Kaiako and students shape active break times
Kaiako and students shape active break times
At Pakuranga Heights School, a focus on teacher leadership, professional learning and student voice is transforming break times, creating more opportunities for learners to be active, connected and included.
At Pakuranga Heights School, student-led activities at break time have become the norm. As part of a wider shift happening across the school, students are stepping into leadership roles to plan and lead fun, inclusive activities for their peers. While students are increasingly visible as leaders, staff say the change has been driven by a deliberate focus on strengthening both teacher capability and student voice.
Supported by Sport Auckland’s Healthy Active Learning team, Pakuranga Heights School has taken a whole-school approach to hauora and physical activity, embedding it more intentionally across school life.
Students had always played a role as sports leaders, but their responsibilities were more limited.
The school's Healthy Active Learning connector reflects, saying, “their job was just to set up some equipment at lunchtime, help with sport days and help with whānau days.”
As the school began rethinking the role students could play, teachers focused on how to create systems that enabled students to take greater ownership of lunchtime activities.
Listening to student voice
Student voice was central to the changes.
Through focus groups with the Healthy Active Learning connector, students shared what they liked and didn’t like about being active at break time, and what equipment or games they wanted more of.
With clearer insight into what their peers wanted, student leaders now work alongside teachers to plan and run lunchtime activities, creating more relevant and enjoyable options for everyone.
New favourites include parachute activities, challenge games, cultural games and a wider range of inclusive activities.
Growing teacher leadership
Alongside redesigning the role of student sports leaders, the school established a group of Healthy Active Learning kaiako champions to lead term planning and support schoolwide change. The group includes both experienced and early-career teachers who have embraced the opportunity to lead.
As one senior leader notes, “you don’t have to be an experienced teacher to be a champion. You just have to be keen to learn and do the work.”
Tailored professional learning and development delivered by Sport Auckland has supported kaiako to strengthen health and physical education planning and delivery across the school.
The school’s Healthy Active Learning advisor says the approach has been successful because it responds to the needs of teachers at different year levels.
“All the professional learning and development was really targeted to the needs of the staff teaching at that age group. That’s been a really big success – teachers have the time and space to learn.”
Survey results reflect that shift, with the proportion of teachers who felt they had time to plan and teach effective health and physical education increasing from 22% to 43%. Confidence and capability to meet student needs has also improved.
The school's growing commitment to physical activity is also becoming more visible in strategic planning, increasing from 22% to 63%.
Creating a culture of active learning
Pakuranga Heights School’s engagement with Healthy Active Learning has led to meaningful schoolwide change.
Teachers are more confident, collaborative and committed to delivering quality health and physical education, supported by a strong network of enthusiastic kaiako champions.
At the same time, students have greater opportunities to influence and lead the activities happening around them.
By valuing student voice and tailoring professional learning to staff needs, the school has built a culture that prioritises health and physical activity, creating an environment where both students and kaiako are supported to succeed.
“You don’t have to be an experienced teacher to be champion. You just have to be keen to learn and do the work.”
First published in the Education Gazette | Tukutuku Kōrero 21 July 2026
