NSW Inspire Program (HPGE): A New Pathway for High-Performing Students Beyond Selective Schools

Not every high-performing student will get into a selective school. With over 15,000 students sitting the placement test each year and only around 4,000 places available, most applicants miss out — even many who are genuinely gifted.

The NSW Government has recognised this gap. In March 2026, it officially rolled out the Inspire program across all 2,200+ NSW public schools, bringing structured High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) to every student who needs it — not just those who win a selective school place.

Here is what the Inspire program is, how it works at different levels, and what it means for families navigating the selective school decision.

What Is the Inspire Program?

Inspire is the public-facing brand for the NSW High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) Policy, which has been mandatory for all NSW public schools since January 2021. The policy requires every school to identify and support high potential and gifted students across four domains:

Intellectual — academic ability, critical thinking, problem-solving
Creative — original thinking, artistic ability, innovation
Social-emotional — leadership, empathy, interpersonal skills
Physical — sporting talent, fine and gross motor skills

This is broader than the selective school model, which focuses almost entirely on the intellectual domain through a single standardised test.

The policy identifies three categories of students along a continuum: high potential (exceeding same-age peers), gifted (significantly exceeding peers, roughly the top 10%), and highly gifted (vastly exceeding peers, the top 1% or less).

The Three-Tier Structure

Not all schools are doing the same thing under the Inspire umbrella. In practice, there are three distinct tiers of HPGE provision:

Tier 1: Every NSW Public School (2,200+ schools)

Since 2021, every public school in NSW has been required to embed HPGE in their teaching practices. This means schools must:

Identify the learning needs of high potential, gifted, and highly gifted students
Implement evidence-informed programs and practices to meet those needs
Collaborate with families and the wider community
Build teacher capacity through professional learning
Publish their HPGE offerings on their school website (required from 2026)

In practice, what this looks like varies widely between schools. It could include differentiated classroom instruction, enrichment streams, extension groups, inter-school competitions, STEM programs, debating, or individual learning plans for gifted students.

The honest reality: Implementation quality is uneven. Some schools run well-resourced, structured HPGE programs. Others meet the minimum requirements through classroom differentiation alone. A 2023 NSW Department of Education survey found that 47% of teachers reported having no experience with gifted or high-potential students — which suggests the gap between policy intent and classroom reality can be significant.

Tier 2: 33 HPGE Partner Schools ($100 million investment)

In June 2025, the NSW Government announced a $100 million infrastructure investment in 33 HPGE Partner Schools across Western Sydney and regional NSW. These schools are receiving upgraded science and technology labs, libraries, creative arts spaces, sporting facilities, design workshops, and performance spaces.

The full list of 33 partner schools includes:

Sydney & Western Sydney	Regional NSW
Casula High School	Batemans Bay High School
Chifley College Dunheved Campus	Bowral High School
Cranebrook High School	Broken Hill High School
Galston High School	Canobolas Rural Technology HS (Orange)
Glenmore Park High School	Casino High School
Holroyd High School	Forbes High School
Hunters Hill High School	Kooringal High School (Wagga Wagga)
J J Cahill Memorial High School	Lake Macquarie High School
James Busby High School	Lisarow High School
James Meehan High School	Lithgow High School
Lurnea High School	Moruya High School
Marrickville High School	Muswellbrook High School
Matraville Sports High School	Narara Valley High School
Mitchell High School	Springwood High School
Sarah Redfern High School	Tamworth High School
South Sydney High School
Strathfield South High School
Windsor High School

Eight schools completed their upgrades for the start of 2026, with the remaining schools' upgrades still in progress.

Tier 3: 8 Schools with Dedicated HPGE Extension Classes

This is the tier that most closely resembles a selective school experience. Eight public high schools now run dedicated HPGE Extension Classes — effectively creating a selective-style stream of high-performing students within a regular comprehensive school.

The eight schools offering extension classes in 2026 are:

Chifley College: Dunheved Campus
Kooringal High School (Wagga Wagga)
Hunters Hill High School
Lisarow High School
Elderslie High School
Georges River College: Peakhurst Campus
Port Hacking High School
Riverstone High School

More schools are expected to join in 2027, though the specific list has not been announced yet.

How Students Are Selected for Extension Classes

Unlike selective schools, there is no single statewide test for HPGE Extension Classes. Each school runs its own identification and application process. Based on what the first schools have shared:

Georges River College Peakhurst uses a rigorous application process involving primary school feedback and literacy and numeracy assessments
Port Hacking High School identifies students as gifted or having high potential during their final year of primary school, with around 20 students per class
Some schools use the HAST (Higher Ability Selection Test) from ACER, which assesses higher-order thinking and reasoning
Other schools may base Year 8 entry on Year 7 academic performance rather than a separate entrance exam

If your local school is on the list, contact them directly to ask about their specific entry process.

How It Works in Primary School

The HPGE policy applies to primary schools too, not just high schools. In primary schools, identification is based on teacher observation, classroom performance, and ongoing assessment data rather than a standardised test (unlike the OC test for Opportunity Classes).

What HPGE looks like in primary school can include:

Differentiated classroom instruction (harder content, deeper projects)
Pull-out extension groups for high-performing students
Enrichment activities like debating, coding, and leadership programs
Individual learning plans for identified gifted students
Subject acceleration (e.g., a Year 4 student working at Year 6 maths level)

It is worth noting that Opportunity Classes have also been expanded — 9 new primary schools were added in 2025, bringing the total to 86 schools with OC classes. The government positions HPGE as complementary to OC, not a replacement.

How Inspire Compares to Selective Schools

	Selective Schools	Inspire / HPGE
Entry	Single statewide placement test	School-based assessment (varies by school)
Availability	~50 schools across NSW	All 2,200+ public schools (basic); 33 partner schools (enhanced); 8 with extension classes
Travel	Students often travel long distances	Students attend their local school
Focus	Intellectual/academic	Intellectual, creative, social-emotional, physical
Pressure	High-stakes single test	Ongoing assessment, lower pressure
Peer group	All students are high-performing	Extension class within a mixed-ability school
Track record	Decades of proven results	New program, still establishing

What This Means for Your Family

If your child is preparing for the selective test

Keep preparing. Selective schools remain an excellent option for academically gifted students, and the placement test is still the most direct route to a fully selective environment. The Inspire program does not replace selective schools — it provides an alternative pathway.

However, knowing that Inspire exists can take some pressure off. If your child does not get a selective school offer, they are not left without options. A growing number of comprehensive schools now have genuine, structured programs for high-performing students.

If your child missed out on a selective place

This is where Inspire is most valuable. Check whether your local high school is one of the 8 schools with HPGE Extension Classes, or one of the 33 HPGE Partner Schools with enhanced facilities. Even if it is neither, every NSW public school is now required to have HPGE provisions — ask the school specifically what they offer and how they identify and support gifted students.

Be direct in your questions. Ask for specifics: How are students identified? What extension programs run? How many students participate? What does the enrichment look like in practice? The quality of implementation varies, and informed parents can advocate for better provision.

If your child is in primary school

Talk to your child's school about their HPGE identification process. If your child is consistently working above grade level, they should be receiving differentiated instruction and extension opportunities. You do not need to wait for a formal test result or an OC placement to ensure your child is being challenged — the HPGE policy means your school should already have provisions in place.

The Bottom Line

The selective school pathway is not going away, and for many families it remains the goal. But the landscape is genuinely changing. With Inspire now rolled out to every public school, $100 million being invested in 33 partner schools, and dedicated extension classes starting at 8 high schools (with more to follow), there are more options for high-performing students than there have been in decades.

The most important thing remains the same regardless of pathway: identify your child's strengths and gaps early, challenge them consistently, and make sure they are developing strong problem-solving skills across reading, maths, and critical thinking. Those skills serve them well whether they end up at a selective school, in an HPGE extension class, or in any other educational setting.