High potential and gifted education

All NSW public schools provide a variety of tailored learning experiences to help students excel and achieve their best. At Coolah Central School, we promote a culture of high expectations and inclusive excellence, ensuring that every student, no matter their background, has the chance to transform their potential into real talent.

Our school presents a wide array of opportunities across four key areas of potential: creative, intellectual, physical, and social-emotional. These experiences enable us to discover potential, cultivate talent, and create meaningful impact!

Why choose us for your high potential or gifted child?

Recognising potential and developing talent

Our teachers find potential and nurture our students to be the best they can be.

Tailored lessons

Each student has different abilities. Teachers respond to each student’s ability by providing extra challenges and extension activities to keep learning exciting and engaging.

Rich opportunities and activities

Students can take part in opportunities to develop their talent in the arts, sport, leadership and more.

Opening doors to wider experiences

Our students can participate in a wide range of state-wide opportunities that aim to extend and enrich student potential.

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

At Coolah Central School, we are dedicated to identifying and supporting high potential and gifted students, ensuring that every learner is empowered to succeed. High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) is embedded in our daily practices and routines:

Our welcoming classroom settings foster a strong sense of belonging, encouraging students to take risks, be creative, and collaborate.
Flexible groupings allow for teamwork and presentations.
Students engage in tasks that encourage choice, real-world relevance, and develop critical and creative thinking skills.
Personalised learning plans highlight each student's strengths and abilities, supported through programs like vertical integration in English and Mathematics.

Across our school

All students, including those with high potential and gifted abilities, are motivated to take on leadership roles, including participation in student representative council, mentoring, peer coaching, and leading major events such as Anzac Day, Remembrance Day, and NAIDOC activities.
Our yearly Intensive Swimming Program, held every December, includes all students from Kindergarten to Year 8 and is tailored to accommodate individual skill levels.
Students explore STEM career pathways via classroom lessons that incorporate technology beyond the standard curriculum and apply their knowledge to practical situations, fostering creativity, problem-solving, and a passion for innovation from a young age.
Opportunities to deepen engagement with Visual Arts are available through excursions and workshops, where students visit local galleries to experience both traditional and modern artworks.
Creative Arts talents are recognised and developed through our biannual Whole School Production, with additional participation supported by the Department of Education’s Art Unit and Moorambilla programs, as well as regular school assemblies.
Students are encouraged and supported to grow their confidence and communication skills via our in-school Public Speaking competition.

Across NSW

Students at Coolah Central School have access to a broad range of statewide programs designed to extend and enrich their abilities.

Our students take part in numerous sporting events, including gala days, knockout competitions, and selections progressing to zone, regional, and state carnivals, for both individual and team participation.
Participation in debating builds critical thinking and public speaking confidence, with teams competing in The Premier’s Debating Challenge and The Kerri Parkes Western Debating Challenge.
Students also join various public speaking contests such as the Plain English Speaking Award and the NSW Parliament Public Speaking Competition.
Agricultural competitions like Junior Judging, the NSW School Merino Wether Challenge, and the Upper Hunter Beef Bonanza offer further opportunities for our students.
Targeted students sit for ICAS assessments in English, Mathematics, Technology and Science to challenge themselves.
For talents not catered to within Coolah Central School, support is provided to compete in relevant statewide competitions and events.