High potential and gifted education

In our classroom

TALENT DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK

At West Ryde Public School, our approach to talent development is guided by Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT).

This model distinguishes between a student’s naturalabilities (giftedness) and their developed skills and performance (talent).

It also emphasises the vital role of environmental and personal factors, such as opportunity, motivation, persistence, and support, in helping potential become achievement.

DIFFERENTIATION

Differentiation is the primary method WRPS uses to support students with high potential and giftedness. Every teacher is expected to plan, implement, and document evidence-based adjustments that provide appropriate challenge for students who demonstrate advanced ability or rapid learning growth.

Differentiation is a core component of quality teaching at WRPS and is supported through professional learning, programming expectations, and the use of the SCAMPER model.

Purpose of Differentiation

Differentiation ensures that:

• Teaching responds to individual strengths, interests, and readiness
• Students work at an appropriate level of challenge
• Potential can be identified and nurtured within classroom learning
• Learning remains motivating and engaging for students who require more complexity or depth

Differentiation is expected to be visible in class programs,

annotations, and planning documents.

Alignment With Whole-School Processes

Differentiation is the first level of support for students with high potential at WRPS. Further support or enrichment is only considered once differentiation is implemented and monitored.

Differentiation informs:

• LST discussions
• HPGE team reviews
• Term-by-term tracking
• Annual handover processes
• Transition planning for the next year

Classroom differentiation, including SCAMPER-based tasks, ensures students experience challenge and opportunity from theearliest point of need.

Across our school

West Ryde Public School provides a range of enrichment and co-curricular groups that extend students who demonstrate high potential or talent in specific domains.

These groups help students build skills beyond the classroom and support talent development across the intellectual, creative, social-emotional, and physical domains.

Enrichment groups/ HPGE-withdrawal groups may include:

• Dance group
• Choir
• Maths Games
• Maths Olympiad
• Chess club
• PSSA teams
• Debating/ Public speaking
• Writing extension
• Mathematics enrichment
• Art club

These groups operate based on teacher availability and school resourcing.

Across NSW

• The Premier’s Spelling Bee promotes our students’ vocabulary development and attention to detail in competitive settings.
• The Premier’s Debating Challenge helps our students to build logical arguments and confidence in public speaking.
• The Schools Spectacular is an iconic performing arts event that celebrates the talents, diversity and creativity of students from across NSW public schools.
• Participation in music ensembles (e.g. State Wind Orchestra, State Choirs) hones our students’ musical skills, discipline and ensemble awareness.
• The Premier’s Sporting Challenge (PSC) promotes whole-school participation in physical activity with leadership pathways and professional learning.
• 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.