The NSW Government is continuing work to expand high potential and gifted education opportunities across NSW public schools, with 13 targeted schools set to receive a share in $50 million for specialist school facilities.

The funding will deliver upgrades and improvements to facilities such as science and technology laboratories, libraries, creative arts spaces, sporting facilities and design workshops, enabling the schools to deliver talent development and extension opportunities across a range of subject areas.

This investment is part of the NSW Government’s commitment to deliver high potential and gifted education opportunities in all NSW public schools.

Work with these partner schools is the first step in the NSW Government’s expansion of access to High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) opportunities across NSW public schools. Staff at these targeted schools will work with HPGE experts to deliver more opportunities that challenge and extend students to reach their potential.

These opportunities include activities such as class-level acceleration programs, inter-school competitions and tournaments, and statewide opportunities such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award program, the Premier’s Spelling Bee, the Game Changer Challenge in design thinking, the Schools Spectacular and inter-school debating championships.

Priority schools have been chosen across metropolitan and regional NSW based on identified student needs, population growth, and schools’ capacity to accommodate increased enrolments.

Marrickville High School, which has had a 50 per cent lift in school enrolments since 2021, will be among the first schools to benefit from the new program, with funding to go towards an upgraded hall and science labs, improved music and performance spaces and modernising outdated food technology facilities.

The investment will help broaden educational opportunities at the school through access to state-of-the-art learning resources such as STEM provisions and dedicated creative arts, performance and sports facilities.

The 13 partner schools are:

• Batemans Bay High School
• Bowral High School
• Canobolas Rural Technical High School, Orange
• Chifley College Dunheved Campus
• JJ Cahill High School, Mascot
• Kooringal High School, Wagga Wagga
• Lake Macquarie High School
• Lithgow High School
• Marrickville High School
• Matraville Sports High School
• South Sydney High School
• Tamworth High School
• Windsor High School

The NSW Government and NSW Department of Education is working closely with the partner schools to identify infrastructure investments that would best support student opportunities.

In addition to the facilities upgrades, teachers at the partner schools will receive dedicated professional learning to assist with identifying and rolling out more High Potential and Gifted Education opportunities for their students.

Broader professional learning will also be provided to teachers in all NSW public schools as part of the NSW Government’s commitment to expanding access to High Potential and Gifted Education opportunities across the system.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning, Prue Car said:

“We want every child to have the opportunity to reach their full potential at school, with high expectations for achievement.

“Through our commitment to deliver high potential and gifted education across our state’s schools, parents can be confident that their local public school will bring out the absolute best in their child.

“NSW public schools already offer a free world class education, the addition of these programs will only enhance that offer.

“The investment in specialist facilities like science and technology labs and creative performance spaces will enhance opportunities for students to nurture their talents in our high schools.”

NSW Department of Education Secretary Murat Dizdar said:

“We know all our schools have high potential and gifted students. Creating classroom and school environments where students are encouraged to achieve excellence in their learning will mean all our students, including high potential and gifted students, will have the opportunity to flourish.”

Marrickville High School principal Steve Holz said:

“This additional support in delivering high-quality programs for all our students, including high potential and gifted students, will further boost our school’s increasingly positive reputation within the community.

“We want our school to be the school of choice for the parents and students in our area and this program will help us in achieving that goal.”