High potential and gifted education
Direction and guidance on implementing effective learning and teaching practices to develop the talent of high potential and gifted students.
Audience
All NSW public school leaders, teachers, students and staff.
| Version | Date | Description of changes | Approved by |
|---|---|---|---|
| V05.0.0 | 18/02/2025 | Updated under the 2023 Policy and program review program, including conversion into the new template and improving readability. | Executive Director, Curriculum |
Document history
2022 Feb 21 - update to policy statement - updated contact details and role titles.
2021 Jan 25 - major update of the Gifted and Talented policy. Renamed as High Potential and Gifted Education policy, it has a broader focus that is based on current evidence. Other policy updates, which may include but not limited to, updated contact details, business unit or position titles, typographical text and style changes and repairing hyperlinks. Rescission of two implementation documents.
2020 Apr - updated contact details.
2004 Nov - the Policy and implementation strategies for the education of gifted and talented students (revised 2004) and its companion document Guidelines for the use of strategies to support gifted and talented students were published.
The Policy and implementation strategies for the education of gifted and talented students (revised 2004) and its companion document Guidelines for the use of strategies to support gifted and talented students were reformatted in 2006.
Policy and implementation strategies for the education of gifted and talented students (revised 2004), Implementation Date 8/11/2004, Web Publication Date 8/11/2004, PD/2004/0051/V1.0.0
Policy and implementation strategies for the education of gifted and talented students (revised 2004), Implementation Date 8/11/2004, Web Publication Date 7/12/2005, PD/2004/0051/V02
Superseded documents
This policy replaces:
NSW Department of School Education (1991). Policy for the Education of Gifted and Talented Students, Sydney.
NSW Department of School Education (1991). Implementation Strategies for the Education of Gifted and Talented Students, Sydney.
- Policy statement
- The department is committed to supporting every student to achieve their educational potential as stated in the Education Act 1990.
- Assessment and data are used in an ongoing manner to inform learning and teaching across all domains of potential – creative, intellectual, physical and social–emotional.
- High potential and gifted students from all backgrounds have access to quality learning opportunities that meet their needs and aspirations.
- High potential and gifted students across all domains require evidence-informed talent development to optimise their growth and achievement.
- Safe learning environments that support the social–emotional development and wellbeing of high potential and gifted students enables them to connect, succeed and thrive.
- Engagement with quality research and ongoing professional learning builds teacher and leadership capability to improve growth and achievement for all high potential and gifted students.
- The department supports differentiated and evidence-informed procedures, programs and practices for growth and achievement of all students, including high potential and gifted students.
- Context
- The High potential and gifted education policy demonstrates the department’s commitment to providing guidance and support for schools and teachers in meeting the learning needs and optimising the growth and achievement of high potential and gifted students from all backgrounds and across all domains of potential.
- The department's diverse settings support provisions that meet the learning needs of high potential and gifted students.
- The department's comprehensive preschools, primary schools and secondary schools provide quality learning opportunities for students' talent development, which may include extension, extracurricular and enrichment programs.
- The department's specialist settings include academically selective classes in primary and secondary schools, creative and performing arts and sports high schools.
- The department's extra-curricular provisions include a range of extension, enrichment and representative student programs.
- High potential students are those whose potential exceeds that of students of the same age in one or more domains – creative, intellectual, physical and social-emotional.
- Gifted students are those whose potential significantly exceeds that of students of the same age in one or more domains: creative, intellectual, physical and social–emotional.
- Highly gifted students are those whose potential vastly exceeds that of students of the same age in one or more domains – creative, intellectual, physical and social–emotional.
- Talent development is the process by which a student's potential is developed into high achievement in a specific domain or field of endeavour.
- All schools serve high potential and gifted students and have a responsibility to implement 5 key iterative actions to support talent development across all domains of potential:
- evaluate school procedures, programs and practices and student growth and achievement to inform school planning and policy implementation
- assess and identify the specific learning needs of all high potential, gifted and highly gifted students
- implement evidence-informed procedures, programs and practices that meet the learning and wellbeing needs of all high potential and gifted students and facilitate talent development
- collaborate with families, school communities and the wider community to enhance growth and achievement for all high potential and gifted students
- build teacher and leadership capability through engagement with quality research and ongoing professional learning on effective practices to improve growth and achievement for all high potential and gifted students.
- Policy contact
- High Potential and Gifted Education P-12
hpge@det.nsw.edu.au
02 7814 2274
- High Potential and Gifted Education P-12
- Monitoring the policy
- The Director, High Potential and Gifted Education monitors the implementation of this policy, regularly reviews its contents to ensure relevance and accuracy, and updates it as needed.