High potential and gifted education
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.
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 Wallsend Public School, we foster a culture of high expectations and equity in excellence, ensuring every student, regardless of background, has opportunities to develop their potential into talent. We challenge our students to think, create, lead and grow every day through:
- 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.
- Opportunities for abstraction, 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.
- 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.
Across our school
Our school provides flexible and diverse opportunities for students to explore and grow their strengths outside the classroom. All students, including high potential and gifted students, are encouraged to take on leadership roles in the school which include the Student Representative Council and Junior Aboriginal Education Consultative Group. We offer enrichment, extension and extra-curricular opportunities such as:
- debating and public speaking
- STEM workshops
- academic competitions
- dance (StarStruck)
- aerobics (FISAF competitions)
- drama
- band
- choir
- sport
- academic competitions
- student leadership (Ministers, SRC, JAECG)
- wellbeing programs
- environmental programs
Across NSW
Our students participate in a wide range of statewide programs to extend and enrich student potential. We provide access to local, state and national competitions and events to help students explore and extend their talents.
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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.
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The Premier’s Spelling Bee promotes our students’ vocabulary development and attention to detail in competitive settings.
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The Premier’s Debating Challenge helps our students to build logical arguments and confidence in public speaking.
STEM Solar Car Challenge
Our Stage 3 students competed in the 2025 Solar Car Challenge against students from other Hunter schools. Both boys and girls built and raced solar powered cars whilst developing the skills of teamwork, problem solving and clean energy technology.
In the straight track competition, our girls team came away with third place, an outstanding effort by them.
Cross Country Champions
Sisters, Claire and Eliza, excel in the sporting field. They display talent in swimming, athletics, cross country and aerobics to name just a few sports.
Both girls qualified for State Cross Country by placing 5th and 6th respectively in their age groups at the hunter Cross Country carnival. They represented the Hunter team at the NSW All Schools Cross Country carnival, receiving a bronze medal in the teams event, with Hunter having the third fastest runners in each of the age groups.
In their age groups against government schools, Claire came 19th and Eliza 29th out of 61 runners. Against all schools in NSW, Claire came 29th out of 77 runners and Eliza 49th out of 70 runners. A fantastic effort by both girls!
Aerobics success
Sport Aerobics is a high intensity sport that combines traditional aerobics with elements of fitness and dance.
Our talented Stage 3 aerobics team have experienced success through training, teamwork, talent and dedication.
Competing in the Federation of International Sport Aerobics and Fitness (FISAF) competition, the girls have performed choreographed routines involving levels of skill and movement patterns to energetic music.
The girls were awarded the silver medal at the 2025 State competition where they qualified for the National titles. They performed a strong routine against teams from across Australia.
The Big Buzz
Using problem solving and research skills and critical and creative thinking, our students are engaging in a hands-on beekeeping and sustainability program that blends science, business and environmental awareness. They engage in real-life hive management while exploring pollination, honey production, and the power of community.
Working in teams, the students have built two hives themselves, fostering a sense of purpose, ownership and success.
The students are excited for the arrival of their very first jar of honey produced by the bees of Wallsend PS.
Rugy League talent
Jahmarl recently received a Callaghan network ASPIRE award for his talent, dedication, teamwork and skill in the field of Rugby League. A keen and talented sportsman, Jamal trialed at zone representative level for the Hunter Rugby League team, gaining selection to compete as part of the team at the NSWPSSA State Rugby League carnival.
Home run to selection
Iris is a softball superstar! A Year 4 student, Iris gained selection in the Hunter PSSA Softball team and competed at the NSWPSSA State Softball championships. Dedicated to her sport, Iris displays teamwork, skill and talent in her field.
Rugby Union star
Displaying teamwork, commitment and talent in the field of Rugby Union, Spencer, a school leader, has impressed with his sporting abilities. After trialing at PSSA zone, Spencer earned himself a place in the Hunter team to play at the NSWPSSA Rugby Union carnival.
A keen player on the weekend and a proud representative player for his club, Spencer is a student with talent and potential in his field.
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.