High potential and gifted education

In our classroom

At Austral Public School, HPGE lives in everyday practice. Many students have high potential, and we help that potential to grow into something powerful.

• Teachers identify students' learning needs in the classroom and use evidence-informed teaching practices to challenge and extend students. We provide learning pathways, including enrichment and extension programs and acceleration.
• Our supportive classroom environments promote a sense of belonging and encourage risk-taking, creativity and collaboration.
• Groups are flexible, students take lead roles, and feedback is strengths-based with clear goals and self-assessment.
• Our teachers engage in professional learning to support the diverse needs of all students, including our high potential and gifted learners

Across our school

Every student is an individual, so opportunities are flexible and diverse.

Students at Austral Public School have engaged in multiple High Potential, Gifted Education events recently, all of which have provided our students with some amazing opportunities and experiences. Mrs Hughes supported 76 students to participate in ICAS assessments, demonstrating their skills across a range of learning areas including Digital Technologies, Mathematics and Science. Students achieved 3 distinctions, 7 credits and 4 merits.

Selected Stage 2 students participated in the Glenfield Principal Network of Tournament of Minds event. They displayed outstanding problem solving, drama and literacy skills whilst engaging in workshops and on the competition day.

Their performance titled 'Not in My Backyard' was well scripted and performed.

Our talented staff, led by Mr Jake Marurai, also worked in collaboration with teachers from the Camden Valley Way network of schools to organise and host a series of creative arts workshops.

These are designed to foster the performance skill of students who show high potential or gifted capacity in the Creative domain.

These workshops culminated in a showcase performance night which featured our HPGE students, as well as Austral Public School's Choir and Dance groups.

Further to this:

• Students deepen strengths through debating and public speaking competitions, critical thinking workshops, and STEM and coding pathways like Minecraft.
• Talent is celebrated through school musicals and showcases such as Austral's Got Talent, biannual school concerts, biannual Art Shows, drama, visual arts, choir, Recorder Groups, and Boys and Mixed Dance groups through the Western Liverpool Festival of Performing Arts (WLFPA)
• Cowpasture Community of Schools and Junior AECG programs showcasing the talents of our First Nations students
• Targeted and deliberate partnerships with the school’s Community preschool and surrounding pre=schools for transition programs, to provide students with the strongest possible start to their schooling at Austral Public School
• Strong partnerships with the University of Western Sydney (First Foot Forward – FFF) program where Stage 3 students engage in a range of tertiary programs such as robotics
• Leadership opportunities through SRC, peer support programs that offer mentoring and peer coaching, and wellbeing is made visible with PBL awards and our ‘All Stars’ badge rewards for each stage across the school.
• Lunch Bunch programs on a daily basis for all K-6 students to access and collaborate with their peers through a brad range of activities such as Lego, puzzles, art club, games based learning and well being support. Breakfast Club is available on a daily basis for all students and led by our Community Hub co-ordinator who is supported by school staff.
• Sport matters too, with PSSA sport, training, coaching and house competitions that include differentiated PE.

Statewide

Our students participate in a wide range of statewide programs to extend and enrich student potential.

• Students participate in opportunities such as Maths Olympiad, ICAS assessments, Zone, State and National sports, Premier’s Spelling Bee, and Premier’s Multicultural Public Speaking.
• MilPra Regional AECG - Aboriginal Student Achievement programs

• Statewide and NSW Department of Education support is available for high potential and gifted students, and we help with entries, preparation and reflection so every experience feeds back into learning.

These programs allow our students to proudly represent Punchbowl PS at local and state levels.

Other items added below the main headings…

Isabella and Marcus - National Athletics Championships in Canberra...

Congratulations to Isabella and Marcus who represented Austral PS and the NSW Athletics team at the 2025 National Athletics Championships in Canberra. Isabella will be returning to Austral PS as the 2025 Junior Girls Shot Put gold medallist and National Champion 2 years in a row in the shot put event.

Marcus's first appearance at the National Athletics Championships for Discus in 2025 was memorable. He broke the SSW Athletics record held since 2006 which was a 38.02m throw and Marcus threw 40.16m at the State Athletics carnival to get him to the National Championships. At this tournament, Marcus placed second in Australia.

The Austral Public School community are extremely proud of their achievements, and we are blessed to have them in public education.

Results are in...

Isabella 1st place in shot put

Marcus 2nd place in discus

Congratulations from Austral Public School we are so very proud of you both!