High potential and gifted education

At Mount Austin High School, HPGE is part of everyday practice. We are committed to recognising and nurturing high potential and gifted students, ensuring every student has the opportunity to thrive at our school.

• Our supportive classroom environments promote a sense of belonging and encourage risk taking, creativity and collaboration.
• Explicit teaching of critical thinking and problem-solving strategies.
• Alternate learning pathways, including School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships as well as several options in Vocational Education and Training throughout Years 10, 11 and 12.

Our school recognises that every student is individual, and we provide flexible and diverse opportunities for students to explore and grow their strengths outside the classroom.

• All students, including high potential and gifted students are encouraged to take on leadership roles through wellbeing initiatives, special interest groups and leadership of major events including ANZAC, Remembrance Day and NAIDOC assemblies.
• Students with strong physical abilities can push themselves further and achieve new goals. Students regularly compete at a state level individually and our school teams have competed at this level in many sports.
• Agricultural learning and competition is strongly valued at our school. Our agricultural program allows students to extend their learning beyond the classroom through competitions involving junior judging and industry tours and events. Each year we run a shearing school for interested students through our connections with local farmers.
• Volunteering opportunities are rich and provide students the ability to connect with their peers and community. Our students are regularly engaged in refereeing and umpiring sporting events, assisting with breakfast club, supporting our local show and connecting with our community.
• Our creative and performing arts program allows students to extend their talents beyond the classroom through entering student artworks in local competitions and through mural art projects, dance competitions and opportunities, drama competitions, and photography exhibitions, among others.
• Our wellbeing projects offer students the ability to tap into their social and emotional strengths. We engage in a range of programs to strengthen interpersonal skills within our students.
• Opportunities for students to compete in programs alternate to sport is strong at our school. Chess, debating, STEM challenges and public speaking competitions are available to our students.
• Our Indigenous mentoring and cultural program offers opportunities for our students to engage with Aboriginal Culture and Histories. Our students are linked with a mentoring program with our partner primary schools, then engage with the local preschool and day care centres to deliver cultural enrichment within the community. Attending and competing in dance competitions have led students at our school to perform at the NSW School Spectacular.

Our students can participate in a wide range of state-wide programs that aim to extend and enrich student potential.

• Mount Austin High School supports sporting participation in a multitude of competitions including gala days, combined high schools knock out competitions and selection through to zone, regional and state carnivals.
• Opportunities to extend our HPGE students academically include participating in ICAS Examinations, ANZAC writing competition and competing in Science and Engineering competitions.
• Students with talents in areas not offered at Mount Austin High School are supported to compete in statewide competitions and events.