High potential and gifted education

At Martin's Gully Public School, evidence-informed classroom practices support students with differentiated tasks that adjust pace, complexity and higher-order thinking​. Evidence gathered from formative assessment to monitor growth and adapt learning​ provides opportunity for advanced learning pathways, including accelerated or compacted content​.

Students and teachers work together to provide a supportive learning environments that enable exploration, self-assessment and strengths-based feedback and goal setting.​

Students at Martin's Gully are provided with safe learning environments that encourage confidence, risk-taking, and perseverance​.

All students are offered the opportunity to engage in a wide range of extra curricula  programs aligned to all HPGE domains. The school’s extracurricular activities are accessible on the school website. Specific activities are offered through  school communication in School Bytes, emails, newsletters and through the classroom. This includes extension for high performing students in a number of areas, including:

• broad performing arts programs, including weekly CAPA education for all students, school choirs, dance groups, opportunities to enter the local Eisteddfod, school musicals and Armidale Community of Schools combined performance evening
• co-curricular academic opportunities such as chess, science and art extension camps and da Vinci decathlon
• leadership development opportunities, including Peer Support program, Year 1-6 Student Representative Council and inclusive Year 6 Student Leadership Team
• extension groups in both literacy and numeracy
• a wide range of PSSA and interschool sport
• interest groups.

Our students at Martin's Gully also participate in a range of statewide opportunities for high potential and gifted extension, including:

• 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.
• Our  Enrichment Partnerships with industry and universities deepen our students’ intellectual curiosity while developing innovation and collaboration.

• Participation in regional drama workshops promotes character exploration, storytelling and expressive freedom for our Stage 3 high potential and gifted drama students.
• Participation in music workshops 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.
• Participation in state-wide dance workshops such as CAPERS, develops our high potential and gifted  dance students’ technical skills, performance presence and physical expressiveness.
• Our mentoring programs connect our students with trusted adults including school alumni to build confidence, motivation, and interpersonal skills.