Student Voice 2025

How young people experience being physically active at school and kura

Student Voice 2025 combines findings from our voice of tamariki and voice of rangatahi surveys. It shows how young people experience physical activity at school and kura, and how those experiences change as they get older.

This is the first time we have shared findings from both age groups together in the same report. While the voice of rangatahi survey has been running for several years, 2025 was the first time we ran the voice of tamariki survey.

Who took part

Voice of tamariki (aged 8 to 13)

38,321 primary school students from 459 schools and kura across 16 Regional Sports Trust regions.

Voice of rangatahi (aged 12 to 18)

19,822 secondary school students from 125 schools and kura across 15 Regional Sports Trust regions.

What we heard

Taking part in physical activity at school

Physical activity at school drops as students get older.

The drop starts in Years 7 to 8, and it drops further from Year 11 when PE becomes optional.
Tamariki are most active through play, while rangatahi are most active through PE.
Boys are more active than girls. Students at low Equity Index (EQI)* schools report higher activity.

"I like playing games with my friends because the game is based off something we're all into, like where 2 of us are dragons and one's a human and the dragons are trying to catch it." – Year 6 student.

"It was fun getting to do dance with people at school. We get to connect with the people from younger year groups. We have been working towards lots of competitions, and that has really brought us all a lot closer." – Year 12 student.

Enjoyment and satisfaction

Most young people enjoy being active when it feels fun, social and supportive.

Tamariki enjoy unstructured play most.
Rangatahi are most satisfied with competitive sport.
Girls, disabled young people and students at high EQI schools report lower enjoyment and satisfaction with physical activity.

89% of rangatahi are satisfied with their physical activity at school and kura, with a third (34%) extremely/very satisfied.

Barriers and challenges

Barriers change as students get older.

Tamariki mostly talk about social barriers at school. These include poor behaviour, being left out and feeling watched.
Rangatahi experience more personal barriers. These include not having enough time, feeling tired, low motivation and low confidence. Being "too busy" is the most common challenge.
These barriers are highest for girls, disabled young people and students at high EQI schools.

Cheating or unkind behaviour was a common issue for tamariki, with 65% saying this is something they don't like about being active at school and kura.

Attitudes toward physical activity

Most young people want to be more active and know it is good for them.

Confidence and a sense of belonging drop with age, especially from intermediate school onwards.
The feeling of being included in PE also drops as students progress through secondary school.
These gaps are wider for girls, disabled young people, Asian young people and students at higher EQI schools.