High potential and gifted education
Our moral purpose at Asquith High School (AHS) is our belief that every student deserves equitable access to challenge, extension, and enrichment opportunities that foster growth, curiosity, and achievement. Based on this, AHS provides rich opportunities within and beyond the classroom to ensure all learners from Years 7 to 12 are challenged, supported, and inspired to achieve their full potential through equitable, inclusive, and challenging learning experiences that foster excellence, curiosity, and compassion.
Our Commitment:
At Asquith High School, we are committed to recognising, extending, and celebrating the high potential of every student across all domains of learning: intellectual, creative, social-emotional, and physical.
We recognise that students with high potential:
- Exist in every classroom and come from all backgrounds.
- Require targeted opportunities to develop their talent through responsive, evidence-based teaching.
- Thrive in environments that value creativity, leadership, effort, and academic aspiration.
This policy outlines the principles, practices, and programs that support High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) at our school, consistent with the NSW Department of Education’s HPGE Policy. You can read the full policy at:
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
Our students engage with HPGE education in the classroom, in our school, and across NSW.
Our teachers use research-informed strategies to identify and cater for high-potential and gifted learners through:
- Formative assessment. Regular and purposeful assessment for learning to identify readiness, monitor growth, and adapt teaching accordingly
- Purposeful, flexible grouping to promote challenge and collaboration
- Differentiated tasks that adjust pace, complexity, and higher-order thinking
- Explicit teaching of creative and critical thinking and problem-solving strategies
- Opportunities for student agency and reflection, encouraging ownership of learning
Asquith High offers a diverse range of programs that extend learning beyond the classroom:
- Academia: Mathematics Olympiad, Science and Engineering Challenge, Writing Competitions, Debating, Mock Trial, Game Changer Challenge
- Creative and Performing Arts: Dance, Drama, and Music performance programs, HSC showcases, and participation in state Arts programs
- Sport: Competitive teams and pathways to representative levels
- Leadership and Voice: Student Representative Council, peer mentoring, and community projects
- Global and Cultural Connections: International partnerships and overseas study opportunities
For further information, please contact the Head Teacher KLA, Head Teacher Teaching and Learning or the Stage Deputy Principal.
Programs at Asquith High School
Academic Competitions
- Australian Maths Competition, Maths Olympiad
- National Youth Science Forum, Science EXPO, Science and Engineering Challenge, ICAS Writing Competition
- Mock Trials, Geography and History Competition, Economics and Business Studies Competition, Australian Business Week
- Premier's Reading Challenge
- Premier's Debating Challenge
- Game Changer Challenge
- Macquarie University Academic Challenge
- University of Sydney STEM Project
The Premier’s Sporting Challenge
The Premier’s Sporting Challenge is offered as a Physical Education HPGE activity, providing students with an opportunity to extend their leadership, performance and wellbeing skills through purposeful physical activity. Students set personal fitness goals, track their physical activity across a range of sports and movement experiences, and reflect on their progress over time. The challenge promotes self-motivation and responsibility, while encouraging students to model active and healthy lifestyles within the school community. Through this program, students are supported to develop advanced self-management skills, a growth mindset and a deeper understanding of the role physical activity plays in lifelong health and wellbeing.
Music ensembles
Annual Talent Fest, Biennial Musical Production, School Spectacular, Annual Dance Night, Drama Night, Annual Musicale, Lights Up Drama Festival, In the Spotlight Dance Festivals, State Drama & Dance Festivals, Showbiz Stage Production Crew,
Stage Band, Combined Concert Band, Combined Wind Ensemble, Combined Jazz Combo, Vocal Ensemble
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