High potential and gifted education
At Mulyan Public School, every learner’s potential is our priority. Many students have high potential, and we help that potential to grow into something powerful. We challenge our students to think, create, lead and grow every day.
Our school is a place of diversity and opportunity, where every learner belongs. We foster a culture of high expectations and equity in excellence, ensuring every student, regardless of background, has opportunities to develop their potential into talent.
Our high potential and gifted education opportunities
Mulyan Public School teaching staff have reflected on our crucial role in encouraging and supporting students to 'AIM HIGH' and reach their potential in their chosen fields of endeavour. As a part of this reflection they have created a mission statement (seen below) to focus us on this work.
The four domains of potential are:
Intellectual:
- Explicit teaching strategies are the foundation of our classroom learning programs. Explicit teaching has been proven to support the best results for all students academic achievement.
- Students are supported in all classrooms by offering differentiated curriculum offerings, so every child has the opportunity to succeed. This includes extension activities for students who excel.
- Aurora College is offered to Year 5, Year 6 and applications for Year 7 annually. Also, The Young and Deadly cohort through Aurora is offered as students are identified.
- Wiradjuri lessons are part of learning for all students K-6 taught, by a specialist Wiradjuri language and cultural teacher.
Creative:
- Students dance at the local Cowra Eisteddfod, Western Dance Festival, and Schools Spectacular each year.
- Students are supported to auditions for places in the State Dance Ensemble and we have had students represent our school at this level over many years.
- Drama and Music offered through performance and appreciation in assemblies, assembly items and a variety of performances attended through the year.
- In 2026 the Young Artist transition program will add to the Wagambirra Dance group Transition Program with Cowra High School. This pathway is designed to support students who are focused on creative and performing arts through their whole school journey K-12 including those with a focus on Indigenous dance.
- 2026 will see the employment of specialist visual arts, music, drama and dance teachers so this is offered to all classes.
- The development of relationships with local music teachers will continue so we can offer individual instrumental lessons in 2026 and beyond.
- The Galari Bila Dance group and Yarn Up groups were created to support students from an Aboriginal background and all students engage with culture and creativity. The dance group represent our school at community functions.
Physical:
- We employ a specialist Sport teacher and coordinator to ensure that students have a range of opportunities to explore their potential in this area. We are known for the number of students who represent our school at the PSSA and WSSA level and have had a number of students represent our school at State and National level over the years in a variety of sports from bull riding to golf and athletics to swimming.
- All students are involved annually with the Premier's Sporting Challenge and the Sporting Schools grants program so we can offer specialist instructors in specific sports.
- For regular weekly sport we work with local groups and facilities to offer a wide range of physical activities to enable students to find their preferred sport.
- PSSA representative opportunities and a wide variety of sports are offered dependent on student interest and potential including swimming, rugby, rugby league, AFL, athletics, cricket, soccer, tennis, and golf.
- We have had District, Western and State representatives in a wide variety of sports each year.
- Aboriginal Cultural Games events are offered throughout the year.
Social Emotional:
- Positive Behaviour for Learning framework is embedded in our school to educate and support all students to meet community expectations for social interactions.
- An Assistant Principal Wellbeing, an Aboriginal Community Liaison Officer are employed full time to support our students, families and staff at their point of need.
- A variety of leadership pathways are provided for students to explore and develop their leadership skills at their own level. This includes class captains changing each term. Student Representative Council opportunities. School Leaders including House and School Captains, Vice Captains and Prefects.
- A Peer support program is run K-6 annually and lead by Year 6 students.
- Programs are run on site by Cowra Information and Neighbourhood Centre specialist facilitators to support the specific social and emotional growth needs of identified students. This includes Fun Friends, RAGE, Chillax...
- Transition programs for all students that support their transitions between different levels of schooling including to Kinder, from Infants to Primary and from Primary to High School. These programs are based on culture and Creative Arts and build relationships to support transitions for students.
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. This requires staff to come to know students and their families well and work closely with them to identify a child's areas of interest and potential, and to support them to access opportunities to learn and grow throughout their school journey.
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. Classroom practice is embedded with Explicit teaching strategies to ensure that students are being educated using the latest research-based pedagogies. From this foundation, additional opportunities and supports are offered to all students so that they connect, succeed and thrive in our school.
Rich opportunities and activities
Students can take part in opportunities to develop their talent in the arts, sport, leadership and more. Through using local connections to provide a wide range of sporting opportunities and coaching, to working with our local dance schools our students are offered individual opportunities to try a wide range of sporting and creative arts experiences. From this foundation they are supported to access specialist support to build their skills in their chosen specialty should they wish to do so.
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. From the local Cowra Eisteddfod, singing at the local retirement village, dancing with the Wagambira Dance Group at community events or attending theatre productions here and further afield, our students are offered experiences and opportunities that broaden their horizons and allow them to find their 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.
Individual Extension Work
Each student at Mulyan is treated as an individual, given opportunities to build on their talents and interests through extension work, extra curricular activities while being supported by their teacher and our Learning & Support team.
Our students participate in the AURORA program at Mulyan.
These students have been identified by the Department of Education to have the ability to extend themselves in their learning, particularly in the areas of Maths and STEM. They work as part of an online classroom with other students and teachers from across the state to develop their knowledge and skills. Opportunity to apply for Arora College is offered to students annually.
We give each student an opportunity to "reach for the stars", with the support from our School Community.
Through dance and sport our students travel to compete in competitions and train with the best to achieve their potential in their chosen area. Each year students have performed on the sporting field and the stage including PSSA, WSSA and State teams and individual competitions, Western and State Dance Ensembles.
Encouraging Personal Achievements
Not only competing successfully at a school level, many students are chosen in PSSA competitions, Western and State teams and continue to perform at the highest level, bringing home Personal Best performances, breaking records and achieving at the highest level in sports such as Rugby League, Rugby Union, AFL, Swimming and various Athletics disciplines.
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.
Student opportunities and activities
Discover the opportunities our students have at our school.
Learning
Find out about our approach to learning and supporting students to progress.