Sport in Education Project

Sport has generally been promoted for its positive impact on young people's physical health but an increasing body of international evidence suggests that increased participation in sport and physical activity can also lead to improved academic and social outcomes, benefitting students, schools and communities.

So the three-year SiE project, currently being delivered in eight NZ secondary schools, aims to develop, trial and evaluate approaches to deliver improved outcomes that will then be made available to all schools.

The schools participating in the project are:

• Aotea College, Wellington
• Hillmorton High School, Christchurch
• Howick College, Auckland
• Kaikorai Valley College, Dunedin
• Papakura High School, Auckland
• Queen's High School, Dunedin
• Tauranga Boys' College, Tauranga
• Te Kuiti High School, Te Kuiti

The project also aims to improve the delivery of PE and sports programmes in surrounding primary schools, and to engage community organisations, such as clubs, in supporting teachers and students involved in sport in schools.

The initiatives receiving focus in this, the project's first year, include:

• developing teaching and assessment resources in Maths, English and PE using sport as a context to engage students in learning
• developing an associated professional development support programme
• resourcing a dedicated PE leader within the school to provide professional development and assist with the introduction of new teaching practices
• linking secondary schools and clusters of primary schools, where secondary PE experts can provide professional development and support to primary school teachers
• delivering a student leadership programme in secondary schools, focussing on coaching, and utilise these leaders/coaches in primary schools
• incorporating the values and characteristics of sport into the school environment – eg teamwork, rules, respect and leadership
• enhancing links to the wider school community, including families - improve facility utilisation and access, establish school-community/club/RST partnerships and establish sports councils.

The participating schools are helping develop the approach, resources and practices.

If you have any questions please contact the Project Manager, Garry Carnachan at sportineducation@sportnz.org.nz or phone 027 563 8000.

Project resources

• More detail (DOC, 588 Kb) about SiE
• Project introduction to the working advisory group (PPT, 1.07 Mb)
• NZCER presentation about creating and embedding change in schools (PPT, 654 Kb)
• Research on how sport and physical activity enhance children's learning (Government of Western Australia)

More information

Contact Project Manager Garry Carnachan at sportineducation@sportnz.org.nz