Student opportunities and activities
At Warilla High School, we offer a variety of programs in the classroom and across the school to help students build new skills, make friends and explore new interests.
Our programs may include:
- school sport, athletics and inter-school competitions
- creative and performing arts groups and showcases
- cultural and language activities
- excursions and incursions
- public speaking and debating
- lunchtime and interest-based clubs
- student leadership opportunities
- activities that support high potential and gifted learners.
Contact us to learn more about what’s available and how your child can get involved.
At Warilla High School, our Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) faculty is committed to nurturing and extending high-potential and gifted students in Music, Visual Arts, Drama, and Dance. In the classroom, students experience differentiated and challenging learning programs designed to deepen their creative thinking, refine their technical skills, and support them to strive for excellence.
Beyond the classroom, students have access to a wide range of enrichment opportunities, including the annual CAPA Showcase, Open Night performances and exhibitions, Southern Stars, and the Every Artist Was First an Amateur Illawarra regional exhibition. Students are also encouraged to enter local band and art competitions, providing authentic avenues to develop their skills, share their talents, and connect with the wider community.
At Warilla High School we look for opportunities that extend students’ learning well beyond the classroom.
Through our League in Harmony program, delivered in partnership with the NRL, students build teamwork, communication, and cultural awareness while engaging in inclusive, values-focused activities. This initiative culminated in the League in Harmony Gala Day, celebrating identified schools and targeted students. Selected Warilla High School students took on meaningful leadership roles as Peace Advocates, representing the school and modelling positive change within both our school and the wider community.
Our HPGE students also experienced an advanced golf simulation and driving range program in Sydney, where they delved deeper into biomechanical analysis using TrackMan technology. By interpreting real-time performance data, they evaluated how technical adjustments can improve accuracy and efficiency. With guidance from a PGA professional, students integrated expert feedback, ICT data analysis, and classroom theory to explore how scientific principles apply to real-world performance.
A valuable new partnership with Warilla Bowling Club has further expanded opportunities for identified students through a Talent Identification Program. This collaboration provides scholarships and future pathway opportunities for students demonstrating potential in the sport, supporting them to advance their skills, gain professional guidance, and explore long-term sporting pathways.
As part of our Our Own Backyard learning, students stepped into peer-leadership roles by facilitating a range of Aboriginal traditional games. Their enthusiasm and leadership were inspiring, with many demonstrating genuine respect for the cultural histories and traditions embedded in each game.
In addition, students continue to excel in sporting pathways, participating in the NSW aligned competitions alongside their involvement in NSW CHS events. These opportunities provide valuable extensions for students to challenge themselves, develop leadership, and showcase their talents, which Warilla High School excel in these statewide competitions.
At Warilla High School, we offer differentiated mathematics content across all year groups to cater to students’ diverse abilities, with challenge sections embedded in assessments to extend learning.
In Year 8, specialist maths teachers deliver data-driven enrichment lessons, providing targeted support for students needing extra help and advanced problems for those demonstrating higher potential.
Academic competitions play a key role in enrichment, including a 4-week mathematics challenge hosted by the Australian Maths Trust (AMT). Selected students participate during enrichment periods, tackling complex, real-world problems to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. For more information, visit the Australian Maths Trust Challenge.
The school is currently exploring a draft proposal to partner with Inquisitive Minds to offer hands-on learning experiences from 2026, aiming to further enhance our students’ engagement and practical skills in mathematics. Learn more at Inquisitive Minds.
In Stage 6, we have a strong record of success across all Maths levels, from Standard 1 to Extension 2, with experienced teachers supporting our most academic classes to help students reach their full potential.
At Warilla High School, our High Potential and Gifted Education English programs provide students with rich opportunities to extend their creativity, critical thinking, and collaborative problem-solving skills. One example is our participation in the Write a Book in a Day program, which allows our high-potential learners to engage in authentic writing experiences that challenge them to apply their literacy skills with purpose and accuracy. This initiative reflects our commitment to the HPGE domains of Intellectual, Creative, and Social-Emotional development, ensuring that our students are supported to grow as authors, critical-thinkers, and learners.
At Warilla High School we believe that with the right support all students can develop and reach their full potential. A winner of a Secretary’s Award for an Outstanding School initiative in 2024, the Science Success program was developed to support our Stage 6 ATAR students (Chemistry, Biology, Physics & Investigating Science) to enhance their working scientifically skills, exam techniques and Science specific study skills.
It is a two-year program that builds proactive and face-to-face relationships with parents. Our aim is to not only strengthen our student’s skills but also our learning partnerships with parents. This program and its variety of extracurricular/after hours sessions are supported by all Science staff whether they are current teachers of ATAR subjects or not.
The Accelerated Science Program (ASP) is a Stage 5 (Yr9&10) program gives students the opportunity to further develop their Stage 5 Science Knowledge, Understanding & Skills, prior to commencing Science subject(s) for their HSC.
This program will afford students the opportunity to ‘bridge the gap’ between Stages 5 & 6. The intention of the ASP is to extend students, through a greater exposure to the content, skills, and workload of Stage 6 Science outcomes during their Year 10 Science lessons.
The Accelerated Science Program Experience Students who enter the ASP in Year 10 will receive customised Teaching and Learning Programs, which will include additional content from the Stage 5 Science syllabus, as well as advanced versions of the content that is pre-requisite for all Stage 6 Science ATAR subjects. Additionally, students in the ASP will be taught specific topics within the Year 10 course by, or in close consultation with, the relevant Stage 6 teacher. Therefore, all Teaching & Learning programs, assessments, and other course activities for a specific Year 9 & 10 topic will be coordinated with, and/or delivered by, a current HSC teacher of the relevant course.
Entry Into the Accelerated Science Program is optional, and applications can be made towards the end of Year 8 & 9
The HSIE faculty provides a broad range of High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) opportunities designed to extend students through authentic, high-level learning experiences. Each year, students participate in the ASX Schools Sharemarket Challenge, where they apply their knowledge of the economy, financial markets, and economic trends to compete nationally against other high-performing students. We also support students to enter the National Geography and History Competitions, enabling them to demonstrate their depth of understanding on a national stage. In addition, our Commerce course includes the Run a Business unit, which provides an enriching opportunity for students who have demonstrated strong entrepreneurial potential. This program extends their learning well beyond the classroom, allowing them to transform their ideas into real small businesses that operate during a series of school market stalls and events. Through this authentic experience, students deepen their financial literacy, sharpen their entrepreneurial skills, and build confidence in real-world problem solving as they navigate the challenges of running a business from concept to execution.
Robotics
The TAS faculty at Warilla High School currently runs a STEM extension robotics program for Year 10 HPGE students. These students have participated in a competition called Project Bucephalus, whose mission is to inspire young people to become leaders in science and technology. The program engages students in mentor-supported activities that build skills in science, engineering, and technology, encourage innovation, and foster well-rounded personal development—including self-confidence, communication, and leadership.
As part of the competition, the team is required to design and build a robot capable of completing a series of complex tasks. Throughout this process, students develop valuable skills in collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and communication. Each team member is assigned a role based on their individual strengths, with responsibilities ranging from coding and CAD design to mechanical construction and fabrication.
In addition, we have partnered with the Foreshore Unit to participate in a mixed-ability robotics competition. In this initiative, Year 7 students work alongside students from the Foreshore Unit in a LEGO robotics challenge. This collaboration provides an opportunity for our students to demonstrate and further develop leadership, teamwork, creativity, critical thinking, and communication skills while engaging in an inclusive and supportive learning environment.
