Padstow Heights Public School enjoys a reputation for excellence in academic achievement and high standards in sport and performing and creative arts. Our highly-skilled and committed staff are dedicated to ensuring excellent learning outcomes and access to the widest possible range of opportunities for all students. Our students are nurtured in a friendly and caring environment, which receives strong community support. As a school, we are committed to fostering a love of learning in all our students and equipping each individual with the skills for a life-long journey of discovery. This is achieved through well-planned learning programs and an environment in which each student is challenged to meet their full potential. The continued introduction of new technologies and related teaching strategies across the school means that students' opportunities and interest have increased across the six Key Learning Areas. The school offers a wide range of extracurricular programs which provide experiences to further challenge and widen student learning. The school has a designated visual arts room and experienced teachers who ensure a whole-of-school approach to Arts learning. Our strong maths program caters to each student's level of ability and provides regular challenges which improve learning. All students participate in dance and Jelly Beans Music programs (led by qualified dance and music teachers). Four dance groups and two choral groups perform at district level and over 50 students perform in the school band program (coached by both our teachers and external tutors). Lunchtime interest groups are catered for across the school year in areas as diverse as computing and drama, and students are encouraged to enter public speaking, writing and UNSW competitions. Our students regularly compete at district, regional and state swimming, cross country and athletics carnivals. Alternative sports programs such as fishing, bushwalking and swimming stroke improvement are also on offer.