Co-curricular Program - old

The Creative, Spoken and Performing Arts is a key component of the Hills Grammar Co-curricular Program. The activities on offer are both engaging and varied in nature. They give students the opportunity to express themselves and focus on their interests in specific areas. Hills Grammar has always been strong in this area and these Co-curricular activities are always very popular with students. Students are strongly encouraged to pursue at least one area within the Creative, Spoken and Performing Arts.

Example of Creative, Spoken and Performing Arts Activities

Craft Club, Creative Thinking and Problem Solving, Debating and Public Speaking

Drama Ensembles, Cake Decorating, Chess Club, Film Making, En Plein Air Art

Leadership is an important and fundamental facet of every student’s education at Hills Grammar. We believe that every student should graduate with the belief, skills and tools to make a difference to their world. A leader is more than someone with a badge, title or position of authority, but rather a person with the dedication and courage to speak up and take action on issues that affect our community. 

Hills Grammar has a comprehensive Leadership Program that ensures every student has the opportunity to enhance their skills and participate in powerful and meaningful leadership experiences.

Leadership Vision – ‘To create a culture of leadership at the School – where all students have a deep understanding of ‘servant leadership’, possess a belief that they can lead and actively embrace the opportunities we create for them to do so.’

Example of Leadership and Service Activities

Amnesty International, Duke of Edinburgh

Sailing - South Passage, SRC Junior, SRC Senior, Year 10 Dinner Committee

Music co-curricular ensembles rehearse on a weekly basis before school, at lunch and after school in the music centre. Students in both junior and senior schools are placed into a choral or instrumental ensemble that suits their individual needs, depending on age and practical experience. Some ensembles may require a short audition and/or interview that will be organised when the student joins the ensemble.

Performance opportunities at formal and informal occasions range from school assemblies, performance evenings and music for school events to appearances at the Term 2 Music Showcase and Annual Presentation of Awards. From time to time, ensembles may also take part in local eisteddfods and festivals.

Examples of Music Ensembles

Small Instrumental Ensembles: Percussion Ensemble, Guitar Ensembles, Flute Ensemble, String Ensemble

Large Instrumental Ensembles: Intermediate Concert Band, Senior Concert Band, Senior Orchestra

Choirs: Campanellas (K-2), Melodymakers (Years 3-4), Songmakers (Years 5-6), Vocal Ensemble, Senior Chamber Choir

All students at Hills Grammar are encouraged to take part in our sporting programs regardless of ability. From Kindergarten to Year 12, students can participate in a variety of activities both individual and team. The range of activities has increased, offering even more recreational and competitive options.

The School is affiliated with a variety of sports associations that allow students to progress through representative levels in sport.

Junior Sport Representation Pathway
Hills Grammar    HICES        CIS        NSW State        National

Senior Sport Representation Pathway
Hills Grammar      HZSA        AICES        CIS        NSW State        National

Learn more about our Sport Program here

Outdoor Education is part of the School Co-curricular Program but also complements the aims of the Academic Program and the Wellbeing Program. Students work together to develop skills such as leadership, resilience and inclusiveness;  learn the value of working towards a common goal and the concept of team. All of this is achieved within the context of the school values.

Through the Outdoor Education program, each student learns about their own strengths and weaknesses and how persistence in extending oneself can bring success in the most challenging of situations – be they physical, emotional or social. This resilience (ability to bounce back from setbacks or challenges with confidence) and optimism is vital for any young person as they enter adulthood.

The School’s Outdoor Education Program is set in a variety of environments such as alpine, coastal, inland river, bushland or non-familiar urban. This allows students to develop a sense of adaptability as new environments are explored and adapted. Environmental Education is a key focus of the program.

Example of Outdoor Education Activities

Kindy: Scavenger Hunt and Bush Shelters, Bush Walk and Bush Painting, Beach Games

Year 1: Flora and Fauna, Local Environment

Year 2: Indigenous Education, Sensory Walk and Food Tasting

Year 3: Damper Making, Leadership Development Activities, Orienteering Skills, Initiatives

Year 4: High Ropes, Team Initiatives

Year 5:  Canoeing, Initiative Activities, Abseiling, Orienteering, Billy Kart Building

Year 6: Alpine Rescue, Cave Maze, Shelter Building, Flying Fox

Year 7: Rock Climbing, Sailing, Dragon Boating, Archery

Year 8: River Sledding, Mountain Biking, Canoeing, Hiking

Year 9: Camping, Camp Craft, Cooking

Year 10: Urban Challenge- Scavenger hunt around the City of Sydney.

“If I could choose any time to live, I would want to be a teenager now. The reason I would choose to be a young person today, rather than during some earlier period in history, is that now, more than at any other time, young people will make a spectacular difference.”
—James Martin, The 17 Great Challenges of the Twenty-First Century.”

There is a growing focus on the need to develop skills within the STEM areas to meet the demands of a changing world. Businesses and industry are already experiencing shortages in STEM workers – the workers who know how to tackle the tough problems facing the 21st Century. We need people who can solve problems in areas such as energy, clean water, health and medicine, environmental issues, extreme poverty, and technology risks. The STEM program aims to complement the Academic Program by providing a range of activities to develop skills in STEM areas and opportunities for students to apply these skills to real world projects and problems. In developing knowledge and skills in STEM related disciplines, the program also focuses on problem solving, communication, collaboration and perseverance. Similarly, the development of an appreciation of STEM futures and opportunities is an important objective of the program.