Woonona Public relieving principal Alison Strinic with Year 4 and 5 students Reuben Chenoweth, Monty Galvin, Tara Vandenboer and Edith Allen. Photo: Keeli Dyson.
An Illawarra primary school has embedded unique initiatives within everyday learning to help students achieve their potential and increase overall results, with further high potential and gifted education (HPGE) programs now set to be rolled out across the state.
Woonona Public School is ensuring that the opportunity to aim high isn’t just available for a select few.
The primary school has spent years refining a way to bring HPGE programs to the entire cohort to help keep students engaged and optimise their learning experience.
“Our focus here is about delivering HPGE every day in every classroom for all students,” Woonona Public relieving principal Alison Strinic said.
“By doing the ‘mild, spicy, hot’ it gives all students an entry point at their level so the task is the same but it is differentiated so each student has an access point and a challenge within that so they can move through the levels within the lesson or unit or work.
“From there we then offer extra opportunities with things like Maths Olympiad, Maths Quest and things like that, which becomes a smaller cohort of students.”
The mild, spicy, hot initiative allows students to choose the difficulty of individual tasks in different subjects rather than be bound by a preset level.
“The reason we do it the way we do is because if you just teach to the middle then there’s kids are going to feel not catered for because they can’t do it or because it’s too easy,” Ms Strinic said.
“Because of that differentiation kids are just totally engaged because it’s at their level and they’re not focused on what other students are doing because it’s at their level, they know they have a next step to go to and that’s what their focus is.”
The initiative gives the students the tools they need to understand a topic but also can motivate them to look for a challenge.
“I really like it because say I start at hot and I find it too hard, I can always go back down to spicy and then if I think I’ve got it I can go back up and work on it,” Year 4 student Edith Allen said.
“I like to sit at that more challenging level.”
Students select a ‘mild, spicy or hot’ task and present it to their teacher on the whiteboard.
“I find it good because if something’s challenging you can go down to build back up, and if something’s too easy you can go up and challenge yourself more,” Year 5 student Monty Galvin said.
“For maths I usually do hot because maths is one of my strong subjects but then sometimes for other things like in spelling I have to work my way up to the harder stuff because I’m not as strong in spelling as I am in maths.
“It can help you build up and get stronger and learn better.”
But it’s not just about English and maths, with the school exploring ways to promote and identify high potential in all areas, most recently by partnering with Wollongong Conservatorium of Music for weekly lessons.
“I really like music because you get to play all these different types of instruments and I’m getting really into them at the moment,” Year 4 student Reuben Chenoweth said.
“We got to play miniature bongos, chopsticks, now I’ve tried triangles, xylophone and I think we will be able to do a lot more which is really exciting,” Year 5 student Tara Vandenboer said.
“A lot of students now have had exposure to things and experience things that they never would have and for us, it’s even about, with the conservatorium for example, that might invigorate our kids who have never picked up a musical instrument before to then see this is something they are quite interested in, have a passion and really be inspiring for them,” Ms Strinic said.
The success of their efforts has been seen not just through engagement and feedback but by a steady increase in NAPLAN results, performing nine points above the Statistically Similar Schools Group benchmark in 2023, 15 points above in 2024 and 20 points above in 2025.
The benefit of these opportunities has been recognised statewide, with the NSW Government announcing the rollout of its Inspire program to bring HPGE offerings to every public school.
HPGE extension classes have launched in eight public high schools, with more locations, including Woonona High School, selected to trial the class in 2027.
With the strong collaboration between Woonona Public and its local high school, the opportunities are set to continue through students’ entire learning experience.
“I feel in our community we’re certainly known as a school of excellence and high value and that comes through the excellence in teaching, in student achievement and also that continuation in longevity from K to 12,” Ms Strinic said.
“It’s not just a primary school and we pass them on; it’s a whole journey and it’s really smooth.”
