High potential and gifted education
Some students learn faster and more easily than others. These students may shine in creativity, thinking, leadership or sport.
At our school, we recognise and nurture these strengths early. We support advanced learners with great lessons and activities to help them grow and thrive.
Aurora College offers the following four specialist programs, including three selective programs for high potential and gifted students and a comprehensive Stage 6 program to broaden curriculum options for Senior students from rural, regional and remote NSW
Entry to the Aurora College Selective High School and Opportunity Class is run by the NSW Department of Education's Selective Education Team - it is a highly competitive process. Successful students operate in a dual enrolment with Aurora College and their local high school. Students benefit from learning with like minded peers, an academically rigorous fast paced, enriched program that promoted deep understanding, critical and creative thinking and application to the real world.
The Young and Deadly Mob is a specialised offering for high potential and gifted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from rural, regional and remote parts of NSW. Students are supported and challenged to reach their learning potential while remaining connected to local Community, Culture and school. The program also focuses on deepening engagement, increasing retention and building community partnerships.
Why choose us for your high potential or gifted child?
Recognising potential and developing talent
Our teachers find potential and nurture our students to be the best they can be.
Tailored lessons
Each student has different abilities. Teachers respond to each student’s ability by providing extra challenges and extension activities to keep learning exciting and engaging.
Rich opportunities and activities
Students can take part in opportunities to develop their talent in the arts, sport, leadership and more.
Opening doors to wider experiences
Our students can participate in a wide range of state-wide opportunities that aim to extend and enrich student potential.
What is high potential and gifted education?
High potential and gifted education (HPGE) is how our school supports students with advanced learning needs.
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
We are committed to developing high potential across 4 domains: creative, intellectual, physical and social-emotional.
- Residential school with experiences that incorporate plays, performances, incursions from Bell Shakespeare Company, music performances and student showcases
- Intra state Debating Teams and workshops
- Intra state Chess teams and bespoke coaching
- STEM workshops and short coding courses
- Student clubs - coding, library, chess, debating
- Grouping like minded students
- Differentiated tasks that adjust pace, complexity and depth
- Integration of online pedagogies with formative assessment
- Explicit teaching at individual students' point of need
- Advanced learning pathways including curriculum compacting and subject based acceleration
- Internal and external mentoring opportunities
- Emphasis on higher order thinking, problem solving and transferring learning to real world
- HPG differentiation adjustments central to delivery
- Flexible grouping strategies for collaboration
- Supportive learning environments that enable exploration and self asssessment
- Safe learning environments that encourage confidence, risk-taking and perseverance
- Structured peer collaboration and reflection
- External competitions - Bebras, Maths Olympiad, ICAS
- eMentoring with industry experts focusing on post school pathways
- Residential school with experiences that incorporate physical challenges
- Recorded lessons and curriculum compacting to support students developing their talent in this domain
- Recongising and celebrating student achievement in various sporting codes
- Premier's Sporting Challenge
- Triarchal approach to responding to socio-emotional needs, specific to HPGE with students, staff and community learning
- Specific structures and explicit support in creating inclusive environments and safe spaces for students
- Extensive Learning and Support offering bespoke accomodations and in class supports
- Structured and explicit teaching of thinking skills and Habits of Mind
- An active Student Representative Council Participation in wellbeing & SRC led initiatives
- Student focus clubs
- Student Voice Sessions
- Co created individual learning plans with specific goal setting and coaching
- Peer mentoring and buddies
- Wellbeing programs (Stymie)
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.
Student support
Find out about our approach to learning and supporting students to progress.