High potential and gifted education

At Merrylands East Public School, we are dedicated to recognising and nurturing high potential and gifted students by creating differentiated classroom learning programs and supportive environments that enable every learner to thrive. Our teaching practices are grounded in evidence and continuously enhanced through professional learning and collaboration. High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) is embedded in everyday classroom practice, challenging students to think critically, create, lead, and grow.

Our key approaches include:

• Personalised and Flexible Learning: Tailoring teaching methods and materials to suit diverse needs through differentiated tasks and flexible grouping that encourage collaboration and social development.
• Clear and Structured Instruction: Providing explicit, step-by-step teaching using evidence-based programs to ensure strong understanding and skill development.
• Continuous Progress Monitoring: Employing formative assessments regularly to track student growth and inform timely adjustments to learning experiences.
• Effective Feedback Practices: Delivering specific, timely, and constructive feedback that guides students toward achieving their personal and academic goals.
• Encouraging Higher-Order Thinking: Using open-ended and thought-provoking questions to deepen critical thinking and student engagement.
• Enriched Learning Opportunities: Offering advanced pathways such as acceleration, content compaction, enrichment, and extension programs designed to challenge and extend learners.
• Creative and Authentic Tasks: Designing activities that promote student choice, curriculum depth, inquiry, and cross-curricular connections to foster creativity and critical thinking.
• Collaborative Learning and Leadership: Facilitating structured peer collaboration, reflection, and opportunities for leadership within a supportive classroom environment.
• Safe and Supportive Classroom Culture: Creating an atmosphere that encourages confidence, risk-taking, perseverance, exploration, and self-assessment.
• Ongoing Teacher Development and Collaboration: Engaging staff in continuous professional learning and collaborative sharing of best practices to meet the needs of all students effectively.

Through these approaches, Merrylands East Public School empowers high potential and gifted learners to reach their fullest potential in a challenging and supportive educational environment.

At Merrylands East Public School, we recognise that every student is unique, and we are dedicated to providing diverse and flexible opportunities that nurture their strengths and talents beyond the classroom. Our commitment to fostering high potential is reflected in a wide range of whole-school programs, extracurricular activities, and targeted enrichment designed to inspire intellectual curiosity, creativity, leadership, wellbeing, and collaboration.

Opportunities for students to explore and develop their talents include:

• Creative and Performing Arts:
  Our MEPS Choir and dance ensembles proudly perform each year at the Sydney Opera House during the annual Gimbawali Concert. We also host the annual MEPS Got Talent Concert in our school hall, providing students with the chance to showcase their individual or group talents. Additionally, our extracurricular recorder group performs at the yearly Presentation Assembly, celebrating student achievement through music.

• Leadership and Service:
  Leadership is actively encouraged across all year levels. Our Year 6 cohort includes School Captains and eight prefects who develop their leadership skills through various roles, including speaking at school assemblies, representing the school at ANZAC and Remembrance Day services alongside the local RSL, and participating in numerous leadership opportunities throughout the year.

• Academic and Intellectual Development:
  Merrylands East Public School takes pride in its Extension Maths program, where experienced external tutors broaden and deepen students’ mathematical skills. Our debating program, led by qualified educators, fosters critical thinking, passion, compassion, and stage presence. Our senior debating team has demonstrated outstanding success, reaching the semi-finals in 2024 and winning the grand final in 2025 at the interschool competition. Our school also participates in the NSW Governements Premier's Reading Challenge through our library each year.

• Sport and Physical Activities:
  We actively participate in weekly interschool PSSA competitions across sports such as soccer, netball, newcomball, t-ball, and softball, achieving great success over the years. Talented students can also pursue opportunities at regional and state levels in multiple sports including swimming and athletics. Additionally, Stage 1 and 2 students enjoy gymnastics sessions taught by qualified instructors, while Stage 3 students receive mentorship in lawn bowls from Club Merrylands players.

• Innovation and Future-Focused Learning:
  Our school offers innovative programs in partnership with external businesses, museums, and art galleries. One highlight is our annual collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art, a much-anticipated experience that Stage 3 students aspire to participate in each year.

Through this rich variety of programs, Merrylands East Public School actively supports and enriches the growth of every student, ensuring they have meaningful opportunities to develop their skills, pursue their passions, and thrive in the areas that inspire and motivate them.

At Merrylands East Public School, we proudly offer our students access to a broad range of enriching opportunities available across all NSW public schools. These programs are designed to support and extend the talents of high-potential and gifted students through careful preparation, active participation, and meaningful reflection, fostering growth across academic, artistic, sporting, and leadership domains.

• Premier’s Reading Challenge: Encourages reading for pleasure while promoting vocabulary development and a lifelong love of learning.
• Premier’s Debating Challenge: Develops logical reasoning, critical thinking, and public speaking confidence.
• Pulse Alive: A prestigious statewide performing arts festival showcasing student creativity and cultural diversity.
• Gimbawali Concert: A vibrant celebration of choir, dance, and live musical support by student bands and orchestras, enhancing musical skills, discipline, and ensemble collaboration.
• Representative School Sport Pathway: Provides opportunities to trial and compete in PSSA and CHSSA competitions at regional, state, and national levels.
• PSSA Zone Athletics, Cross Country, and Swimming Carnivals: Encourages physical fitness and competitive spirit.
• Sydney West Representative Teams and Carnivals: Fosters dedication, teamwork, and sporting excellence.
• Public Speaking Competitions: Build communication skills, confidence, and leadership abilities.

These opportunities, accessible in all NSW public schools, empower Merrylands East students to discover and develop their unique talents, excel beyond the classroom, and engage actively within their school and wider community.