High potential and gifted education

At The Hills Sports High School, we recognise that many students demonstrate high potential, and we support that potential to grow through early identification processes, evidence-informed practices, targeted support and a thriving high expectations culture.

We are committed to developing high potential and nurturing giftedness across the four domains:

• intellectual

• creative

• physical, and

• social-emotional.

  This ensures our students are challenged to think, create, lead and grow across the stages of learning and across both curricular and extracurricular opportunities.

Why choose us for your high potential or gifted child?

At The Hills Sports High School, we believe high potential and gifted students thrive when they are known, challenged and supported - academically, socially and emotionally. Our High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) approach is designed to help students stretch their thinking, deepen their passions and build the skills to excel at school and beyond.

A school that sees potential, and grows it

High potential and giftedness can look different in every child. We use a strengths-based approach to identify and nurture talent across the four HPGE domains:

• Intellectual
• Creative
• Social–emotional
• Physical

Students are supported to set ambitious goals, take intellectual risks and develop the confidence to pursue excellence.

Challenge that is purposeful (not just “more work”)

Our HPGE programs are built around high challenge, high support. Students engage in rich, complex learning that develops:

• deep understanding and higher-order thinking
• problem-solving and creativity
• extended writing, research and reasoning
• collaboration, leadership and communication

Extension opportunities are designed to be meaningful, rigorous and engaging—because gifted learners deserve learning that’s genuinely stretching.

Data-informed, personalised pathways

We use multiple sources of evidence to understand each learner and to plan targeted support, including:

• classroom evidence and assessment data
• teacher observation and student voice
• performance tasks and work samples
• ongoing learning progress checks

This helps us tailor opportunities and ensure students are both extended and supported as they grow.

Expert teachers and strong instructional leadership

Our staff are committed to quality teaching and ongoing professional learning. HPGE practices are strengthened through:

• evidence-informed teaching and assessment
• collaborative planning and moderation
• consistent school-wide approaches to differentiation and formative assessment
• a shared commitment to high expectations for all learners

In short: your child is taught by teams who plan for challenge on purpose.

Enrichment that builds passion and possibility

High potential students need opportunities to explore, create and connect. Our HPGE opportunities include a mix of:

• enrichment experiences and academic extension
• mentoring and leadership development
• targeted programs within KLAs (faculties)
• co-curricular pathways that develop talent and aspiration

We support students to go beyond “doing well” and towards doing what matters.

Wellbeing matters here

Gifted learners can experience perfectionism, anxiety, underachievement or social challenges. Our HPGE approach includes explicit support for:

• wellbeing, motivation and engagement
• goal setting and self-regulation
• positive peer connection and belonging
• confidence and resilience

We want students to flourish as people, not just perform as learners.

A unique environment for excellence

As a specialist sports high school, we understand what it means to pursue high performance; through discipline, feedback, growth, and balance. That mindset carries into our HPGE work: students learn how to manage challenge, respond to feedback and strive for their personal best across their strengths and areas of interest. We focus on coachability, and the social and emotional skills that support this development.

Find out more (parents and carers)

We encourage families to learn more about high potential and gifted education and to partner with us in supporting student growth.

Helpful links

You may find these resources useful:

• NSW Department of Education – High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE)
  https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/high-potential-and-gifted-education
• NSW Department of Education – HPGE Policy and guidance (including definitions, domains and school responsibilities)
  https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/policies/high-potential-and-gifted-education-policy
• NSW Department of Education – Parent and carer information (HPGE)
  https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/high-potential-and-gifted-education/parents-and-carers

Ways to connect with us

Parents and carers can find out more by:

• attending school information evenings and enrolment events, including our Open Night in March each year.
• contacting our HPGE contact/Coordinator through the school office.
• requesting a conversation about your child’s strengths, interests and learning needs.
• exploring opportunities for extension, enrichment and talent development offered across the school year.

Our promise to families

When you choose The Hills Sports High School, you’re choosing a school that will:

• identify potential early and respond thoughtfully
• provide rigorous, engaging learning
• offer enrichment and pathways that broaden opportunity
• partner with families to support both achievement and wellbeing

Enrolments and HPGE information:
Please contact the school to discuss how our HPGE pathways and opportunities can support your child’s strengths, interests and goals.

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​.
• 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

• Debating
• STEM and coding clubs
• Academic competitions
• Critical thinking workshops
• Music ensembles
• Visual arts and drama showcases
• Sport squads
• House competitions
• Performance-based movement groups
• Peer mentoring
• Student leadership (SRC)
• Wellbeing programs
• Participation in whole-school inclusion and wellbeing initiatives.

Across NSW

• Our STEM Enrichment Partnerships with industry and universities deepen our students’ intellectual curiosity while developing innovation and collaboration.
• The Schools Spectacular is an iconic performing arts event that celebrates the talents, diversity and creativity of students from across NSW public schools.
• The Premier’s Sporting Challenge (PSC) promotes whole-school participation in physical activity with leadership pathways and professional learning.
• The Representative School Sport Pathway and CHSSA events enable our students to trial and compete in sports at regional, state and national levels, fostering discipline, commitment and collaboration.
• Participation in state-wide dance ensembles develops our high potential and gifted Stage 5 dance students’ technical skills, performance presence and physical expressiveness.
• Our mentoring programs connect our students with trusted adults including school alumni to build confidence, motivation, and interpersonal skills.

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