student engagement

Valued HPE curriculum boosts student engagement

By Sport NZ

When students at Papakura’s Edmund Hilary School went into lockdown again in August 2021, take-home play packs and gutt er boards made by the school’s caretaker meant they were encouraged to stay active at home.

It’s one of a handful of recent school-wide physical activity initiatives that put student-voice and wellbeing at the centre of decision making. Others include hiring a classroom assistant to design lunchtime activity programmes based on student input, a Magic Play Box for the junior school, and new play equipment including a giant chess and Jenga set. This string of creative actions is the result of Edmund Hilary School’s collaboration with the Healthy Active Learning team at CLM Community Sport, which supports 36 Healthy Active Learning schools in Counties Manukau. This is part of a nationwide initiative from Sport NZ, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Education that’s now operating at 800 schools and kura around Aotearoa.

Since joining Healthy Active Learning two years ago, the school has been supported to design a new HPE curriculum and provide professional development around it for staff . This had led to increased teacher confi dence in delivering HPE and a deeper school-wide understanding of the value of the curriculum and physical activity to students’ overall wellbeing. Principal Kataraina Nock says the impact has been felt beyond the curriculum: “Professional development and other opportunities provided by Healthy Active Learning have led to new possibilities for our school and helped us to think more about how we can keep improving children’s wellbeing. “We’ve now got high levels of student engagement because of improved teacher knowledge and understanding. Students have an appreciation that it is a whole-school focus and that everyone is participating, which is a change in the school ethos that was previously absent.” Principal Nock says teachers are now more confi dent and excited to deliver the HPE curriculum and are increasingly taking students outside the classroom to do so, encouraging more students to enjoy being active while also learning physical and interpersonal skills. More students are choosing to be active at break times too, the principal has noticed.

Images supplied by Sport NZ

CLM Healthy Active Learning advisor Nikki Johnson agreed the impact on the wider school culture had been dramatic.

“It’s great to see kids laughing, problem solving, interacting, and having that active outdoor learning opportunity, knowing the eff ort we put in today may infl uence their decisions and future outlook on active recreation.

“This really has been a story of signifi cant change over the past 15 months. From where the school was at to where it is now is tremendous and can be att ributed to the hard work of staff and their belief in what we are advocating for,” she said.

The physical activity component of Healthy Active Learning is delivered in partnership between Sport NZ and regional sports trusts and sees a skilled regional physical activity workforce support schools to improve active learning environments and bett er connect schools to their local communities.

Physical activity in schools made easier

Sport NZ is committed to supporting schools and kura so all students can take part in quality physical activity and enjoy being active in ways that suit them. This enhances their learning and contributes to their wellbeing. We are proud to be supporting teachers and schools through:

MoveWell

A joint initiative between Sport NZ, Physical Education New Zealand and ACC, supported by the Ministry of Education, MoveWell is a practical games-based resource that has strong links to the health and physical education learning area in The New Zealand Curriculum. MoveWell is available in hard copy at your school. You can also download a copy from the Sport NZ website.

Tū Manawa Funding

Tū Manawa is a Sport NZ fund managed around the country by Regional Sports Trusts. It provides funding for play, active recreation or sport opportunities for tamariki and rangatahi, Tū Manawa has helped kiwis to be active through more than $25m of funding, and funding is available to support school-based initiatives, particularly for those who are less active or have limited access to opportunities to be physically active.

In Our Backyard

With New Zealand hosting a series of major sporting events over the next two years, Sport NZ has developed a suite of resources and a framework called ‘In Our Backyard’ to support schools and kura, sporting organisations and local communities to work together in collaborative and innovative ways to help students learn through sport.

Regional Sports Directors

Sport NZ, with secondary schools, supports a nationwide network of Regional Sports Directors responsible for coordinating inter-school sport opportunities, connecting schools with community sport organisations and providing support for school sport staff.

Healthy Active Learning

Healthy Active Learning is about improving the wellbeing of tamariki and young people through healthy eating and drinking, and quality physical activity. It’s a joint initiative between Sport NZ, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health. Now in 800 schools and kura nationwide, Healthy Active Learning is supporting schools and kura to create healthy and active learning environments, and better connections to their local communities. If you’re not already part of Healthy Active Learning you can still take advantage of our online resources.