High potential and gifted education
Narara Valley High School fosters a culture of high expectations and equity in excellence, ensuring every student, regardless of background, has opportunities to develop their potential into talent.
Our offerings engage and challenge every student, including a strong focus on talent development for high potential and gifted learners.
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.
Our students
Many students have high potential, and we help that potential to grow into something powerful.
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.
Narara Valley High School fosters a supportive and stimulating environment where high potential and gifted students can thrive and develop into confident, capable individuals. We offer a high academic standard within a co-educational, socially cohesive, and community-focused setting. Committed to recognising and nurturing high potential and gifted students, Narara Valley High School ensures every student has the opportunity to excel and grow through our everyday practice of HPGE.
- Our supportive classroom environments promote a sense of belonging and encourage risk-taking, creativity and collaboration.
- Groups are flexible for collaboration and presentation, students take lead roles, and feedback is strengths-based with clear goals and self-assessment.
- Students learn from tasks that promote choice, authenticity, and critical and creative thinking including cross-curricular projects.
- When evidence shows a need for more, students are extended and have the opportunity to access advanced pathways.
- We measure impact through student work, reflections and progress checks.
- Our classes have structured peer collaboration and reflection where strengths-based feedback and goal setting are part of the learning process.
- We provide supportive learning environments that enable exploration and self-assessment creating safe learning environments that encourage confidence, risk-taking, and perseverance.
- Classes have differentiated tasks that adjust pace, complexity and higher-order thinking followed by formative assessment to monitor growth and to adapt teaching and learning experiences.
Our school recognises that every student is individual and we provide flexible and diverse opportunities for students to explore and grow their strengths outside the classroom.
HPGE talent identification, assessment and development is evident in a range of ways:
- Taster Days
- Enrichment program Stage 4
- Sporting Trials
- Chess Club
- Central Coast Showcase
- Central Coast Dance Festival
- A Central Vision
- School Spectacular
- Open Auditions
- Student Leadership Team
- Social-cultural events
- Specialised excursions
- Trade experiences
- Aboriginal dance
- Public speaking
- Debating
- Illuminate Challenge
- Individualised TAS projects
- Choice in assessment tasks to demonstrate strengths and understanding
- Connection to real world relevance
Our students can participate in a wide range of state-wide programs that aim to extend and enrich student potential.
- Debating Competitions
- Public Speaking Competitions
- Premier’s Writing Competition
- MUNA (Model UN Assembly)
- Science and Engineering Challenge
- A multitude of sporting competitions including gala days, knock-out competitions and selection through to zone, regional and state levels
Our transition program
For all our Year 6 - 7 transition information and additional HPGE dates, please visit our Transition to high school
Our high potential and gifted education programs
At Narara Valley High School, we currently have three HPGE Programs offered to gifted and talented students entering Year 7.
Student Targeted Enrichment Program (STEP)
How to apply
If you wish to apply for a position in the 2026 STEP class please complete the following Google form:
Targeted Sports Program
How to apply
If you wish to apply for a position in the 2026 TSP program, please complete the following Google form:
CAPA Program
How to apply
If you wish to apply for a position in the 2026 CAPA program, please complete the following Google form and upload your audition video:
DUE DATE: Friday 6th June 2025
2026 CAPA Application Form - Online
*Please note, with online applications a google account will need to be created if you do not already have one to upload the required attachments.
NB: Placement into the Stage 4 CAPA class is also dependent on compliance with DoE and school enrollment policies.
Please feel free to contact Lynne Akhurst (Head Teacher CAPA) at school on (02) 4329 3780 or via email lynne.akhurst@det.nsw.edu.au.
Yesterday morning we proudly celebrated our 2026 School Leadership Team as they were officially presented with their badges in front of parents and carers.
Congratulations to our newly announced leaders across Years 9–11, including our School Captains Gabriella Lints and Spencer Curtis, Vice-Captains Holly Thomson and Ruby Lia, Senior Prefects, and our Year 11, Year 10 and Year 9 leadership teams.
We are incredibly proud of each student and look forward to the positive impact they will make in 2026.
Year 7 STEP Humanities hosted a spectacular Ancient Chinese Market this term, to conclude our HSIE study of ancient civilizations.
Students worked tirelessly in groups to plan, prepare and run their eye-catching stalls. They sold a range of delicious food, drink, fortunes and other items reminiscent of times past. Prizes were awarded throughout the event and the Emperor’s tax collector even paid a visit! NVHS staff and students were our VIP patrons, using our specially designed currency.
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.