Inspire – High potential and gifted education

All NSW public schools have a range of differentiated learning opportunities, enabling students to thrive and reach their potential. At Seaham Public School, we are proud to align our approach with the NSW Department of Education’s Inspire – High potential and gifted education (HPGE) policy, which recognises the diverse strengths and needs of gifted and high potential students.

Why choose us for your high potential or gifted child?

We are committed to ensuring equitable access to high potential and gifted education for all students, regardless of background or location. Our programs are designed to identify and nurture giftedness across multiple domains, reflecting the Department’s emphasis on catering to the whole child. Seaham Public School has a variety of supports available for students through a range of high potential and gifted opportunities.

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 Seaham Public School every learner's potential is our priority

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 Seaham Public School, high potential and gifted education (HPGE) is integrated into our daily learning experiences. Many of our students demonstrate exceptional talents, and we are committed to supporting and developing these strengths into meaningful achievements.

Our teachers identify each student’s learning needs within the classroom and apply evidence-based teaching strategies to extend and challenge their abilities.

Some of these strategies include explicit teaching of critical thinking and problem-solving strategies within safe learning environments that encourage confidence, risk-taking, and perseverance.

Formative assessment to monitor growth and student achievement also informs learning support meetings where students achieving at a high level are discussed and teachers supported in meeting their needs. These adjustments may include differentiated tasks that adjust pace, complexity and higher order thinking.

Advanced learning pathways can also be accessed, including accelerated or compacted content.

Across our school and the community beyond

At Seaham Public School, we offer a wide range of opportunities to support and enrich our Inspire – High potential and gifted education (HPGE) students both within the school and the wider community. Our programs are designed to nurture talents across multiple domains, providing pathways for students to excel and engage beyond the classroom.

Students have the opportunity to access academic competitions such as the Newcastle Permanent Mathematics Competition and ICAS school assessment and academic competitions. Public speaking opportunities are offered through the Premier’s Debating Challenge and the local Rotary Debating Competition as well as public speaking competitions at class, stage and regional level.

Leadership opportunities for students include School Parliament including Minister positions and portfolios, Junior Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG) and the ‘Seaham Support’ peer leadership program. Leadership in wellbeing is supported by the Community PBL awards and the Port Stephens Council Community PBL awards.

Talent is celebrated in the creative and performing arts through access to Starstruck, Tournament of Minds, Hunter River High School showcase and school performances.

Sporting opportunities are numerous and include PSSA team entry in touch football, netball, soccer and basketball as well as gala days in sports such as rugby sevens, league tag and AFL. 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. Sporting Schools grants also provide opportunity in sports such as gymnastics.