities our students have at our school.
Learning
Find out about our approach to learning and supporting students to progress