High potential and gifted education

At Girrakool School, we provide a personalised and secure learning environment where each student’s potential is nurtured through responsive and evidence-informed teaching practices. Our focus is on meeting individual learning needs while upholding the privacy and wellbeing requirements of our specialist setting.

• Teachers identify students’ strengths and learning needs using confidential, school-based assessment and observation.

• Learning experiences are differentiated and designed to extend students through logical reasoning, problem-solving and critical-thinking activities appropriate to our setting.

• Supportive classroom environments promote belonging, engagement and positive learning behaviours.

• Teachers participate in targeted professional learning to support diverse learners, including those with high potential.

Girrakool School uses a whole-school approach to recognise and support high potential learners, ensuring all enrichment and extension opportunities comply with our secure and confidential context. We work collaboratively to create consistent, individualised learning pathways that promote student growth.

• Staff use shared processes to identify and respond to high potential across intellectual, creative, social-emotional and physical domains.

• Programs and supports are adapted to meet the unique needs of our school community and the juvenile justice setting.

• Individual learning plans guide student progress and outline extension opportunities aligned with strengths and goals.

• The school continually reviews practices to ensure equity, accessibility and privacy for all learners.

Girrakool School aligns its practices with the NSW Department of Education’s High Potential and Gifted Education Policy. The policy supports equitable access to challenging, engaging and appropriately adjusted learning for students with high potential across all NSW public schools.

• The HPGE Policy promotes talent development across four domains: intellectual, creative, social-emotional and physical.

• Schools implement evidence-informed strategies to recognise high potential and provide appropriate challenges.

• The policy emphasises inclusive, strengths-based learning for all students.