Meeting the Needs of High Potential and Gifted Students at Davidson High School
The High Potential and Gifted Education Policy has a renewed focus on finding potential to develop talent.
The guiding principles of the HPGE policy, are that:
● all students require access to learning programs that meet their learning needs and support to aspire to, and achieve, personal excellence
● there is a commitment to high expectations for all students.
● achieving excellence is underpinned by quality teaching, learning, and leadership.
We know students learn in different ways and at different rates. This is true in each of the four domains – physical, creative, social-emotional and intellectual. Some may learn quite quickly in the physical domain (picking up new skills rapidly), but when it comes to expressing creative skills through music may find it much more challenging – they can still learn in music, but may not learn as quickly as they do in other areas.
Guiding Principles - High Potential and Gifted Education Policy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-bTTLolJzo&t=67s
HPGE students may be more advanced on a continuum of potential than their peers. This needs to be reflected in the teaching practices and learning environments they are involved in. Potential refers to a student’s innate ability in one or more domains and should not be confused with their final attainment after talent development, i.e. high performance. By focusing on potential first rather than performance this policy places greater focus on supporting students to develop their talent and move towards achieving their educational potential. The High Potential and Gifted Education Policy promotes engagement and challenge for every student, regardless of background.
Davidson High School is deeply committed to ensuring that the new high potential and gifted policy is embedded in our practice, targeting high expectations, so students can aspire to reach their educational potential. The implementation of this policy supports the vision of the school to grow student achievement, strive for excellence and foster passionate and committed staff. Our aim is to develop the skills of staff to identify HPG students, provide learning experiences that meet their needs and continually monitor student progress.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZoOfHFW6HY&t=95s
At Davidson High School we have dedicated classes focusing on academic excellence in each KLA from years 7 to 10. Differentiated learning is delivered in every classroom, ensuring targeted teaching and learning activities are implemented to develop the talents of high potential and gifted students.
Davison High School also offers a range of HPGE activities within the school, including:
● Public Speaking and Debating
● A wide variety of extra-curricular activities, including ensembles, performing arts festivals and competitions, clubs, councils and leadership programs
● Opportunities to participate in academic competitions
● Participation in experiences designed to stretch students’ abilities and enable them to pursue their passions.