High potential and gifted education

At Crystal Creek Public School, we are committed to identifying and supporting the diverse strengths, talents and learning needs of our high potential and gifted students in alignment with the NSW Department of Education’s High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) policy. As a small school, we take great pride in knowing our students well and use this understanding to provide personalised learning experiences that support, challenge and inspire every learner.

We foster an inclusive and supportive learning environment where students are encouraged to strive for excellence and develop confidence in their abilities. Through flexible learning arrangements, targeted support and enrichment opportunities, we ensure that high potential and gifted students are appropriately challenged and supported to achieve their personal best.

Our approach recognises achievement and potential across four key domains:

Creative Domain
Students are encouraged to express ideas in imaginative ways through creative arts, project-based learning and problem-solving opportunities that promote curiosity and innovation.

Intellectual Domain
Learning experiences are differentiated to provide depth, complexity and challenge, supporting students to think critically, engage in inquiry and demonstrate advanced understanding across key learning areas.

Physical Domain
Students are supported to develop physical skills, coordination and healthy habits through sport, outdoor learning and physical education opportunities suited to their individual strengths and interests.

Social-Emotional Domain
Student wellbeing is at the heart of all we do. We are committed to the wellbeing of every child, building a caring school community that supports emotional growth, positive relationships and a strong sense of belonging.

At Crystal Creek Public School, we believe every student has the potential to succeed. Through evidence-based practices and a whole-school commitment to quality teaching and learning, we aim to nurture the strengths of all students and support them to grow as confident, capable and engaged learners.

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 Crystal Creek Public School, we value High Potential and Gifted Education as an integral part of everyday classroom practice. We recognise that high potential exists across all domains and in all learners.

Experience the diverse classroom opportunities at Crystal Creek Public School that inspire students to develop their strengths, explore their passions and realise their full potential:

Evidence-Based Teaching
Teachers use research-informed instructional practices to ensure learning is explicit, effective and responsive to student needs.

Ongoing Formative Assessment
Teachers regularly assess student learning to identify strengths, monitor progress and guide the next steps in teaching and learning.
Purposeful Differentiation
Learning experiences are intentionally adapted to provide appropriate challenge, support and extension for all students, including those with high potential.
Targeted Support and Intervention
Students receive focused support to address learning gaps, consolidate understanding and extend their abilities to achieve their full potential.

Across our school

At Crystal Creek Public School, High Potential and Gifted Education is a shared responsibility across our whole school community. Through a whole-school approach, we provide inclusive, high-quality teaching, targeted support and enrichment opportunities that nurture students’ strengths, respond to individual needs and support every learner to achieve excellence.

Explore the range of opportunities at Crystal Creek Public School designed to support and enrich our high potential students:

STEM and Coding Club
Students extend their problem-solving and computational thinking skills through hands-on STEM challenges, coding and innovative design tasks.
Specialised Music Programs
Students develop musical skills and creativity through performance, ensemble work and targeted instruction that nurtures individual talent.
Garden Club
Students engage in hands-on learning that builds responsibility, sustainability knowledge and teamwork while developing practical skills in a real-world context.
School Dance
Students explore creative expression, confidence and collaboration through structured dance programs and performance opportunities.
Sport and House Competitions
Students build teamwork, leadership and resilience while participating in a variety of competitive and inclusive sporting activities.
PSSA Sport
Students represent the school in interschool sport, developing skills, sportsmanship and commitment through structured competition.
Specialist Sport Mentors and Coaching
Students receive expert guidance to refine techniques, enhance performance and develop a growth mindset in their chosen sport.
Peer Mentoring
Students develop leadership and social skills by supporting peers, building positive relationships and contributing to a strong school culture.
Reading Rockstars
Students are challenged to extend their reading stamina, comprehension and motivation through engaging in peer-reading activities.
Student Leadership (SRC)
Students develop leadership, voice and responsibility by representing peers and contributing to school decision-making and initiatives.
Rock and Water Wellbeing Program
Students strengthen resilience, emotional regulation and positive relationships through explicit wellbeing and self-management strategies.
Public Speaking Competitions
Students build confidence, communication skills and critical thinking through structured opportunities to present and perform for audiences.
APSMO Maths Challenges
Students extend mathematical thinking and problem-solving skills by engaging in challenging and competitive mathematics tasks.

Across NSW

At Crystal Creek Public School, we value High Potential and Gifted Education as a key part of our commitment to excellence for every learner. We actively engage with a range of initiatives and opportunities to extend, enrich and challenge students across multiple domains.

Discover the range of state-wide offerings accessed by Crystal Creek Public School to support students to develop their strengths, pursue areas of passion and achieve their full potential:

The Premier’s Reading Challenge
Students are encouraged to extend their reading skills, stamina and enjoyment of literature through this state-wide initiative that celebrates reading achievement.
Public Speaking and Debating Challenges
Students develop confidence, critical thinking and communication skills by participating in public speaking and debating opportunities.
Representative Sporting Pathways
Students with sporting potential are supported to access state-wide representative pathways that develop skills, discipline and high-level performance.
Academic Competitions
Students are challenged and extended through state-wide academic competitions that promote deep thinking, problem-solving and a love of learning.