High potential and gifted education

In our classroom

Purpose

Across all faculties, Greystanes High School provides rich and differentiated learning experiences that challenge and inspire students to reach their full potential. Teachers design learning that builds upon student strengths, provides opportunities for deep learning, and promotes critical thinking, collaboration, and reflection.

Dedicated HPGE Program in the Classroom

Greystanes High School has a specialised High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) class with a tailored curriculum program designed to build capacity in four key cross-curricular skills: critical thinking, metacognition, creative thinking and collaboration. This is supported by dedicated, ongoing, and consistent teacher professional learning to ensure innovative teaching practice, evidence-based pedagogy, and purposeful extension occurs daily in the classroom. Teachers engage in specialised HPGE professional learning to design and deliver learning that reflects real-life, authentic world contexts and prepares students for post-school pathways.

What this looks like in the classroom

Students experience extension through inquiry, complex problem solving, practical challenge, performance, advanced pathways, and deep conceptual thinking embedded into daily teaching practice.

Examples of classroom practice from our faculties

• CAPA & Languages: integration of technology and innovation through film, composition and digital design projects; Japanese sushi-making workshops and French crêpe-making experiences
• English: Extension English 1 & 2; extension units within classes; drama performances; William model
• HSIE: problem-based learning; The ASX Share Game
• Learning Support: EAL/D support; literacy and numeracy intervention; assistive technology support
• Mathematics: differentiated curriculum pathways in Stage 5 and Stage 6
• PDHPE: wide range of specialised equipment and opportunities in practical lessons
• Science: involvement in STEM learning as part of classroom programs, specialised incursions exclusively for HPGE classes, offering advanced hands-on investigation experiences that extend scientific inquiry beyond the standard curriculum.
• TAS: project-based learning through authentic design and practical outcomes, wide range of technology, resources and equipment to give students authentic experience in the subject areas.

Core learner qualities we cultivate

Greystanes focuses on developing the four core Learner Qualities: Perseverance, Initiative, Critical Thinking and Self-Reflection. These qualities are aligned with the NSW Department of Education’s approach to High Potential and Gifted Education, supporting the development of advanced cognitive, social-emotional, creative and physical capabilities. They are intentionally embedded into daily teaching practice through explicit instruction, targeted feedback, and learning activities that require students to problem-solve, take risks, collaborate, analyse and evaluate their own thinking. By prioritising these dispositions in the classroom, we are equipping students with the mindset, resilience and adaptive expertise needed to thrive in an increasingly complex and rapidly changing world.

Across our school

What this looks like at Greystanes

Greystanes High School offers a wide range of enrichment opportunities beyond the classroom that extend and deepen learning. Students can engage in co-curricular programs, clubs, showcases, competitions, leadership roles and cross-curricular learning experiences that nurture talent development across the intellectual, social-emotional, creative, and physical domains. Our approach focuses on developing the whole child — not only academic achievement, but personal growth, wellbeing, identity formation, and a sense of purpose.These experiences allow students to pursue passions, connect with expert mentors, and demonstrate their learning through performance, presentation, inquiry and exhibition, providing authentic audiences and real-world purpose for student work.

Whole-school initiatives

Creative Expression & Performance

Students have regular opportunities to express ideas, tell stories, innovate, and perform for authentic audiences. Creativity is fostered through public events, exhibitions, performance platforms and industry-style projects.

• Night of Stars showcase
• Bunmurra Café gigs
• Visual Arts Night
• School Play and performance events open to the community
• VET Entertainment crew and event management roles
• Community exhibitions of artworks
• Art Club & Photography Club

Academic Challenge, Competitions & Inquiry

Students extend their thinking beyond curriculum expectations by engaging in complex problem-solving, competition environments and inquiry-driven experiences that stretch their intellectual capacity.

• Debating (Junior & Senior)
• Writing competitions (What Matters / Write for Fun)
• Public Speaking competitions
• ICAS Competitions (various KLAs)
• SMArtie Awards
• CAT & AMC mathematics competitions
• Big Science Competition
• ASX Sharemarket Game (HSIE)
• F1 in Schools (TAS)

Leadership, Agency & Student Voice

Students are provided with authentic platforms to lead, influence decisions, contribute to school culture and represent the school in meaningful ways that build confidence, communication and responsibility.

• SRC leadership roles
• Peer Support Program
• Library Monitors
• CHS Officials
• Entertainment Crew leadership roles (CAPA/VET)
• Student-led school events and presentations (Showcase, assemblies)

Community, Culture & Citizenship

Students connect to broader communities and contexts through cultural experiences, service opportunities and partnerships that build civic responsibility and global awareness.

• Community exhibitions and public performance events
• Commerce Market Day (HSIE)
• Skills for Success guest speaker program (finance experts)
• Cultural Mentoring Program
• Museum and Library excursions
• Community catering events (ROSE breakfast, Graduation, Diversity Day etc)

Wellbeing, Physical Challenge & Personal Growth

We support students to grow as resilient, healthy and self-aware young people who can manage themselves, relate to others and make positive choices about health, wellbeing and identity.

• Lunchtime gym access
• Year 9 Wellbeing Program
• VET qualification in Fitness
• Social Skills Programs
• Transition Support Programs

STEM, Innovation & Future Pathways

Students engage in future-focused learning and industry-aligned experiences that develop the skills, knowledge and capabilities needed for further study, future work and lifelong learning.

• STEM Curriculum
• Robotics Club
• School-wide STEM initiatives
• Break-time Maths Room problem-solving sessions
• VET subjects (across TAS, CAPA & PDHPE)
• Career Pathways Programs
• Year 10 Interview Day
• Year 11 Learner Conferences

How students extend, deepen and showcase their learning

These opportunities allow students to take ownership of their learning journey and apply their skills beyond traditional contexts. Through authentic audiences, real-world projects, public performance, community engagement and reflection on learning, students demonstrate growth, pursue personal passions, and build the confidence, independence and capability to drive their own learning — preparing them for further study, future work and life beyond school.

Across NSW

What this looks like in NSW

Students have access to state and national competitions, qualifications, industry-recognised events, and selective pathways that enable them to demonstrate talent and high performance beyond the school context. We actively engage with, and build upon, the NSW Department of Education’s evidence-based HPGE policies, research, and professional learning, tailoring this state-wide guidance to our school context to ensure our initiatives are relevant, equitable, and impactful for Greystanes students.

State, regional competitions or showcases our students access

• ICAS Competitions
• AMC (Australian Mathematics Competition)
• CAT (Computational and Algorithmic Thinking Competition)
• Big Science Competition
• Community exhibitions and external performance events aligning with CAPA initiatives.

Extending talent development through statewide pathways

Through these statewide opportunities, Greystanes students engage with high-level mentors, authentic audiences and specialist programs that extend their talent beyond the school context. By connecting with industry, universities and state-wide initiatives, our students strengthen their capacity across the intellectual, social-emotional, creative and physical domains — supporting the growth of the whole child. These pathways prepare students for the demands of further study, future careers and lifelong learning, ensuring they leave school confident, capable and ready to contribute to a rapidly changing world.