High potential and gifted education

At Vincentia High School, every learner’s potential is our priority. We are committed to fostering a culture of high expectations and equity in excellence, ensuring every student, regardless of background, has opportunities to develop their potential into talent (NSW Department of Education, 2025).

High Potential Gifted Education (HPGE) at Vincentia High School is aligned with the NSW Department of Education 2020 HPGE Policy, the NSW DoE Revisiting Gifted Education, ‘What Works Best’ 2025 documents, and the 2023-2026 Vincentia High School Excellence Plan.

Vincentia High School supports identified HPGE students in the intellectual domain through enrichment classes across Stages 4 and 5. Students in the creative, physical and social-emotional domain are supported through extra-curricular and co-curricular practices on an individual basis to best meet the needs of each student. Most processes outlined below are implemented across the curriculum so that all students can share in the improvements, creating an environment where collective growth and success are prioritised.

Why choose us for your high potential or gifted child?

Recognising potential and developing talent

Students are identified through:

  • Teacher nominations that are evidenced based.

  • Applications by students and parents/carers.

  • Multiple data points throughout Years 8 to 10, including formative and  summative assessment, NAPLAN data, etc.

Tailored lessons

Teachers respond to each student’s ability:

  • Explicitly teaching metacognitive skills.
  • Developing a shared language of learning.
  • Establishing students’ ownership of their learning and the ability to drive their learning forward.
  • Assessment of and for Learning
  • HPGE Learning Plans.
  • Deliberate adjustments are made to process, product, content and environment.

Rich opportunities and activities

Students can take part in opportunities to develop their talent in the arts, sport, leadership including:

  • Mentorships
  • AURORA Program.
  • Above stage outcomes.
  • Single subject or whole year acceleration.
  • Vertical grouping
  • Advanced Learning Pathways to access tertiary education.

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.

  • Incursions and Excursions.
  • External competitions.
  • Interschool Competitions.
  • Writing Challenges
  • Public Speaking and Debating.
  • Student Leadership Opportunities.
  • Cultural Opportunities.
  • Critical and Creative Thinking Activities.

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:

Our high potential and gifted education opportunities

Our students engage with HPGE education in the classroom, in our school, and across NSW.

In our classrooms

Our school's classroom level HPGE offerings are informed by:

  • Triangulation of data collected about student learning to guide decision-making and improve student outcomes.

  • The implementation of High Impact Teaching Strategies to ensure that our students are assessment-capable learners to raise student achievement.

  • Student learning is meaningfully differentiated to increase the level of challenge, complexity, depth and learning pace as required.

Across our school

Our school's school level HPGE offerings:

Students are identified using both formative and summative measures in addition to student applications for their potential to be formally recognised. Vincentia High School offers three pathways for students of similar ability or achievement levels to maximise

teaching and learning.

  • Year 7 students and their families can nominate to join the Year 8 dhuriga enrichment class.
  • Students moving into and through Stage 5 will have opportunities to be placed in the biindaga enrichment classes.
  • Flexible pathways are offered to students whose learning experiences need to go beyond age-based competency through the yaradbaga pathways.

The grouping of students is purposeful and flexible to optimise talent development.

Students talent is continuously developed through high impact teaching strategies,

differentiation and enrichment opportunities.

Across NSW

Our school's state-wide level HPGE offerings:

  • Incursions and Excursions.
  • External competitions.
  • Interschool Competitions.
  • Writing Challenges
  • Public Speaking and Debating.
  • Student Leadership Opportunities.
  • Cultural Opportunities.
  • Critical and Creative Thinking Activities.
Academic competitions
Music ensembles

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.

Contact us

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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