High potential and gifted education

Recognising potential and developing talent

At Brewarrina Central School, we are proud to align our approach with the NSW Department of Education’s High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) policy, which recognises the diverse strengths and needs of gifted and high potential students. We are committed to providing an inclusive and supportive learning environment that challenges and extends all learners, ensuring they are engaged, motivated, and able to reach their full potential. Our programs are designed to identify and nurture giftedness across multiple domains, reflecting the Department’s emphasis on catering to the whole child. By embracing a broad view of giftedness, we aim to foster excellence not only academically but also creatively, physically, and socially, preparing students for lifelong success and wellbeing.

Our approach focuses on four key domains:

• Creative Domain: We provide opportunities for students to develop innovative thinking and artistic expression, encouraging originality and problem-solving through diverse creative activities.
• Intellectual Domain: We challenge students with enriched learning experiences that promote higher-order thinking, deep inquiry, and advanced knowledge across the curriculum.
• Physical Domain: Recognising the importance of physical development, we support students in enhancing their coordination, health, and physical skills through targeted activities and sports.
• Social-Emotional Domain: We prioritise the emotional wellbeing and social development of gifted students, fostering resilience, self-awareness, and positive relationships to help them thrive within our school community.

At Brewarrina Central  School, we are dedicated to implementing the NSW Department of Education’s HPGE policy by providing a comprehensive, student-centred approach that nurtures the potential of every learner across these four domains.

Tailored lessons

Additional learning support

At our school, we ensure every student is ready to learn. We support students with disability and additional learning needs so they can take part in all areas of school life. You do not need a formal diagnosis for your child to receive support in a mainstream class. Support can begin at any stage of school.

Support that fits your child's needs

Some students need extra support to feel confident and do their best at school. We work closely with families to make support plans and adjustments  that suits each child’s needs.

Additional learning support can include:

• teachers and support staff working together with families (and students, if needed)

• providing tailored programs to help high potential and gifted students with their advanced learning needs including InitiaLit extension groups

• small group tutoring to provide targeted writing and numeracy support for students

• regular check-ins to review and update the planned supports

• changes to the classrooms:

  • accessible classrooms
  • assistive technology
  • instructional resources

• extra guidance, simpler content or different focus during lessons

• assessment adjustments:

  • more time
  • simpler language
  • breaks during tasks
  • different ways to complete a task (e.g. oral presentations instead of written tasks).

We know when a student needs help when:

• teachers notice changes in learning or behaviour
• reviewing assessment results and learning progress
• parents and carers raise concerns or ask for support.

Adjustments are planned with parents and carers. They are reviewed regularly and changed when needed.  If you think your child may need extra help, contact us.

Learning and support team

Our learning and support team helps make sure every student gets the help they need at the right time. The team works with families, teachers and support staff to:

• understand each student’s needs
• plan adjustments and supports
• monitor progress
• connect with other services if needed.

Our learning and support team may include:

• learning and support teachers
• school learning support officers
• school counsellors
• school psychologists

• student support officers
• itinerant teachers for vision or hearing
• Aboriginal education officers
• community and home school liaison officers.

Contact us to meet with a member of this team to talk about your child’s strengths, interests and areas where they may need support.

Rich opportunities and experiences

At Brewarrina Central School, we offer a variety of programs in the classroom and across the school to help students build new skills, make friends and explore new interests.

Our programs may include:

• School sport, carnivals and inter-school competitions
• Sports Partnerships with NSW Rugby
• cultural activities
• excursions and incursions
• First Lego League (Stem and Robotics)
• STEM on Barwon program- in collaboration with University of Melbourne
• Drumming with Moorambilla Voices
• Weaving with Moogahlin Performing Arts
• Culture and Language K-10
• Student leadership opportunities
• Activities that support high potential and gifted learners
• Educational Pathways Program opportunities with tailored support for post school pathways and university

Contact usto learn more about what’s available and how your child can get involved.

Opening doors to wider experiences

At Brewarrina Central School, we offer a variety of programs in the classroom and across the school to help students build new skills, make friends and explore new interests.

Our programs may include:

• School sport, carnivals and inter-school competitions
• Regional sporting competitions including athletics, Clontarf and NASCA programs
• STEM and robotics programs
• performing arts opportunities
• Cultural activities
• Excursions and incursions
• Lunchtime interest-based clubs
• Student leadership opportunities
• Activities that support high potential and gifted learners
• Youth Advisory Council recruitment process

Contact us to learn more about what’s available and how your child can get involved.

In our classroom

At Brewarrina Central School, we recognise that high potential exists in many forms across all learners. Our approach to HPGE is embedded in everyday teaching and learning, guided by a strong focus on formative assessment, evidence-based practices, and effective differentiation to meet the unique needs of every student.

Here are some of the evidence based teaching strategies used in the classroom to support all students:

Explicit Teaching

Explicit teaching is a powerful evidence based teaching practice that happens in classrooms everyday. It works for students of all ages, and all backgrounds. It aligns with how students process, store and retrieve information. Teachers use their expertise to select the right explicit teaching strategy at the right time for the right purpose.

Use of Formative Assessment Tools
Teachers regularly use diagnostic assessments, observation checklists, and student self-assessments to identify strengths and areas for growth across multiple domains, providing timely data that informs lesson planning and differentiation to promote continuous student growth and engagement.

Differentiated Learning Tasks and Flexible Grouping

Learning activities are designed with varying complexity, allowing students to work individually, in pairs, or flexible groups based on interests or abilities, ensuring appropriate challenge, fostering collaboration, leadership, motivation, and social skills.

High Expectations Embedded in Lesson Planning

Teachers explicitly communicate high expectations by designing learning objectives that foster higher-order thinking, creativity, and problem-solving, encouraging students to set personal goals and reflect on their progress, which promotes a growth mindset, resilience, and self-efficacy, leading to deeper learning and higher achievement. Student Leadership and Voice

Students are involved with school leadership opportunities, discussions, and school initiatives and participate in setting goals and self-assessing, fostering ownership, motivation, and developing a student voice.

Ongoing Professional Learning and Collaboration

Teachers regularly engage in professional development on HPGE strategies and collaborate to share best practices and design differentiated curriculum units, strengthening instructional quality and consistency to ensure all students benefit from effective talent development.

Across our school

At Brewarrina Central School, High Potential and Gifted Education forms a vital part of our core business. We recognise and nurture the unique talents of every student by providing flexible, diverse, and enriching opportunities that support growth across academic, creative, social, and physical domains.

Here are some of the opportunities available to support the talent development of students at Brewarrina Central School:

• First Lego League (STEM and Robotics)
• Interschool sport competitions
• Tutoring groups
• Representative sport pathways
• Student leadership opportunities
• Dance, drumming and weaving
• Cultural and Language lessons K-10
• Choir
• School camp
• performances
• Wellbeing programs
• Curriculum aligned excursions & incursions
• Clontarf and NASCA programs

Across NSW

We actively participate in statewide competitions and activities, providing our students with valuable opportunities to challenge themselves and perform at their best. Through this collaborative and enriched approach, we ensure every student’s unique talents are recognised, developed, and celebrated.

Here are some of the opportunities available to support the talent development of students at Brewarrina Central School:

• Educational Pathways Program opportunities with tailored support for post school pathways and university
• NSW PSSA School sport pathways
• Sports Partnerships with NSW Rugby
• Clontarf and NASCA programs