High potential and gifted education (HPGE)

In our classroom

At Southern Cross Public School, the principles of High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE), as outlined by the NSW Department of Education, are intrinsically woven into our daily practice. Our safe and supportive classroom environments are designed to cultivate a strong sense of belonging, empowering students to embrace risk-taking, foster perseverance, ignite creativity, encourage collaboration, and build confidence. We are dedicated to challenging our students to think critically, innovate, lead, and grow continually.

• Our educators are adept at identifying individual learning needs within the classroom, employing evidence-informed teaching practices to effectively challenge and extend each student. We provide diverse learning pathways, including targeted enrichment and extension programs, alongside opportunities for acceleration. This comprehensive approach encompasses the provision of differentiated tasks that stimulate higher-order, creative, and critical thinking, the negotiation of specific learning goals, the delivery of strength-based feedback, and the structured facilitation of peer collaboration and reflective practices.

• To ensure the sustained excellence of our HPGE provision, our educators at Southern Cross Public School are deeply committed to continuous professional learning. They actively engage in training and development initiatives that are directly aligned with the NSW Department of Education’s HPGE policy. This unwavering commitment ensures our teachers are consistently equipped with the most current pedagogical strategies and resources, enabling them to effectively identify, challenge, and extend the diverse talents of our HPGE students across all domains, thereby fostering an environment of continuous growth and academic distinction.

Across our school

Recognising the individuality of every student, Southern Cross Public School provides flexible and diverse opportunities for students to explore and grow their strengths beyond the traditional classroom setting.

Our school offers a rich array of whole-school programs designed to support holistic student growth. This includes:

• providing extensive sporting opportunities such as participation in PSSA competitions, engaging in in-school teams, and involvement in cross country, athletics, and intensive swimming programs.

• ensuring all our students, including those identified as high potential and gifted, are actively encouraged to embrace leadership roles through our dynamic student representative council leadership program, as well as through valuable mentoring initiatives and peer coaching opportunities.

• celebrating and extending our students talents through our bi-annual school production and various showcases, including vibrant music ensembles, our dedicated school choir, and energetic school dance groups.

Across NSW

Beyond our school gates, Southern Cross Public School actively facilitates student engagement in a wide range of statewide programs, specifically designed to extend and enrich their potential in alignment with NSW Department of Education initiatives. This includes prestigious opportunities such as participation in the DoE Arts Unit Festival of Choral and Instrumental Music. We ensure that comprehensive statewide and NSW Department of Education level support is readily available for our high potential and gifted students. Our dedicated staff assists with program entries, meticulous preparation, and reflective practices, ensuring that every experience contributes meaningfully to each student's ongoing learning journey and personal development.