High potential and gifted education

In our classrooms at Bungendore High School:

• Assessments are designed to provide choice in how students demonstrate learning, allowing students to pursue interests, apply higher-order thinking, and extend their skills.
• Students engage in goal setting and reflective practices to support self-directed learning, metacognition, and continuous improvement.
• Classroom practices explicitly develop student leadership, including peer mentoring, facilitation of discussions, collaborative learning roles, and student-led inquiry.
• Participation in enrichment programs, competitions, and challenges, such as academic, creative, STEM, or performance-based opportunities at school, regional, and state levels.
• Individualised planning and review, including Personalised Learning and Support Plans (PLSPs) or equivalent, with regular evaluation of progress and outcomes.

At Bungendore High School:

• Public speaking and communication development through programs such as Toastmasters, enabling students to build confidence, leadership, and advanced presentation skills.
• Student leadership and voice through the Student Representative Council (SRC), providing opportunities for advocacy, decision-making, and authentic leadership.
• Performing arts enrichment, including dance and music ensembles, participation in the District Arts Festival, and the annual CAPA Performing Arts Showcase, providing regular, authentic performance opportunities that support skill development, creativity, and artistic excellence.
• Representative sporting pathways, supporting high potential students to compete at school, regional, and higher levels.
• Leadership development through the Middle School program, offering structured opportunities for mentoring, responsibility, and peer leadership.
• Partnerships with industry and community organisations to extend learning beyond the classroom, including initiatives such as Stories & Skills Across Generations and Raise, alongside additional local industry and community connections.

Bungendore High School students are supported through opportunities including:

• Participation in state sporting carnivals, enabling high potential students to compete at the highest levels and further develop their physical skills and performance capabilities.

• Student voice and leadership at a state level through participation in the Minister’s Student Council (DOVES), providing opportunities to contribute to educational decision-making and advocacy.
• Academic enrichment and reading engagement through the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge, supporting advanced literacy development and a culture of reading excellence.
• Extension and critical thinking through ThinkTank, a free program delivered through Consensus Education. ThinkTank Southern Tablelands is made possible by funding from the Braidwood and Bungendore Community Bank, supported by charitable contributions and voluntary family donations. The program brings together regional NSW students to interact, collaborate, and extend their critical thinking and communication skills.