Brookvale Public School (on Cammeraygal land) will launch a new program in 2027, providing high potential and gifted students (HPGE) learning that is deliberately challenging, intellectually rich and designed to help them grow.

The new Academic Extension Classes for students in Years 3, 4 and 5 form part of the new Adjustment, Challenge and Enrichment (ACE) Pathways program, designed to provide a more structured pathway for students with different learning needs.

Principal Luke Richmond said the program was built around the idea that high potential students required explicit planned support in the same way other students might need targeted intervention.

“High potential and gifted students do not simply thrive because they are capable,” Mr Richmond said.

“They need challenge, they need expert teaching, they need opportunities to think deeply, and they need to be in learning environments where it is normal to grapple with complex ideas.”

The Academic Extension Classes will sit alongside Brookvale Public School’s existing Opportunity Class, giving the school a broader pathway for high potential and gifted learners from Year 3 through to Year 6.

The Academic Extension Classes will focus on critical and creative thinking, complex problem solving and rich discussion across the curriculum.

Students will engage with challenging content in English, mathematics, science, history, geography, creative arts, PDHPE and other learning areas.

The classes will also include opportunities for debating, public speaking, competitions, enrichment programs and connections with high potential and gifted students from local high schools. However, they won’t be separated from the rest of the school.

“Our ACE students will have all the normal school experiences, including sport, camps, excursions, carnivals, assemblies and whole-school events,” Mr Richmond said.

“ACE Pathways is about recognising that students have different strengths, different needs and different levels of readiness, and then building a school structure that responds to that.”

Mr Richmond said the ACE Pathway recognised that high potential students also needed belonging, wellbeing and connection.

“It is about making sure students who are ready for deeper learning are genuinely challenged, while still being supported socially, emotionally and personally,” he said.

Applications for the 2027 Academic Extension Classes are open to current year 2, year 3 and year 4 students.

Entry will be based on a range of evidence, including a personal portfolio, parent questionnaire and student interview where required.

The school will hold an information evening for interested families on Wednesday, 2 September 2026, with applications for the 2027 classes closing on Thursday 17 September 2026.