High potential and gifted education

High Potential Students

High potential students are those whose potential exceeds that of students of the same age in one or more domains. Their potential may be assessed as beyond the average range across any domain. They may benefit from an enriched or extended curriculum and learning opportunities beyond the typical level of students the same age.

Gifted Students

Gifted students’ potential significantly exceeds that of students of the same age in one or more domains. It is commonly estimated that only 10% of students may be considered gifted. These students typically develop talent and achieve mastery notably faster than their age peers. They may benefit from an extended curriculum and learning opportunities significantly beyond the typical level of students the same age.

Highly Gifted Students

Highly gifted students’ potential vastly exceeds that of students of the same age in one or more domains. Highly gifted students have potential assessed in the top 1% or less of age peers. Highly gifted students may require specific and more significant curriculum adjustments to meet their learning and wellbeing needs.

In our classrooms

At Rooty Hill Public School, High Potential and Gifted Education is woven into the fabric of our teaching and learning culture. We value every student’s capacity to think deeply, act creatively and pursue personal excellence, recognising that many of our learners exhibit high levels of potential across the intellectual, creative, social-emotional and physical domains. Our commitment is to nurture these strengths with purpose, ensuring students are inspired, challenged and supported to achieve meaningful growth.

Our highly qualified teachers design and deliver tailored, differentiated programs that respond to the unique learning needs, interests and capabilities of each student. Using evidence-informed practices, teachers adjust the pace, content and complexity of lessons to provide rich learning experiences that stretch thinking, build independence and promote intellectual curiosity. Open-ended tasks, targeted enrichment and purposeful extension opportunities form part of our regular classroom practice.

We cultivate classroom environments that are inclusive, student-centred and ground in positive attitudes toward all aspects of learning. By recognising and harnessing each student’s passions and talents, we strive to engage them in meaningful, authentic learning that fosters creativity and a love of discovery.

We work alongside parents and carers at our Student Success Summits to develop learning goals that remain personalised and responsive to student progress.  Our staff engage in continuous professional learning to strengthen their ability to meet the diverse needs of all students, including those with high potential, ensuring Rooty Hill Public School remains a place where every learner is empowered to thrive.

Across our school and beyond

At Rooty Hill Public School, we proudly offer a diverse range of opportunities to enrich and extend our High Potential and Gifted Education students, both within our school community and through partnerships with local networks. We understand that each learner brings individual strengths, interests and cultural backgrounds and our programs are designed to nurture these talents across the academic, creative, social-emotional and physical domains.

Students can explore and develop their abilities through a variety of co-curricular experiences, including public speaking competitions, debating teams, chess club, senior and junior dance, hip hop, choir, cultural dance ensembles and drumming groups. We also value academic enrichment with students participating in the Gifted Gateways program offered in partnership with Rooty Hill High School. We provide additional inquiry-based activities and specialised interest groups such as gardening club, art groups, yoga classes and morning boot camps.

Our school proudly showcases student talent through participation in major events such as the Schools Spectacular, Synergy Dance Festival and the Elev8ed Culture Festival. We offer authentic platforms for students to perform, express themselves and celebrate their creativity.

At Rooty Hill Public School, leadership development is a key focus, with meaningful opportunities provided through the roles of Student Representative Councillor, House Captain, Prefect, Library Monitor and Playground Monitor. These roles allow students to contribute to school life, build responsibility and strengthen their communication and teamwork skills.

Sport also plays an important role in our enrichment package. Students participate in sporting gala days across our local network and are supported to compete at Zone and Regional levels in athletics, cross country and swimming, ensuring all athletes have pathways to excel.

Together, these opportunities create a rich and supportive environment where curiosity is encouraged, talents are recognised and every student is empowered to grow, lead and succeed.