High potential and gifted education

At Denison College, Bathurst High Campus we are committed to recognising and developing the talents of all students. Through the High Potential and Gifted Education Policy, we support students who show high potential or giftedness across intellectual, creative, social-emotional and physical domains.

Our teachers use a range of evidence-based strategies to identify students’ strengths and provide differentiated learning experiences that extend, challenge and engage. We aim to ensure that every student has access to appropriate opportunities that match their learning needs and encourage excellence.

Students may take part in enrichment and extension programs that promote critical thinking, problem solving and creativity. Learning tasks are designed to build independence, curiosity and perseverance, while also supporting wellbeing and a love of learning. We work in partnership with families to nurture students’ abilities and help them achieve their full potential. Through these approaches, we strive to ensure every student is known, valued and cared for, and that high potential and gifted learners thrive in an inclusive and supportive school environment.

What is high potential and gifted education?

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iXtend - High Potential and Gifted Education Class

At Denison College, we are committed to meeting the diverse needs of all students through specialised and inclusive learning opportunities. The iXtend Program, offered at our Bathurst and Kelso campuses, is a Year 7 initiative designed to enrich and extend the learning of gifted and high-potential students. It caters to those who demonstrate exceptional intellectual and creative abilities, as well as the motivation and capacity to engage in high-level individual and group projects. iXtend provides a rigorous, stimulating environment where evidence-based teaching is tailored to unique learning needs in core subjects such as Mathematics, Science, PDHPE, History, and Geography, allowing for optimal engagement within a supportive and challenging dynamic.

In addition to core subjects, students participate in smaller, focused classes for practical subjects including Creative Arts and TAS, ensuring broad exposure and collaborative learning across disciplines. The program fosters intellectual growth, critical thinking, creativity, and resilience through project-based learning, specialist workshops, academic competitions, and university partnerships. These opportunities extend learning and encourage students to develop skills beyond the classroom.

Selection for the iXtend Program is comprehensive, considering academic performance, teacher feedback, and demonstrated potential. This process ensures that students ready for greater challenge and support are given the opportunity. iXtend reflects Denison College’s commitment to knowing, valuing, and caring for every student, empowering those with high potential to reach their personal best.

Our high potential and gifted education opportunities

Our students engage with HPGE education in the classroom, in our school, and across NSW.

In our classroom

At Bathurst High Campus, we are committed to providing a rich and engaging learning environment for High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) students through carefully designed activities that nurture their unique abilities. Our HPGE program features tasks that adjust pace, complexity, and higher-order thinking, ensuring each student is challenged appropriately. We employ formative assessment techniques to monitor growth and adapt learning pathways dynamically, supporting advanced learning opportunities.

Explicit teaching of critical thinking and problem-solving strategies empowers students to approach challenges with confidence. We encourage abstraction, inquiry, and curriculum depth, offering tasks that promote choice, authenticity, creativity and potential cross-curricular projects. Flexible grouping enables collaborative ideation and presentation, fostering teamwork and diverse perspectives.

Supportive learning environments provide a safe space for exploration, where feedback and goal setting help students recognise and build on their talents. Leadership opportunities are available within classroom activities, supported by structured peer collaboration and reflection to deepen understanding and interpersonal skills.

Whilst we do have dedicated High Potential and Gifted Education classroom streams, we are committed to every classroom offering opportunities for all students to display their potential and achieve their best.

Across our school

At Bathurst High Campus, part of Denison College, students engage in diverse programs extending learning beyond the classroom.

Physical Domain

Gifted athletes participate in inclusive, competitive sports programs fostering excellence and leadership. Signature events like the Astley Cup build school spirit, while House Competitions and leadership roles encourage teamwork and pride. Opportunities include the Premier’s Sporting Challenge, regional events, and NSWCHS championships. Competitive pathways include Western Trials and the Denison Cup, alongside electives like Coaching and Sport Management. Whilst the Olympic Change Maker initiative acknowledges the leadership abilities of our high potential sports students.

Creative Domain
Performing and visual arts programs—including the Ensemble Program (Chill Factor and Swing Factor) and Drama Ensemble—nurture creativity and collaboration. School-wide events like BLOCK Fest showcase talents, while the Art Club supports ongoing visual arts exploration. The T. Arts Gallery, College Exhibition, highlights creativity within and beyond the school community. Innovation is encouraged through project-based learning in Technology and Applied Studies leading to the creation of solutions and projects of the highest quality that demonstrate creativity and critical thinking in their development.

Social-Emotional Domain
Leadership develops through Peer Support, Student Representative Council, and Senior Leadership Team, enhancing communication, teamwork, and service. The Walan Yinaagirbang Cultural Leadership Program supports Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students' cultural pride and leadership growth. International excursions to Japan and Europe, plus reciprocal language visits, foster intercultural understanding. Community-focused excursions build empathy, responsibility, and connection, enabling high potential students to engage deeply in social dimensions important to them.

Intellectual Domain
Academic extension occurs through differentiated curricula and inquiry-based learning. English and Mathematics classes from Years 7–12 are tailored to student readiness, with seniors accessing HSC extension courses. Enrichment includes sessions by experts like Eddie Woo and author Paul Stafford. Inquiry-based learning links studies to real-world contexts—Science Week celebrates science across the school community, HSIE students participate in city visits tied to Commerce and Social Studies, and the European History excursion offers global perspectives. Challenges such as the Denison Decathlon and the Denison Writing Festival enhance critical thinking and collaboration.

Multiple Domains
Many activities, like the Denison College Cattle Leading Team, Davinci Decathlon teams and The Young Entrepreneurs Project integrate skills across multiple domains, fostering holistic student development.

Department of Education Supported

Department of Education supported programs play a vital role in nurturing the potential of high potential and gifted education (HPGE) students across creative, intellectual, physical, and social-emotional domains. Statewide and regional initiatives, such as the Premier’s Sporting Challenge, NSWCHS Sporting Competition, Premier’s Reading Challenge, NSW Education Minister’s Student Council DOVES group, Schools Spectacular, Western Region and state-level Creative and Performance Arts Festivals and Camps, and the WorldSkills Competition in Technology and Applied Studies, provide enriched learning experiences beyond the classroom. These programs foster excellence, innovation, leadership, and collaboration.

By offering diverse opportunities matched to students’ strengths and interests, our public education system ensures equitable access to challenges that promote critical thinking, creativity, resilience, and interpersonal skills. These programs foster well-rounded development, preparing students for academic, personal, and professional success. Statewide support reinforces a consistent, inclusive approach to HPGE, enabling students to thrive while connecting with peers and mentors. This coordinated effort ensures gifted students are recognised and encouraged to reach their full potential, positively impacting schools, communities, and broader society.