High potential and gifted education

In our classroom

At Michelago Public School, we recognise that high potential and talent exist in many forms across all learners. Our approach to High Potential and Gifted Education is embedded within everyday teaching and learning and strengthened through rich opportunities across the creative arts. Teaching practice is informed by formative assessment, explicit teaching, and purposeful differentiation to ensure all students are supported and appropriately challenged.

Use of Formative Assessment

Teachers regularly gather evidence through observation, conferencing, work samples, and student reflection to identify individual strengths, interests, and next steps across academic and creative domains. This information informs lesson planning and differentiation, ensuring learning experiences remain responsive and targeted to student needs.

Differentiated Learning Tasks and Flexible Grouping

Learning tasks are designed with multiple entry points and varying levels of complexity. Students work independently, collaboratively, or in flexible groupings based on readiness, interest, or strengths. This supports appropriate challenge, collaboration, leadership, and the development of higher order thinking skills.

Student Voice and Leadership

Student voice is embedded in classroom practice, with students actively involved in goal setting, reflection, and leadership opportunities within learning activities and whole school initiatives. This fosters ownership, motivation, and confidence in their learning.

Creative Arts Talent Development

The creative arts play a key role in identifying and nurturing student strengths at Michelago Public School. Our visual arts program provides students with regular opportunities to develop technical skills, creativity, and personal expression through extended projects and the exploration of a range of media and techniques. Students further develop performance skills and confidence through a strong music program, including choir, band, and performance opportunities, while a specialised drama program supports expressive communication, collaboration, and leadership through structured performances and creative experiences. These opportunities are enriched through participation in the small schools creative arts camp, where students collaborate with peers from across the region, work with specialist teachers, and engage in high quality creative learning experiences that extend their talents beyond the classroom.

Professional Learning and Collaborative Practice

Teachers engage in ongoing professional learning and collaborative planning to strengthen differentiation and creative arts practice, ensuring consistent and high quality opportunities for all students to develop and extend their potential.

Across our school

At Michelago Public School, we provide a wide range of high quality learning experiences that support student growth, engagement, and talent development across academic, creative, physical, and leadership domains. Our programs are designed to recognise individual strengths, provide opportunities for extension, and ensure all students are challenged and supported to reach their potential. Through a combination of classroom learning, specialist programs, and rich extra curricular opportunities, students are encouraged to explore interests, develop confidence, and build skills that prepare them for future learning and success.

• Creative Arts (Visual Arts, Music and Drama)
  A strong creative arts program that develops creativity, confidence, and expressive communication through visual arts projects, choir, band, and a specialised drama program, with regular performance and exhibition opportunities.
• Small Schools Creative Arts Camp
  Students participate in a regional creative arts camp where they collaborate with peers from other small schools, work with specialist teachers, and engage in high quality visual and performing arts experiences that extend their talents beyond the classroom.
• Sport and Physical Activity
  Students access a broad range of sporting opportunities including OzTag, soccer, athletics, and small schools carnivals, with pathways to district, regional, and state representation.
• Gecko Sports Gymnastics Program
  A specialist gymnastics program delivered by Gecko Sports that builds strength, coordination, confidence, and physical literacy in an engaging and inclusive way.
• Technology and STEM
  Students engage in hands on STEM learning through robotics, 3D printing, filming equipment, and participation in technology clubs and state wide STEM challenges.
• Minecraft Build Club and Digital Creativity
  A weekly Minecraft build club that promotes problem solving, collaboration, spatial reasoning, and creative design, supporting digital creativity and innovation.
• Short Film and Media Projects
  Students develop storytelling, planning, and technical skills through filmmaking projects, using digital tools to plan, film, edit, and present creative work.
• Student Leadership and School Parliament
  A strong leadership structure where students participate in school parliament, leadership roles, and decision making processes that build responsibility, confidence, and civic understanding.
• Wellbeing and Values Based Learning
  A strong focus on wellbeing through the Smiling Mind program and the school’s Bee values, supporting positive relationships, emotional regulation, and student engagement.
• Strong Transition Programs
  Comprehensive transition to school and transition to high school programs that support continuity of learning, wellbeing, and student confidence at key points of change.

Across NSW

Students at Michelago Public School have access to a wide range of opportunities offered through the NSW Department of Education that extend learning beyond the classroom and support talent development across academic, creative, leadership, and sporting domains.

• NSW Public Schools Sport Pathways
  Opportunities for students to progress from school based sport to district, regional, and state representation across a wide range of sports.
• Premier’s Sporting, Reading and Spelling Challenges
  Statewide initiatives that promote excellence, personal best, and goal setting in sport, literacy, and academic engagement.
• NSW Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) Programs
  State coordinated opportunities including ensembles, workshops, showcases, and performance pathways for students with strengths in music, drama, and dance.
• Debating NSW
  Structured debating competitions that develop public speaking, critical thinking, teamwork, and confidence.
• NSW STEM and Digital Learning Challenges
  Statewide initiatives and competitions that promote problem solving, innovation, coding, robotics, and design thinking.
• NSW Student Leadership and Civics Programs
  Opportunities that develop leadership capability, student voice, and active citizenship through student representative structures and leadership initiatives.
• High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) Initiatives
  Identification and extension opportunities across intellectual, creative, social emotional, and physical domains, supported through department resources and programs.

Our location provides students with unique access to enrichment opportunities across Cooma, Canberra, and the surrounding region, drawing on strong community partnerships, specialist programs, and rich cultural, sporting, and environmental experiences.