Oxley High School

Quality education for all students in a safe and caring environment.

Telephone02 6766 1677

Emailoxley-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

About our TAP Program

About our TAP Program

Oxley High School has a strong history of supporting, developing and teaching students to perform at the highest levels of sport, academics and culture.

Past students have and are currently representing New South Wales and Australia in theirย chosen sportsย and appear in our Hall of Fame.ย In light of our history of developing highly talented sportspeople, Oxley High School has implemented the Talented Athletes Program as a means of furthering the opportunities for our students to achieve the highest levels of sporting attainment possible and to compete on the world stage.

Oxleyย High School has developed a sport specific program to assist Gifted and Talented sports people to excel in the following areas:

Boys and Girls
-Football (Soccer)
-Basketball
-Hockey

Girls Only
-Netball
-Rugby Union/League/Oztag

Our TAP program has been developed in consultation with Sports High Schools across Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong, Rural Fit, Hockey NSW and sporting associations (local and NSW) and is focused on developing sporting talents across the Tamworth and North West area.

The aim of the TAP program is focused on developing the skills of our students to excel at Combined High Schools (CHS), All Schools (CHS, Independent and Catholic Schools), NSW and Australian Championships.

TAP aims for our students to be afforded every opportunity to perform at their highest levels possible and to maximise their capacity to be selected for higher levels of attainment (NSW and Australian selection) in their chosen sport.

The TAP program runs concurrently with students regular timetable and includes coaching during sports afternoons:

  • Specific (and higher level) sports skills
  • Resistance training, strength and conditioning coaching timetabled instead of regular lessons
  • Attainment of accredited coaching qualifications
  • Attainment of accredited umpiring/refereeing qualifications
  • First Aid Qualifications

Students enrolled in TAP will have opportunities to access high level state, national and international coaches and to train with and compete against other Gifted and Talented athletes enrolled in sports high schools.

Who are the coaches?

All our coaches are highly qualified and experienced from NSW Rugby, NSW Hockey, NSW Netball and Northern Inland Football. Some sports have teachers as the coach who have years of playing and/or coaching experience. Exercise Physiologists from Rural Fit are partnering with Oxley HS to conduct individualised and sport specific testing and training programs.

Will training for my sport impact my learning?

TAP is held concurrently with the normal school timetable, so depending on the allocated time, students will miss some of the regular classes. It is up to students to catch up on any missed work and assessment tasks/tests will take priority over TAP.

In 2025, TAP sessions to be held rotational through sports afternoons and timetable lessons.ย  One period a week will be allocated to strength and conditioning training.

What does my child learn in the sport workshops?

TAP students have the opportunity to attend various workshops throughout the year; such as Sports Performance Psychology, Performance Nutrition, Careers in Sports, Sports Injury Management to value add to their development.

The Oxley High School Talented Athlete Program operates under the user-pays system, that is, the school receives no government funding to operate these programs. All Talented Athlete Program students must make an annual contribution towards the operation of their program.

Annual Program Fees for 2025 are $350 for each sport offered. The cost is heavily subsidised by Oxley HS to keep the cost to a minimum. The fee covers coaching, venue hire, uniform, transport, administration and most excursions.

In order to ensure that we can continue to offer quality programs to your child, fees are to be paid in full. Students cannot be permitted to commence TAP training or participate in excursions/games until fees are paid.

โ€ข Fees are to be paid in full by Week 5 of Term 1.

โ€ข Fees can be made in person or through the school website via School Bytes.

Students will trial for a position in the Talented Athlete Program by attending the TAP Testing Day. No spectators allowed.

Students will be assessed on four main areas:

  • Talent in their chosen field of sport
  • Capacity to be coached to higher levels of skill
  • Teamwork and attitude
  • History of sport representation (relevant to the identified sport)

All students across the Tamworth and North West area are eligible to apply for enrolment (including non-local enrolment) to Oxley High School upon acceptance into the Talented Athletes Program.

See 'How to Apply' for Application Form and enrolment steps.