High potential and gifted education
Some students learn faster and more easily than others. These students may shine in creativity, thinking, leadership or sport.
At our school, we recognise and nurture these strengths early. We support advanced learners with great lessons and activities to help them grow and thrive.
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.
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.
High Potential and Gifted Education at Cowra High School
At Cowra High School, our High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) program is dedicated to supporting students who demonstrate exceptional abilities and potential. We provide a challenging and enriching learning environment that encourages students to excel academically, creatively, and socially.
A distinctive part of our program is the Triple O Sporting Program (Overcome, Overtake and Overpower), which focuses on developing outstanding athletes through tailored training, skill development, and competitive opportunities. The Triple O Sporting Program combines enhanced physical education with leadership and teamwork skills, providing gifted students with pathways to excel both on and off the field.
Cowra High School is committed to creating a supportive and inspiring environment where gifted students are empowered to thrive. Our HPGE and Triple O programs foster a passion for learning, creativity, and leadership, preparing students to achieve excellence and contribute meaningfully to our school and broader community.
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.
- Targeted learning goals for coordination, agility, and control.
- Opportunities to take on lead roles in physical demonstrations or team strategy.
- Safe learning environments that encourage confidence, risk-taking, and perseverance.
- Differentiated movement tasks and skill refinement in PDHPE.
- Tasks that promote choice, authenticity, and critical and creative thinking including cross-curricular projects.
- Music ensembles
- Visual arts and drama showcases
- Performance-based movement groups
- Student leadership (SRC)
- Participation in whole-school inclusion and wellbeing initiatives.
- Academic competitions
- Sport squads
- House competitions
- Peer mentoring
- Wellbeing programs
Our Triple O Sporting Program
This exciting journey for our Triple O Sports Program began in 2024. With its Mantra to Overcome, Overtake and Overpower, the program is set to elevate our aspiring High Performance Sporting Stars across a multitude of sporting disciplines. Our Triple O Program have seen elite athletes selected from a range of sports including Athletics, Squash and Rugby League.
Camden V Cowra Sporting Exchange
This year, the Robert Montgomery Memorial Shield celebrated its 54th year, making it one of the longest-running sporting exchanges in Australia. Over the years, thousands of young people have benefited from this event, forming lifelong friendships along the way.
In the early 1970s, Mr Paul Montgomery, an English teacher at Camden High School, proposed a three-day sporting competition with another school as a way to build meaningful connections between students from different backgrounds.
Letters were sent to several schools, and Cowra High School was eventually chosen as the ideal partner. In 1972, the first exchange took place, with Cowra students travelling to Camden for the inaugural games.
Cowra High School Triple O Athlete Patrick Rowston
Patrick Rowston has placed 1st in Australia in the 15 Boys Discus with an incredible throw of 57.63m.
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