High potential and gifted education

DoE Game Changer Challenge:

Oakhill Drive participated in the New South Wales Department of Education’s Game Changer Challenge, a design and innovation competition, and was one of only 20 teams to make it to the grand finals out of over 300 entries. They spent three days at the Department of Education’s head office competing, where they had to create a sustainable solution to a local problem. After researching, the team focused on recycling and developed a coloured leaf system with braille that matched leaf colours to bin lid colours, making recycling labels easier to find and understand. Their innovative idea earned them the runners-up position and the Canva ‘Force for Good’ award, which includes an excursion to Canva’s headquarters to learn about their innovative products and designs.

Inter School Sport

Inter School Sport in NSW PSSA is a zone based competition where students from different schools compete against each other in various sports. These competitions occur during both summer and winter.

Our students successfully compete at weekly competitions.

• Students compete in various team sports such as cricket, touch football, basketball, softball, T-Ball (summer), and soccer, netball, Newcombe ball and AFL (winter).

• At the end of each season, the top performing teams progress through to finals and grand finals.
• Being a grand finalist is a significant achievement for our school teams and occurs season after season, reflecting high skill and competitive performance of students and their dedicated teacher coaches.

The competitions foster teamwork, sportsmanship, and a healthy competitive spirit among students across NSW schools.

Representative Sport

• Our elite athletes are provided with exciting opportunities to represent our school at various levels of competition. Starting with the Beecroft Zone, talented students showcase their skills in sports such as swimming, cross country, and athletics at carnivals. Their exceptional performances often lead to competing at Sydney North carnivals and progressing to represent NSW PSSA at the state level, where they compete against other top athletes. This pathway not only motivates students to excel in their chosen sports but also helps them develop discipline, teamwork, and leadership skills.

• Our outstanding athletes have the chance to represent our zone and Sydney North PSSA through to NSW in prestigious competitions, further advancing their sporting careers. These individual sport opportunities include team sports such as soccer, netball, cricket, softball, rugby league, hockey, and golf. Representing NSW at this level is a significant achievement, reflecting dedication and elite performance. These experiences provide student athletes with exposure to higher levels of competition and can open doors to future sporting pathways both within school sport and at national or even professional levels.

K-6 Sport

• At our school, sports start in Kindergarten to Year 2 by focusing on basic movements and gross motor skills. Teachers help young students improve their coordination, balance, and simple physical abilities through fun activities. This helps children feel confident and ready to learn more sports skills. From Years 3 to 6, students use these basic skills to play team games. They learn to work with others, think about game strategies, and develop specific sports skills. Playing team sports helps students stay fit, communicate well, and show good sportsmanship, getting them ready for more organised sports at school and beyond.

Performing Arts

Band

• Being part of the school band offers great benefits for students’ learning and wellbeing. Playing in a band helps improve concentration, teamwork, and discipline, while also providing a fun way to express creativity. Our school has four different bands and multiple smaller ensembles, giving students lots of opportunities to develop their musical skills and perform together.

Choir

• Joining the school choir supports students’ confidence, listening skills, and emotional wellbeing. Singing in a group helps build a sense of community and belonging. Our choirs regularly perform at prestigious venues like the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Town Hall, giving students valuable performance experience and the chance to be part of exciting musical events.

Dance

• Our school dance troupes offer students a chance to improve fitness, coordination, and self-expression. Dancing also boosts confidence and encourages creativity. Our specialist dance groups have excelled in multiple competitions across Sydney, showcasing their talent and hard work while representing the school with pride.