High potential and gifted education (HPGE)

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

High potential and gifted children may exhibit/demonstrate several of the following signs:

curiosity
learning new ideas or skills quickly and easily
displaying a good memory
asking complex questions
being creative
enjoying thinking in complex ways
requiring fewer repetitions when learning new things
becoming very focused in their area of interest or passion

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

What are the four domains of potential and what does Macksville High School have to offer?

Click on the boxes below to explore the activities and opportunities that Macksville High School offers to nurture and develop your young person's abilities

Creative

Natural abilities in imagination, invention and originality

Intellectual

Natural abilities in processing, understanding, reasoning, and the transfer of learning

Physical

Natural abilities in muscular movement and motor control

Natural abilities in self-management and relating to and interacting with others

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 monitor growth and adapt learning.
Advanced learning pathways, including accelerated or compacted content.
Explicit teaching of critical thinking and problem-solving strategies.
Flexible grouping for collaborative ideation and presentation.
Differentiated movement tasks and skill refinement in PDHPE.
Targeted learning goals for coordination, agility, and control.
Opportunities to take on lead roles in physical demonstrations or team strategy.
Supportive learning environments that enable exploration and self-assessment.
Strengths-based feedback and goal setting.
Opportunities for leadership within the classroom.
Structured peer collaboration and reflection.
Safe learning environments that encourage confidence, risk-taking, and perseverance.