High potential and gifted education

At Cootamundra Public School, HPGE lives in everyday practice. We challenge our students to think, create, lead and grow every day.

• Teachers identify students' learning needs in the classroom and differentiate tasks that adjust pace, complexity and higher-order thinking.
• We provide tasks that promote choice, authenticity, and critical and creative thinking, allowing students to explore their strengths across all domains of high potential.
• Teachers use formative assessment to monitor growth and adapt learning​.
• Our supportive classroom environments promote a sense of belonging and encourage risk-taking, creativity and collaboration.
• Our teachers engage in professional learning to support the diverse needs of all students, including our high potential and gifted learners.

Throughout our school, we recognise that each student is unique, so we offer a wide range of flexible and diverse opportunities.

• Daily life invites curiosity and belonging, with Open Library time, Garden Club, Chess Club and targeted group sessions focused on a particular project open to students.
• We foster and celebrate talent through participation in our strings and choir programs, facilitating opportunities to perform in Sydney at the Festival of Instrumental Music, local eisteddfods, combined school workshops with industry experts, and at in school performances. Our music programs are growing, with percussion. ukulele and further vocal programs in planning.
• Leadership is nurtured via the SRC, prefects and class councillor programs. Student wellbeing, confidence and leadership are fostered through buddy and peer support programs and supported within our positive behaviour for learning (PBL) structures.
• Sport is also an important focus, offering PSSA sport, training, specialised team coaching, and house competitions that include tailored physical education opportunities for students.

Our students participate in a wide range of statewide programs to extend and enrich student potential.

• Students participate in opportunities including Premier’s Spelling Bee, Premier’s Multicultural Public Speaking, Premiers Debating Challenge, DoE Arts Unit Festival of Choral and Instrumental Music, DoE Arts Unit Pulse Alive, Tournament of the Minds and the Maths Olympiad
• Our STEM Enrichment Partnership programs with Cootamundra High School deepen our students’ intellectual curiosity while developing innovation and collaboration.
• English and Mathematics Enrichment classes are offered through the Temora APCI Network, bringing together students from various schools to explore texts and mathematical concepts in depth.
• Aurora School partnerships are fostered for selected students.
• 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.