Student voice reshapes what being active looks like

Ākonga at Māngere College are reshaping what being active looks like – creating more ways to take part, have a say and feel they belong. 

For head student Safa, it’s changed how she sees herself when it comes to being active. 

“This may sound drastic, but as a more academically oriented person, MC Active didn’t just change how active I am, it changed how confident I feel, how social I’ve become, and how balanced my lifestyle is. It helped me realise I’m not as ‘non-active’ as I used to think.”

MC Active is the school’s physical activity and wellbeing council, developed with support from Active As, a Sport NZ-funded programme in 50 secondary schools and wharekura across Aotearoa.  

The group meets weekly to understand how their peers want to be active and what gets in the way. They then design and lead activities at break times based on what they’ve heard. 

Active As activator Caitlin, who works in the school to support students to bring Active As to life, initially recruited sports team captains for the council, but this approach soon changed.  

“Understandably they grew frustrated. What came second nature for them wasn’t easy for others to pick up.” 

Caitlin then began speaking with ākonga who spent their lunchtimes away from spaces like the gym, field and courts. 

“When students said, ‘but Miss, I’m not sporty’ I replied with, ‘you don’t have to play sport to have a say on physical activity at school’.” 

Now, the group is made up of ākonga who don’t think of themselves as sporty, bringing different perspectives on what being active can look like. This shift has led to new ways for ākonga to take part and shape their experiences, building leadership and a stronger sense of belonging.

Building confidence, connection and participation 

For fellow head student Nina, being part of MC Active gave her confidence to lead. 

“MC Active has boosted my confidence in serving our students and has put me in situations that have enabled me to be more confident in a leader role.” 

Another student, Mau, says it’s changed how she feels about being active. 

"I have for sure noticed a lot of growth not just physically but mentally too. I feel more confident, motivated and just better about myself overall. It’s good looking back and seeing how far I’ve come.” 

For Freya, MC Active has been a space to step outside her comfort zone and find her voice. 

“I’ve developed in many ways through MC Active, such as increasing my levels of confidence, improving my communication skills, and learning to overcome stage fright, as well as giving me the opportunity to place my opinions.”  

These changes are starting to show in the data. Across Active As schools there has been a: 

• 6.6% increase in sense of belonging at school 
• 6.6% greater interest in learning at school 
• 4.7% increase in confidence to participate 
• 2.4% increase in ākonga who are physically active for at least 60 minutes a day. 

Māngere College’s Voice of Rangatahi survey results also show that participation in physical activity at break and lunchtime has increased from 46% to 57%. The number of ākonga who feel they belong has risen from 51% to 59%. 

These changes show what’s possible when ākonga help shape their experiences at school, creating more opportunities for everyone to feel confident and be active in their own way.