High potential and gifted education

The NSW Department of Education is committed to ensuring equitable access to high potential and gifted education for all students, regardless of background or location.

The NSW Department of Education provides distance education to students living in NSW who are geographically isolated or unable to attend school on a regular basis due to special circumstances. In some instances, distance education is also available to students who are unable to access an appropriate curriculum at their local school.

Southern Cross School of Distance Education (SCoDE) provides greater access to support and curriculum through providing engagement and challenge for every student across all domains of potential, and fostering high expectations and equity in excellence.

We leverage technology in distance education to offer diverse pathways that support students in developing their talents, no matter where they are located or their background.

Our teachers engage in professional learning to gain experience and ensure they can identify and support student talents during live online lessons and on the CANVAS e-learning platform used by our school.

At our school, every learner’s potential is our priority. We are committed to developing high potential across the four domains: creative, intellectual, physical, and social-emotional.

High potential or gifted students

Recognising potential and developing talent

How do schools find high potential

We know that potential exists along a continuum, where different levels of potential require different approaches.

What do we mean by high potential and gifted students? High-potential and gifted students are found across diverse family, socio-economic, language, and cultural backgrounds, as well as different geographic locations.

High-potential students are those whose potential exceeds that of students of the same age. They may benefit from an enriched or extended curriculum and learning opportunities beyond the typical level of their age peers.

Gifted students are those whose potential significantly exceeds that of students of the same age. They typically develop talent and achieve mastery notably faster than their age peers.

Highly gifted students are those whose potential vastly exceeds that of their age peers. Highly gifted students may require specific and significant curriculum adjustments to meet their learning and well-being needs.

What do we mean by the four domains?

The creative domain of potential refers to natural abilities in imagination, invention, and originality.

The intellectual domain of potential refers to natural abilities in processing, understanding, reasoning, and the transfer of learning.

The physical domain of potential refers to natural abilities in muscular movement and motor control.

The social-emotional domain of potential refers to natural abilities in self-management and relating to and interacting with others.

At Our School

At our school, we provide opportunities for high potential and gifted students to be identified:

on enrolment, we ask home schools, parents, and students to share information about a student’s strengths and give provision for HPGE student, parent, and home school identifications.

through embedding HPGE in our Personalised Learning - Pathways (PLP) conversations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and families through literacy and numeracy assessments for full-time students, during Orientation Week.

through formative assessments in coursework

through performance-based assessments in course work

through teacher observations.

At SCSoDE we used evidenced-informed teaching to support all students to achieve personal excellence.

Contact SCSoDE for specific information about our high-potential and gifted opportunities.

At our school, every learner’s potential is our priority. We are committed to developing high potential across four domains: creative, intellectual, physical, and social-emotional.

HPGE

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

Service opportunities
- Work placement and VET Industry Experience as part of VET.
Academic opportunities

SCSoDE offers HSC Extension courses in:
- English Extension 2
- Mathematics Extension 2
- History Extension
- Music Extension
- German extension
Enrichment opportunities
- Mini School days at our SCSoDE East Ballina site for:
- Dance (in person and online) each term.
- Music composer days (in person and online)
- Photography – digital photography and dark room photography (in person)
- Photography and video (in person)
- Visual Arts (in person and online)
- Timber/me (in person)
- Food Technology (in person)
- Textiles (in person)
- Science practical days (in person)
- VET for HSC students (in person)
- Creative writing group in English (online)
- Regional Dance Festival in Dance (in person)
- HSC Dance online appreciation workshop for HSC Exam preparation (online)
Sporting and movement opportunities

Our students can take part in sports, training squads, coaching sessions, and competitions through:
- school sport embedded into PDHPE for Years 7-10

Across our school

Our school identifies and supports students with high potential through targeted enrichment, extension, acceleration, talent development opportunities such as:

Leadership opportunities
- Student Leadership Team
- Our leadership team members participate in GRIP student Leadership training and conferences and weekly School Leadership Team meetings online.
- Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme NSW Duke of Edinburgh,
- Brighter Light
- Charity fundraisers including R U Ok day, Push Up challenge and Harmony Day.
Service opportunities
- Hospitality café and morning teas
Pathways opportunities
- Careers Expos (Lismore/Coffs/Gold Coast), tertiary & Tafe open days, industry days)
- support with university applications including early entry, scholarship, and EAS applications.
- access to the school’s Careers website to explore career options and undertake virtual work experience.
- participation in EVET at 12 Tafe campuses and online EVET courses ( for Years 11 and 12)
- participation in Careers events organised by local REIPs -Regional Industry Education Partnerships
- undertake a School-based Apprenticeship or Traineeship (Years 10/11)
- participate in Tafe YES (Youth employment strategy) programs for students over 15– Kingscliff/Grafton/Coffs
- undertake additional qualifications - White Card, First Aid, RSA
Academic opportunities
- Competitions in:
- English – writing
- History
- Science – Big Science Competition
- Spelling – Primary
- Photography including Australian Photography, Crikey Photography competition, Capture film festival, Very Short film festival, Flickerfest, Tropfest.
- Art competitions – NAIDOC art competition, WAVE wearable arts, Grafton Gallery Foundation Emerging Artist Scholarship, Ferry Park ‘Mini Art’ competition.
- STEM
- Coding
- Robotics
- Lingua Fest
- Enrichment opportunities
- HSC lectures including Head Start & Universities
- Crooked Science HSC preparation webinars for Stage 6 Science, English
- Aurora – Software and enterprise day workshop HSC Preparation
- Access our ‘Edrolo’ subscription via PDHPE, Stage 6 Chemistry, Biology, Earth and Environment Science and Investigating Science. ATOMI – Yr 11 and 12 PDHPE
Sporting and movement opportunities

Our students can take part in sports, training squads, coaching sessions, and competitions through:
- linkages where SCSoDE provides to school sports, athletics, and inter-school competitions. Your first port of contact for these is the Head Teacher PDHPE. We will link you with your CENSUS school so you can participate in these when requested.
- providing information about the Far North Coast Zone, Representative School Sport Pathway, PSSA, and CHSSA. Contact the Head Teacher of PDHPE.
Cultural days
- ANZAC day activities
- NAIDOC activities (online and in person)
- Remembrance Day activities
- Yarn-ups
- Presentation Day Assembly
Showcase opportunities.
- Student gallery at SCSoDE in the foyer and the administration block of visual arts, photography, and visual design student works.
- Online student gallery of dance performance, dance choreography, music performances, music compositions, visual arts, photography, digital media (including film and animation) and visual design student works.
- School newsletter to showcase student works (all subjects)
- Music and Dance Performance opportunities at the SCSoDE Presentation Assembly

Across NSW

Leadership opportunities
- Ministers Student Council (DOVES)
- Parliament of NSW Secondary Schools Student Leadership Program
Service opportunities
- NSW volunteering online and remote https://makeadifference.volunteering.nsw.gov.au/volunteering/in-online-or-remote
Academic opportunities
- NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge – primary
Enrichment opportunities

The Arts unit - https://artsunit.nsw.edu.au/
- Arts unit – State dance ensembles including Aboriginal dance ensemble.
- Arts unit – Dance camps and student workshops
- Arts unit – Schools Spectacular
- Arts unit – music ensembles including State wind ensemble, choir, orchestras
- Arts unit – Pulse Alive
- Arts unit – Regional and State Music Camps and workshops
- STEM Lab - https://www.education.gov.au/australian-curriculum/support-science-technology-engineering-and-mathematics-stem/school-and-early-learning-stem-initiatives
- NESA HSC Showcases – students who excelled in creative arts and technology subjects for the HSC are celebrated in the annual HSC Showcase Season which starts in February every year. These include:
- ENCORE – outstanding major works by HSC Music students.
- ONSTAGE – outstanding major works by HSC Drama students
- ARTEXPRESS – a selection of outstanding bodies of work created by HSC Visual Arts students.
- CALLBACK presents a selection of incredible major works by HSC Dance students.
- Young Writers- celebrates the incredible major works created by HSC English Extension 2 students.
- SHAPE – presents a selection of exemplary major projects by HSC Design and Technology, Industrial Technology and
- TEXSTYLETextile and Design Students
https://www.nsw.gov.au/education-and-training/nesa/hsc-showcase-hub

Sporting and movement opportunities
- School Sport Unit programs, including:
- Representative School Sport Pathway
- Inclusion and participation
- NSW Premier's Sporting Challenge
- School Swimming and Water Safety Program
- Policy and guidelines
https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/school-sport
- School Sport Unit website newsletter for parents, staff and students that includes events, live events, representative sports page, come and try sports, Facebook page, calendar of events and results https://app.education.nsw.gov.au/sport/

Two females talking to each other while one reads a book.

Academic Competitions in:

English – writing

History

Science – Big Science Competition

Spelling – Primary

Photography including Australian Photography, Crikey Photography competition, Capture film festival, Very Short film festival, Flickerfest, Tropfest.

Art competitions – NAIDOC art competition, WAVE wearable arts, Grafton Gallery Foundation Emerging Artist Scholarship, Ferry Park ‘Mini Art’ competition.

STEM

Coding

Robotics

Lingua Fest

Illustration of student in sports uniform spinning a basketball in one hand.

Sporting and movement opportunities

Our students can take part in sports, training squads, coaching sessions, and competitions through:

linkages where SCSoDE provides to school sports, athletics, and inter-school competitions. Your first port of contact for these is the Head Teacher PDHPE. We will link you with your CENSUS school so you can participate in these when requested.