St Pius X follows Gagné’s differentiated model of giftedness and talent. Gagné defines giftedness as the possession of natural abilities at levels significantly beyond what might be expected for one’s age; that is, giftedness is outstanding potential that may or may not yet be evident in outstanding performance. Gagné defines talent as the achievement or performance of one or more systematically developed skills at a level significantly beyond what might be expected for one’s age.

Teachers may devise specific Individual Plans (IPs) for students who have been formally assessed as gifted. These plans may include:

• Differentiation within the classroom
• Opportunities for growth outside the classroom (SPLICED, da Vinci Decathlon, Maths Games, VEX)
• A variety of grouping strategies
• Acceleration by subject or grade
• Modified reporting procedures

Some of the gifted education initiatives available at St Pius X for students to show their potential and engage in higher order thinking processes, include:

• The ACER General Ability Tests (AGAT) - a test designed to assist teachers of students aged seven to sixteen years (approximately Year 2 to Year 10) in their assessment of students’ general reasoning ability. These tests have been developed especially for use in schools. Each of the tests assesses students’ reasoning skills in three areas: Verbal and Numerical and Abstract (visual). At St Pius X, all students take part in the AGAT assessment in Year 3. The results of this assessment will assist teachers in differentiating the curriculum for all students at the school.
• The Slosson Intelligence Test - a verbal one-on-one test that provides an estimate of verbal cognitive ability. As it is not a full scale IQ test, the Slosson will not provide an IQ score, but rather an indication of the band in which a child may fall and also some valuable anecdotal evidence of their areas of strength and weakness. The assessment focuses on the following areas: Similarities and Differences, Vocabulary, Comprehension, Quantitative, General Information and Auditory Memory. If students perform highly in AGAT, they are then given the opportunity to take part in the Slosson assessment.  Along with the observations of class teachers and the collection of class assessment data these two measures will assist St Pius X teachers in better targeting the specific intellectual needs of our learners.
• SPLICED - A Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong initiative offered to students who demonstrate creativity, flexible higher order thinking, independence and reflective thinking. SPLICED stands for 'Stretching Potential through Learning in Interactive and Challenging Environments in the Diocese of Wollongong'. Students complete engaging and challenging activities based on the seven Key Learning Areas.
• The da Vinci Decathlon - an academic competition designed to challenge and stimulate the minds of school students. Students compete in teams of eight across 10 disciplines: engineering, mathematics and chess, code breaking, art and poetry, science, English, ideation, creative producers, cartography and legacy. The Decathlon is designed to celebrate the academic gifts of Australian youth by providing a stimulating and challenging competition run in the spirit of an Olympic Decathlon.
• The Maths Games and Maths Olympiad competitions - an opportunity for mainstream students in Years 4, 5 and 6 to learn valuable problem solving skills and expose them to the application of mathematical problem solving strategies and techniques. Teams of high-achieving Year 3 students may also be considered for entry to the Maths Games competition as a precursor to the Maths Olympiad. The Maths Games is aligned with the Australian curriculum and focuses on challenging students to think laterally and creatively when solving mathematically-based problems.