High potential and gifted education
Orange Grove Public School is deeply committed to identifying and nurturing the strengths and talents of high-potential and high-achieving students from the early years of their learning journey.
We recognise that high potential can look different for every child and may emerge over time, which is why our approach is inclusive, responsive and grounded in knowing our students well.
Our teaching and learning practices, enriched experiences and targeted extension opportunities align with the NSW Department of Education’s High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) Policy and its focus on empowering every student to reach their full potential.
Across intellectual, creative, social-emotional and physical domains, advanced learners are mentored and encouraged to challenge themselves in meaningful ways, deepen their thinking and take pride in their growth. Through high-expectations teaching, explicit instruction, carefully sequenced learning and ongoing formative assessment, students are supported to thrive as confident, capable learners.
Why choose Orange Grove Public School for your high potential or gifted child?
Recognising potential and developing talent
Our teachers take the time to notice each child’s strengths and emerging talents, supporting them to grow with confidence and care.
Tailored lessons
Every child learns differently and our teachers adjust lessons to provide the right level of challenge and support and keep learning engaging and meaningful.
Rich opportunities and activities
Students are encouraged to explore their interests and strengths through opportunities in the arts, sport, leadership and learning beyond the classroom.
Opening doors to wider experiences
Our students can discover new possibilities as they access a wide range of state-wide opportunities that aim to extend and enrich their potential.
What is high potential and gifted education?
High potential and gifted education (HPGE) is how our school supports students with advanced learning needs.
High potential students are those whose potential exceeds that of students of the same age in one or more domains. Their potential may be assessed as beyond the average range across any domain. They may benefit from an enriched or extended curriculum and learning opportunities beyond the typical level of students the same age and stage of development.
Gifted students’ potential significantly exceeds that of students of the same age in one or more domains. Research estimates 10% of students may be considered gifted. These students typically develop talent and achieve mastery notably faster than their age peers. Students who are classified as gifted, seek further opportunities as an individual, and are successful at and beyond a state-wide level.
We do this through:
- effective teaching strategies like enrichment, extension and acceleration
- tailored support during lessons that stretch, challenge and inspire
- access to a wide range of opportunities both within and beyond our school.
Our high potential and gifted education opportunities
Our students engage with HPGE education in the classroom, in our school, and across NSW.
At Orange Grove Public School, support for high potential and gifted learners is grounded in everyday classroom learning. Teachers create environments where students feel safe to take intellectual risks, explore ideas in depth and grow in confidence as independent learners.
Learning experiences are thoughtfully planned to provide appropriate challenge while maintaining a strong focus on wellbeing and belonging. Through this balanced approach, students are supported to engage deeply with their learning and develop the skills and habits needed to thrive.
This includes:
- High expectations to be respectful, responsible and active learners
- Safe learning environments that promote confidence, risk-taking and perseverance
- Ongoing formative assessments that monitor student growth and adapt learning in real time
- Flexible grouping and structured peer collaboration opportunities that encourage students to build communication skills, generate ideas, gain a deeper understanding and present learning in different ways
- Differentiated advanced learning pathways like accelerated mathematics programs that occur within lessons where appropriate.
- Explicit teaching of critical thinking and problem-solving strategies that support students to reason, question and justify their thinking
- Explicit and visible learning intentions and success criteria that guide students to explore, reflect and self-assess
- Strengths-based feedback and goal setting that encourages students to understand their progress and next steps
At Orange Grove Public School, high potential and gifted education is supported through a coordinated whole-school approach. Teachers work collaboratively across stages to ensure student strengths are recognised, shared and supported as students progress through their schooling.
Consistent practices, shared expectations and professional dialogue allow teachers to build on prior learning and respond to emerging strengths over time. This continuity supports students to experience challenge in a way that is balanced, equitable and responsive to their academic, social and emotional development.
By maintaining a strong focus on wellbeing, inclusion and growth, the school ensures students feel known, supported and confident as they extend their learning across different year levels and learning contexts.
Representative Dance Program
At Orange Grove Public School, we are proud to offer a dynamic and multi-award-winning representative dance program that provides students with a high-quality education in dance and performing arts. In collaboration with Groove Nation, our external provider, we deliver a comprehensive extra-curricular program that caters to building industry-level skills and performance opportunities for students across Years 1-6.
Orange Grove Public School offers 4 representative dance companies:
Rayner Street Junior Dance Company
The youngest of our representative dance companies, the Rayner Street Dance Company is for students in Years 1 and 2 who demonstrate a familiarity with various dance movement/sequences.
Perry Street Junior Dance Company
The Perry Street Dance Company is for students in Years 1 and 2 who demonstrate advanced dance skills and a strong performance quality in expression, energy and stage presence.
Sapphire Senior Dance Company
The Sapphire Dance Company is for students in Years 3-6 who demonstrate strong technical skills in jazz and musical theatre, including rhythm, coordination and style-specific movements.
Emerald Senior Dance Company
The Emerald Dance Company is for students in Years 3-6 who demonstrate versatility and artistic expression with strong dance technique in control, alignment and precision.
Press Gang
In partnership with the School News Project, Press Gang is a program that empowers budding journalists to take creative control of our school newspaper and gives students a platform to share their voice and build their media literacy, critical thinking and collaborative skills.
Each week, our newsroom is a buzzing hive of ideas, stories and reporting as students share, plan, research, write, edit and fact-check stories that matter to them.
Under the mentorship of award-winning journalist Cat Rodie, the OG Press reached a milestone of publishing their 10th issue this year.
Stage 3 Debating Program
The Orange Grove Public School Debating Program provides high-potential students with opportunities to develop confident communication, critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving skills. Through structured training and participation in the Premier’s Debating Challenge, students learn to analyse issues, construct persuasive arguments and respond thoughtfully to opposing viewpoints.
Coached by experienced staff, students receive explicit instruction in argument structure, rebuttal and effective speaking techniques while working as part of a team. The program supports students to build confidence, leadership and resilience as they represent the school in competitive and authentic contexts, strengthening both their academic skills and personal growth.
Maths Olympiad
Maths Olympiad is an enrichment pathway developed by the Australasian Problem Solving Mathematical Olympiads (APSMO) for students in Stage 3 to extend their problem solving and mathematical reasoning skills through a carefully designed program and prestigious inter-school competition.
This year, advanced learners from Stage 2 were invited to participate alongside Stage 3 in the Junior Division and explored a wide-variety of problems using creative and flexible strategies.
3-6 School Musical
Art Show: Gallery 2040
In our biennial art show, Orange Grove Public School encourages students from P-6 to deepen their visual arts practices as they engage in making, appreciating and exhibiting individual and collaborative art pieces.
Vocal Ensemble
DanceSport Confidence Unified Program
Since 2016, our school has proudly participated in the DanceSport Confidence Unified Program. Each year, 30 students from Year 5 are enabled to connect, thrive and succeed, and build respectful relationships through dance. We have showcased our growth as part of the Metropolitan South Directorate a large-scale event providing opportunities for students in the physical and social-emotional domains.
School Music Program
In collaboration with the The Music Partnership, Orange Grove Public School offers two band groups led my Mr John Tweed.
Training Band
Senior Band
Student Parliament
The Orange Grove Public School Student Parliament provides high potential students with meaningful opportunities to develop leadership, communication and civic understanding. Through a democratically elected model inspired by the Australian Parliament, students represent their peers, contribute ideas and participate in decision making that supports and strengthens the school community.
Students develop confidence, responsibility and collaboration skills as they learn about representation, active citizenship and respectful leadership. This authentic leadership pathway supports high potential learners to apply their strengths in real-world contexts while upholding the school’s values of being respectful, responsible and active learners.
Beyond the school, Orange Grove Public School supports students to access broader learning opportunities available across NSW when appropriate. These opportunities are designed to extend student potential, provide new challenges and allow students to apply their skills in different settings.
Participation in state-wide and external programs is guided by student readiness, interest and wellbeing. Teachers support students and families to make informed decisions about involvement, ensuring experiences are purposeful and enriching.
These broader opportunities complement the learning students experience at school, helping them build confidence, broaden perspectives and engage with learning beyond the classroom.
The Premier's Public Speaking Competition
The Premier's Spelling Bee
The Premier’s Spelling Bee promotes our students’ vocabulary development and attention to detail in competitive settings.
The Premier's Debating Challenge
The Premier’s Debating Challenge helps our students to build logical arguments and confidence in public speaking.
Representative Dance Program
Participation in state-wide dance ensembles develops our high potential and gifted dance students’ technical skills, performance presence and physical expressiveness.
The Schools Spectacular
An iconic performing arts event that celebrates the talents, diversity and creativity of students from across NSW public schools.
Cantabile Music Festival
Our talented Vocal Ensemble joined forces with over a thousand students from across NSW, performing as part of the Combined Choir at the iconic Opera House for the 2025 Cantabile music Festival.
Inner West Music Festival
The Premier’s Sporting Challenge
(PSC) promotes whole-school participation in physical activity with leadership pathways and professional learning.
Representative Sport Program
The Representative School Sport Pathway and PSSA events enable our students to trial and compete in sports at regional, state and national levels, fostering discipline, commitment and collaboration.
Balmain PSSA
Netball
Soccer
Help for your high potential child
If your child shows signs of high potential, contact us. We can share how our HPGE support can guide their learning journey.
Student opportunities and activities
Discover the opportunities our students have at our school.
Learning
Find out about our approach to learning and supporting students to progress.