High potential and gifted education

Every learner’s potential at Bexhill Public School is our priority.

We recognise that high potential exists in every classroom, and our teachers work proactively to find, nurture and extend that potential. Through evidence-informed practice, we challenge our students to think deeply, create boldly, lead confidently and grow every day.

We identify students’ learning needs using a range of formative assessment strategies and provide targeted support, enrichment, extension, and where appropriate acceleration.

Our school offers a diverse range of opportunities across the four domains of potential—intellectual, creative, physical and social-emotional, ensuring that high potential and gifted learners are engaged, challenged and supported to excel.

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

High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) at Bexhill Public School

HPGE opportunities are offered across the state in all NSW Public Schools to develop student talent across the four domains of potential open_in_new. These opportunities include:

enrichment, extension and extra-curricular programs
inter-school programs and competitions
system-level enrichment offerings

Domains of potential

The domains of potential describe the four broad categories of natural abilities found in Françoys Gagné's adapted model of Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent DMGT 2.0 (2009). These definitions apply to all students, including high potential and gifted students.

The domains of potential may not be mutually exclusive and are highly influenced by one another.

Creative domain – refers to natural abilities in imagination, invention and originality.
Intellectual domain – refers to natural abilities in processing, understanding, reasoning, and the transfer of learning.
Physical domain – refers to natural abilities in muscular movement and motor control.
Social-emotional – refers to natural abilities in self-management and relating to and interacting with others.

Potential exists along a continuum, where differing degrees of potential require differing approaches and levels of adjustment and intervention.

All staff at Bexhill Public School have participated in professional learning to be able to identify and cater for the learning needs of high-potential and gifted students in their classes and across the school.

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

Differentiated tasks that adjust pace, complexity and higher-order thinking.
Formative assessment to identify and monitor growth and adapt teaching and learning strategies.
Advanced learning pathways, including accelerated or compacted content.
Explicit teaching of critical thinking and problem-solving strategies.
Opportunities for enrichment, inquiry, and curriculum depth.
Tasks that promote choice, authenticity, and critical and creative thinking including cross-curricular projects.
Flexible grouping for collaborative ideation and presentation.
Differentiated movement tasks and skill refinement in PDHPE.
Targeted learning goals for coordination, agility, and control.
Supportive learning environments that enable exploration and self-assessment.
Strengths-based feedback and goal setting.
Opportunities for leadership within the classroom and playground.
Structured peer collaboration and reflection.
Safe learning environments that encourage confidence, risk-taking, and perseverance.
Ongoing professional learning lead by our ACP&I (Assistant Principal Curriculum and Instruction) and highly accomplished teachers.

Across our school

We know that talent develops in many contexts. Bexhill Public School provides rich opportunities beyond the classroom for students to explore and expand their strengths.

Intellectual Domain:

Northern Rivers Debating workshops
Write On competitions
Young Communicators Program K - 6
First North Public Speaking
The Rivers Public Speaking
STEM enrichment activities
Academic competitions
Critical thinking and enterprise and project based learning opportunities
Environmental sustainability and regeneration projects

Creative Domain:

Creative and performance arts showcases
School musicals and Performing Arts
Small Schools Choir
Filmby script writing, editing, filming and acting
Creative Writing groups
Private music tuition
Private drama tuition

Physical Domain:

Targeted sports programs , including the Sporting Schools program

PSSA Sport

Cross Country, Athletics & Swimming Carnivals at school, and zone level
School Sport Pathways for a number of sports

Disability and inclusion sporting pathways

Social-emotional Domain:

Student leadership opportunities-School Captains, House Captains and Student Representative Council (SRC)
School House competitions
Kindergarten Buddy Program
Student Voice in inclusion and wellbeing initiatives
Whole-school inclusion and wellbeing initiatives, including You Can Do It program K-6, and The Anxiety Project for students, staff and families.

Across NSW

The Premier’s Spelling Bee promotes our students’ vocabulary development and attention to detail in competitive settings.
The Premier’s Debating Challenge helps our students to build logical arguments and confidence in public speaking.
Our STEM Enrichment Partnerships with Southern Cross University and the Rivers ( RASE) deepen our students’ intellectual curiosity while developing innovation and collaboration being recognised with 2 Secretary's Awards for Academic Excellence)
The Premiers Sporting Challenge (PSC) promotes whole school participation in physical activity with leadership mentoring pathways and professional learning.
The Premiers Reading Challenge (PRC) promotes whole school participation in reading for pleasure.
Participation in the Filmby short film project (state/regional) promotes character exploration, storytelling and filming skills for our senior students, coming 5^th overall in the state in 2024.

North Coast Creative Arts camp for students with performing and creative arts potential.

The Representative School Sport Pathway and PSSA events enable our students to trial and compete in sports at regional, state and national levels, fostering discipline, commitment and collaboration.