High potential and gifted education

At Cudgen Public School, we are proud to offer a High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) program that recognises every child learns differently and has their own unique potential. In line with the NSW Department of Education’s HPGE Policy, we are committed to creating equitable and inclusive learning environments where potential is identified early and nurtured intentionally. We believe it is our responsibility to transform potential into talent by providing learning experiences that stretch, challenge, and support students across the four HPGE domains. Through explicit teaching, differentiated instruction and evidence-based practices, we cater for each student’s learning needs—ensuring that gifted and high-potential learners are meaningfully extended, engaged, and empowered to thrive.

Creative Domain:
We nurture originality and creative expression by providing rich opportunities for students to generate innovative ideas, engage in artistic pursuits, and develop problem-solving skills through diverse creative activities.

Intellectual (Cognitive) Domain:
We challenge gifted learners with enriched learning experiences that promote advanced thinking, deep inquiry, and broad knowledge development, supporting their intellectual growth across all curriculum areas.

Physical Domain:
We recognise the importance of physical development and actively support students in building coordination, health, and physical skills through targeted programs, sports, and physical activities that promote overall wellbeing.

Social-Emotional Domain:
We prioritise the social and emotional development of gifted students by fostering resilience, self-awareness, and positive relationships, ensuring they feel confident, supported, and connected within our school community.

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.

In our classroom

At Cudgen Public School, High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) is part of everyday teaching. We recognise that many students demonstrate strong potential across the cognitive, creative, physical and social-emotional domains, and we are committed to nurturing this potential so it grows into meaningful achievement. Every student learns differently, and our role is to provide the right level of challenge and support to help talent develop.

Teachers identify student needs through ongoing assessment, using explicit, evidence-informed practices to extend and challenge learners. Differentiated tasks adjust pace, complexity and content, and students access pathways such as enrichment, extension and, where appropriate, acceleration. Every student at Cudgen Public School works towards personalised academic and social-emotional goals developed through our student-led interviews, where teachers, parents and students collaborate to set targeted, meaningful learning goals. These goals are actively tracked and modified as students achieve them, ensuring continued challenge and growth.

Classrooms prioritise belonging, creativity and collaboration. Students work in flexible groupings, take on leadership roles, and engage in open-ended activities that foster critical thinking and innovation. Clear learning goals, strengths-based feedback and self-assessment promote confidence and ownership of learning.

Our strong whole-school Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) program supports physical development, teamwork and personal wellbeing, offering a wide range of sporting opportunities for students with high potential in movement and health. Students can access school sporting teams, representative pathways and community sport connections that build confidence, resilience and coordination.

Our teachers actively engage in professional learning to meet diverse needs, ensuring every student at Cudgen is known, challenged and supported to thrive.

Across our school

school orientation days
open day and school tours
athletics carnival
swimming carnival
cross country carnival
sports gala days
open day and school tours
music lessons
dance festival and showcases (FNC Academy)
Cudgen's Got Talent show
cultural and language activities
Bundjalung language program K-6
bush tucker garden
Harmony Week
NAIDOC Week
Yuli excursions
NSW Premier's Public Speaking
NSW Premier's Spelling Bee
book week
Write a Book in a Day
Byron Bay Writers Festival
100 days of Kindergarten
grandparent/grandfriends day
student leadership opportunities
Student Representative Council
excursions and incursions K-6
stage 2 & 3 school camps
assembly performances
fundraising and community events
award assemblies
graduation and other celebrations

Across NSW

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

At Cudgen Public School, we offer a wide range of opportunities to support and enrich High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) students both within the school and across the wider community. Our programs are designed to nurture talent across the cognitive, creative, physical and social-emotional domains, providing meaningful pathways for students to excel, lead and engage beyond the classroom.

We offer rich Creative Arts opportunities that support students to expand their interests and capabilities, including choir and dance ensembles featured at the Far North Coast Dance Academy evening, and combined schools events such as the North Coast Creative Arts Camp. These experiences foster collaboration, confidence and artistic growth.

Our school is part of the Coastal Learning Community (CLC) STEM Academy, working in partnership with local primary schools and our feeder high school to provide authentic enrichment experiences throughout the year. All Stage 3 students participate in dedicated STEM learning, with selected finalists showcasing their projects at the high school. In addition, our STEM Enrichment Academy supports High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) students through advanced challenges where they plan, design, collaborate, build and iterate to develop innovative solutions.

Leadership potential is supported through a range of programs, including our Student Representative Council and school leadership roles that foster voice, agency and responsibility. Students engage in various leadership opportunities including attending the Grip Leadership Conference. Communication and critical thinking skills are enriched through Public Speaking opportunities, alongside academic competitions that challenge and extend students’ intellectual growth.

Yuli is a First Nations transition program offered through the Coastal Learning Community for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students from Year 5 to Year 12. CPS School proudly supports initiatives that empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students through enriching cultural learning experiences. The program both educates and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture, knowledge, and identity, while fostering skills in teamwork and community engagement. CPS is committed to creating cultural experiences where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students can raise their voices, honour their heritage, and lead with pride within our school community. Through Yuli, students build meaningful connections and engage in cultural learning that deepens their understanding of local cultural practices.

Our Primary Schools Sports Association provides a wide range of inclusive and accessible sporting opportunities for students across NSW, offering pathways from school and community participation through to zone, association, state and national representation. Through programs such as representative school sport, disability and inclusion initiatives, the NSW Premier’s Sporting Challenge, and School Swimming and Water Safety, students aged 8–13 can engage in more than 30 sports, compete in over 100 state championships annually, and develop essential water safety skills. With a strong focus on participation, enjoyment, skill development and lifelong physical activity, the State Sports Unit ensures all students— including those with disability—have opportunities to be active, excel, and stay connected to community and state-level sport, supported by teacher resources, professional learning and clear policy guidance.

At Cudgen Public School, we are committed to providing a rich and varied HPGE experience that empowers gifted learners to thrive across all areas of their development—within our school community and beyond. Students participate in opportunities such as Write A Book in A Day, Premier’s Spelling Bee, Premier’s Public Speaking, CLC Stage 2 Sports Day, PSSA Sports, Yuli program, Bundjalung language, STEM Academy, and FNC Dance.