Hillcrest High School develops and implements teaching and learning strategies to address the needs of identified students and groups of students who are not achieving or who are at risk of not achieving. Such programmes as Learning Support, Early Start to Qualifications (ESQ), and ESOL foundation classes, address students with special needs and, in particular, those students who have been identified as being at risk of not achieving.

Hillcrest High School is a participant in the He Kakano programme, and has a strong commitment to improving the emotional, social, cultural and academic outcomes for Maori students. In consultation with families, a homework centre has been established for students from refugee families and operates on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons; a homework centre for Pasifika students operates on a Wednesday afternoon.