Berry Public School has a strong focus on case managing our High Potential and Gifted students, in partnership with parents, nurturing students to achieve their full potential.
Our school has clear identification processes for gifted and high potential students. We provide differentiated teaching and learning practices in classrooms, as well as extra- curricular opportunities, and clear pathways to success in all domains and fields of endeavour.
High potential students are those whose potential exceeds that of students of the same age in one or more domains: intellectual, creative, social-emotional and physical.
Gifted students are those whose potential significantly exceeds that of students of the same age in one or more domains: intellectual, creative, social-emotional, and physical.
Talent development is the process by which a student’s potential is developed into high achievement in a specific domain or field of endeavour. (Gagné Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent 2009.)
High potential and gifted students, in all domains, learn in ways characterised by their diverse profiles. Many characteristics cross the domains but others are more relevant to one domain than to the others.
The characteristics listed below may be found in many learners but are strongly evident in high potential and gifted learners. Conversely, not all high potential and gifted learners will display all of these characteristics due to lack of opportunity, disability or disadvantage.
High potential and gifted learners may demonstrate:
- curiosity
- an ease of learning that is fast paced
- intense concentration in new learning or areas of interest
perseverance
- high levels of self-criticism
- perfectionism
- strong sense of moral reasoning and justice
- intrinsic motivation and be goal driven, particularly in their area of interest
a sophisticated sense of humour
- creative and critical thinking skills
- high expectations for self and others
- an advanced level of observation
- high levels of excitement by new ideas
- independent thinking
Note: These learning characteristics should be used as only one source of evidence to assess and identify students
