Learn more about the Sport in Education project in the Managing Sport section.

Seven Sharp's SiE story

Watch Television New Zealand's Seven Sharp story about Sport in Education. The item showcased SiE in action at Kaikorai Valley College and Queen's High School, providing a great opportunity to illustrate how the project is harnessing the power of sport to help address the academic and social challenges facing schools.

During the visit by Seven Sharp, Queen's High School Principal Julie Anderson also spoke about the need for schools to achieve academically and how Sport in Education can help to achieve this.

"The focus of our education and our school, is to make sure we get the very very best academic results for everybody," said Julie Anderson.

"But we get that in different ways for different students, and some of our students who we see are very strong in sport, sometimes we think, 'why aren't they achieving as well in the classroom?'

"So we're trying to make the connections there (through Sport in Education)."

Positive ERO

Of the eight secondary schools initially involved in SiE, only Dunedin's Kaikorai Valley College (KVC) was due for an Education Review Office (ERO) report this year. The subsequent ERO report in September has noted that, "a sports context approach for the teaching of mathematics and English is having a positive influence on students' learning. This is resulting in high levels of participation and engagement for the targeted Year 9 cohort, more opportunities for older students to coach younger students, and extended interactions with contributing schools."

KVC's SiE Project Leader, Craig Reddington said, "It's great that the ERO affirms what we've been seeing first-hand."

"We've fully embraced Sport in Education and it's having a really positive effect on our students, staff and our wider community, including contributing primary schools."

Critical success factors identified

Seven critical success factors have been identified that give Sport in Education the best chance of being successfully implemented and integrated into schools. The seven critical success factors are:

• Principal and Senior Management Team leadership, support and advocacy - including beingpro-active in driving enablers like timetable structures, budget, planning and preparation opportunities, professional learning and network opportunities.
• A quality, dedicated in-school SiE leader - including an ability to connect with primary school principals and the wider sporting community.
• Time to plan and prepare - including time for cross-curricular planning.
• Motivated, valued, passionate teachers - including an ability to understand and apply a range of effective pedagogies.
• Build buy-in from other staff as well as the school community (students, Board of Trustees, contributing primary schools) - including the use of student voice to leverage the SiE concept.
• SiE is a part of School Strategic and Annual Plans - including SiE being braided into other school programmes, strategies and interventions.
• Expert support through project design and leadership - including the provision of quality professional development and networking opportunities.

More schools set to get involved

The success of Sport in Education has garnered plenty of interest from outside of the initial eight pilot schools. As a result, 15 more secondary schools have committed to introduce aspects of the SiE approach from next year.

"We're delighted with this upscaling of the Sport in Education project," said Garry Carnachan, Sport NZ Sport in Education Project Manager.

"Word is quickly spreading about the positive impact Sport in Education is having and we welcome others getting involved because that's one of our aims.

"So for others out there wanting to know more about what we're achieving, and how we're going about it, by all means get in touch."

The additional 15 schools getting involved next year will all receive project management support, as well as leadership and professional development advice and guidance.

Feedback from the coalface

As the first year of project implementation draws to an end, here's a selection of both student and teacher comments about the impact Sport in Education is having.

Student comments

• "I have improved dramatically in all of my classes. My Achieved marks have turned into Merits and Excellences and I am actually proud of myself."
• "This course has really challenged me, before this I didn't believe I would have passed NCEA."
• "It has helped me in other classes and improved my confidence."
• "I have noticed my academic grades improve and it has helped my learning and discipline. It has helped me become a leader."
• "It felt good giving back to my (primary) school. I enjoyed going out there and stepping out of my comfort zone and the confidence I have gained in umpiring is transferred into life and boosts my self-esteem. It makes me more confident in class to put up my hand and ask and answer questions."

Teacher comments

• "Student achievement for statistics increased because the data that they had gathered themselves allowed the class to understand what the numbers stood for and what the analysis was showing.
• "Some of these students have never read a novel before and they were hassling me to read each day!"
• "Student behaviour in SiE classes has improved remarkably and behavioural referrals have virtually disappeared."
• "I have never been as excited about a class in my seven years here. The engagement of the students has been outstanding and this has been matched by the quality of work."
• "SiE students had 34% greater engagement & an increase in positive attitudes to Maths compared to the other classes. The results were staggering and as a consequence, more Maths teachers on-board for next year!"

Links

• Academic performance can be improved by exercise - the finding of new Strathclyde and Dundee University research.
• A new Youth Sport Trust project will look at how the positive delivery of sports coaching feedback can be transferred to the classroom.
• Children's exercise policy lacking in the UK