New Zealand Centre for Gifted Education

Here at the New Zealand Centre for Gifted Education, our vision is for a future New Zealand in which extraordinary minds do extraordinary things. To help make this happen, we are all about maximizing young gifted New Zealanders’ potential through recognition, access and support.

We work with gifted children and the adults around them to ensure that young gifted New Zealanders are recognised and celebrated and have equitable access to quality gifted education and a strong support network.

We serve New Zealand’s gifted community through the provision of services and resources, the administration of support networks and advocacy for gifted young people.

Choosing the right programme for your child

Our Centre provides specialist, differentiated and engaging learning programmes for intellectually and creatively gifted children throughout New Zealand.

Designed to challenge and stretch your child in their learning, the centre’s programmes are all about developing talent, empowering extraordinary minds and bringing like-minded children and their families together.

Our curriculum, developed by a team of highly experienced gifted education specialists, is designed with the needs of your child in mind – not everyone is the same, so we can’t take the one-size-fits all approach. With a strong focus on depth, complexity and self-directed learning, the curriculum provides learners with challenging learning experiences that are personally meaningful to them.

Each of our programmes provides a safe and inspiring environment for like-minded children to grow and learn. For some students, this is the first place they really connect with their peers, forging new friendships and life-long connections. At the Centre, we believe that meeting a child’s social and emotional needs is just as important as meeting their cognitive needs.

We do not work in isolation – we are hosted by local schools and work with families and schools to make sure we can get the best outcomes for the gifted child. We are open to sharing what we do and visitors are welcome to come and experience the programmes that we offer.

Currently, there are more than one thousand students from close to 250 different schools attending one of the following programmes.

MindPlus – where like minds grow together

MindPlus is a programme for gifted 6-13 year olds that provides intellectual, creative, social and emotional learning and support. Children come together, with a specialist teacher, for one day each week. Together they engage in differentiated, strength-based learning experiences to further develop their gifts and talents and a greater understanding of themselves.

Small Poppies – big things have small beginnings

Small Poppies is a programme for gifted early-years children and their parents or caregivers.

Children and their parents come together with a specialist teacher for 2 ½ hours each week to engage in challenging and stimulating learning experiences and explorations that are based on the children’s interests and abilities.

Class sizes are capped at twelve children. Small Poppies currently operates in Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch.

Gifted Online – a space where I can connect

Gifted Online uses technology to connect gifted children with each other, with specialist teachers and with challenging and engaging learning opportunities. Originally designed to provide gifted children from rural New Zealand with access to quality gifted education, Gifted Online is now available to all gifted learners, worldwide.

Supporting those who support gifted young people

Supporting educators, families and others who connect with gifted young people is key to ensuring their talents are developed and potential is maximised.

In New Zealand, gifted students spend the majority of their learning time in regular classrooms, therefore it’s essential that teachers get the support that they need to be able to cater for gifted learners’ diverse needs.

Likewise, giftedness can pose challenges for parents and caregivers who want to support and provide for their children in the best ways possible. The Centre provides the following services for this purpose.

Consultancy Service – working together to create change

Our Consultancy Service works alongside educators, parents and other adults to help them better support their gifted children. We share practical advice, guidance and resourcing support. Our consultancy team are highly experienced and knowledgeable in both gifted education theory and practice and all have experience in teaching and/or parenting gifted children.

Resource Base – tools for the journey

The New Zealand Centre for Gifted Education has an extensive collection of resources to support the teaching and parenting of gifted children, curriculum design for gifted programmes and academic study in gifted education. These resources are available for lending within New Zealand.

If you’d like to know more about the centre or any of the services that we offer, please contact our Office Administrator: Michelle Martin on [email protected]  or (0800 769 243)