High potential and gifted education

At the Centre, students complete their learning in both the AgSTEM Speciality and AgSTEM Selective streams, where they learn alongside peers with similar abilities, interests, and goals. Students demonstrate strengths in one or more of the giftedness domains in their selection into these programs. Our AgSTEM cohorts engage in a curriculum that is designed to extend and challenge students through deeper, more complex learning experiences in our transdisciplinary, partnered learning model.

Why choose us for your high potential or gifted child?

Our programs are grounded in the principles of enrichment and extension, student agency, engagement with academic and industry partners and student growth. The Centre’s programs and systems empower students to have agency in their learning, challenge themselves for personal growth and pursue their passions with confidence. Student growth is aligned to academic attainment, High Potential and Gifted domains, and our AgSTEM capability framework.

Students thrive both academically and socially in an environment that encourages curiosity, creativity, and collaboration. In their regular reflections of learning our students speak confidently about their learning journey. The common threads in these reflections are belonging, self-confidence, being valued members of their community, learners who have been stretched and extended, leaners who have reconsidered their futures, learners willing to take risks and achieve beyond what they initially perceived as their potential.

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Examples of student reflections include:

Our transdisciplinary journey helps us tackle unfamiliar problems in unique and unexpected ways – it helps us connect to community and industry and obtain real life experiences and perspectives;

Transdisciplinary learning gives us a more holistic view of the world; it has opened our minds to new and exciting careers;

Initially in Year 7 I found this transdisciplinary and Applied learning process a little confusing and complex, now I appreciate it was designed to challenge, extend and push us as learners;

Transdisciplinary learning is challenging, but I found on reflection I enjoyed the topics that pushed me out of my comfort zone. I was proud that I managed to become an adaptable learner as a result;

I am proud of how through my transdisciplinary journey I have grown as a learner who can collaborate and apply knowledge in a meaningful way. This journey has prepared me to shape my future with confidence and curiosity;

Transdisciplinary learning is not just a subject, it has been about breaking down the walls between the classroom and the real world. It is the bridge to my future;

In a normal classroom you can often find yourself wondering why is this important and useful, when would I use this. In our transdisciplinary learning one of the greatest pleasures is meeting and learning with our partners in academia and industry. We do not need to ponder anymore, we learn and see why;

Transdisciplinary learning may look to an outsider like a confusing tangle of disciplines, but as you experience it as a learner you realise it is not tangles or nots, but carefully braided or woven threads of knowledge that do not exist alone in the real world. In the real world every thread is important and if you remove one strand our understanding will fray and fall apart.

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

Beyond the classroom, students have access to a broad range of co-curricular and enrichment opportunities mapped to the four domains of giftedness. These include STEM, agriculture, journalism, public speaking, sport, creative and performing arts, leadership, and special interest clubs.

Our approach aligns with the NSW Department of Education policy, which promotes engagement and challenge for every student in every school. Through professional learning and evidence-informed practice, Richmond Agricultural Centre continues to lead the way in nurturing the potential of high-ability and neurodivergent learners.

In our classroom

Our classrooms operate beyond the four walls of a building; they embrace learning in industry, in tertiary educational settings, in community and in the environment.

Our partnered, transdisciplinary learning model enables students to engage with experts and authentic experiences linked directly to their learning programs. Our curriculum is designed to allow students to apply their knowledge to authentic, real-world experiences and to demonstrate their understanding and capability development through the application of knowledge to unknown situations. Learning at the Centre is designed to facilitate a strong sense of belonging while encouraging students to take intellectual risks, think creatively, and collaborate meaningfully.

The Centre explicitly teaches these learning frames through its iDesign and transdisciplinary courses. These learning experiences are scaffolded to support student growth and autonomy from Years 7 to senior schooling, enabling students to develop strong habits of learning and supports for success as learners in school and post school settings. Students are active participants in their learning, through ongoing reflective practice, validation of attainment processes and student’s agency in feedback and goal setting.

Across our school

At the Centre we recognise that every student is unique. We provide flexible and diverse opportunities for students to explore their strengths, pursue their passions, and develop leadership skills beyond the classroom. Student agency, a growth mindset and holistic development are at the front of mind in all of our learning plans and programs.

AgSTEM Ambassadors and student leadership:

All AgSTEM students have the opportunity to engage in student leadership programs, with AgSTEM Ambassador roles open to students in a variety of areas throughout the year. In addition, the Centre has structured leadership opportunities for specific year groups
- Peer Support and Primary Partners Leaders: Year 8
- Middle Years Prefects: Stage 5
- Senior Prefects: Years 10/11
- Captains and Vice Captains: Stage 6
- SRC: all year cohorts
- Constellation Leaders: Year 8 – Stage 5 – Stage 6.

Students are also encouraged to participate in Leadership roles beyond the school including the NSW Minister for Education’s DOVES Council, Local/State and Federal government forums/committees.

Agricultural Programs and Pathways: Students can engage in extensive Agricultural opportunities, including acceleration in Agriculture from Year 8 onwards, dual accreditation pathways in Stages 5 and 6, HPGE Clubs and enrichment programs. Students also participate in and lead in partnership with academics from Western Sydney University, Local Land Services, TAFE and industry experts specific programs linked to Ag Week and focussed agricultural programs.
STEM Programs and Pathways: Students can engage in extensive STEM opportunities, including STEM engineering courses, HPGE Clubs and enrichment programs. Students also participate in and lead in partnership with academics from Western Sydney University, Local Land Services, TAFE and industry experts specific programs linked to Science Week and focussed on the sciences.
Aboriginal Languages and Knowledges Program and Pathways: Students can engage in extensive Dharug Language and Aboriginal Knowledges opportunities, including Dharug Dhalang, dual Stage 6 curriculum, dual accredited course in Stage 5, HPGE opportunities to engage with community and primary school students and enrichment programs.
Creative and performing arts: Talent in the arts is celebrated and extended through a range of music programs, choir, visual arts and performance opportunities.
Academic Programs: Students have the opportunity to participate in programs beyond the school including ICAS, Premier’s Reading Challenge, Science Olympiad, NRMA Design Challenge, WESTA Geography Challenge, and Space Camp at WSU.
Sport and wellbeing: Our extracurricular programs foster skills, teamwork, and personal growth.

Across NSW

Our school provides High Potential and Gifted Education programs for student across NSW, with a particular focus on students in Greater Western Sydney. Schools and their students can participate in a wide range of state-wide programs at the Centre known as Outreach programs that aim to extend and enrich student potential.

Outreach programs include but are not limited to:

Hackathons
Stage 2 and 3 AgSTEM HPGE classes
Dharug Dhalang programs K-10 for students and professional learning for staff
Stage 4 Aboriginal Languages programs
Stage 5 Certificate I in Tourism (Indigenous Knowledge)
Stage 2 and 3 Dharug Music, Arts and Culture programs
Stage 6 outreach courses in HSC subjects
Incursions and events linked to Agricultural, Sciences, Engineering, Mathematics, Technology, Aboriginal Knowledges and Language and transdisciplinary learning.

Schools wishing to participate in these programs should contact the Centre for additional information and EOI forms.

E:centreofexcellenceinaged-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

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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.

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Learning

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