Do you know that the department has a new learning and teaching policy – the High Potential and Gifted Education Policy? Following extensive consultation and underpinned by a literature review – Revisiting Gifted Education – the policy was announced by the Premier and Minister for Education on 4 June 2019, with mandatory implementation commencing in schools from 27 January 2021.
The new policy is more inclusive, while still promoting excellence. It supports every student to achieve their educational potential, through talent development opportunities and differentiated teaching and learning practices to ensure that their specific learning and wellbeing needs are met. It also promotes engagement and challenge for every student, regardless of background, in every school across intellectual, creative, social-emotional and physical domains.
- The policy specifically seeks to close existing excellence gaps in our system by addressing the needs of groups of students who are more likely to underachieve and are less likely to be represented in our HPGE programs and classes.
Implementation support
The HPGE team has developed a comprehensive suite of resources available for principals, schools and teachers P-12 to plan for and commence implementation in 2021, including:
- - advice for schools around the policy in the context of School Excellence in Action
- - a dedicated web section with comprehensive implementation advice and guidance for schools – the web section will continue to evolve to support schools to build sophistication in their approaches to meeting the needs of their high potential and gifted students
- - the HPGE Policy Evaluation and Planning Tool to support school leaders and teachers with implementation of the HPGE policy into strategic improvement plans
- - professional learning courses designed to support schools to implement and embed the policy over the coming years
- - illustrations of practice, including the early adopter school journeys (coming soon)
- - the differentiation and adjustment tool, linked with the Digital Learning Selector, has been a big hit with schools as an entry point to evidence-based talent development for HPGE students.
- You can contact the HPGE team at HPGE@det.nsw.edu.au, as well as join the HPGE Yammer group and HPGE statewide staffroom.