South Island schools win innovation in sport awards

Innovative approaches by two South Island secondary schools to connecting the school to both their sporting community and their local primary schools, have been recognised with New Zealand Secondary Schools Sports Council (NZSSSC) Innovation in School Sport Awards.

Hornby High School in Christchurch was recognised by NZSSSC for an innovation that has improved participant numbers on high school entry, developed a relationship with contributing schools and increased the skill level of students entering high school.

The initiative has seen Hornby High School implement a weekly tournament for contributing primary schools with Gilberthorpe, St Bernadette's, Hornby, South Hornby, and Weedons primary schools all entering teams. Sports are played every Friday afternoon during the winter season with hockey, netball, rugby and football teams all converging on Hornby High School to compete against each other.

In its inaugural year, 33 teams entered across all sports. Students receive a skills session and games are then umpired by the Hornby High School PE students. This is part of their school curriculum and is overseen by the associated sporting bodies and Sport Canterbury. The primary schools have increased their participation rates in weekly school sport dramatically. Instead of schools sending one team or no team in each sport into the Christchurch competition, every year 5/6 student in these primary schools is participating weekly in winter sport. The initiative has removed the barriers of cost, transport and providing enough coaches.

NZSSSC also recognised Kaikorai Valley College in Dunedin for an initiative to increase the sport participation rate of students, engage contributing primary schools and develop community links.

Running over four consecutive years at the College, a sponsored fun run/walk along Kaikorai Valley Road in which the whole school participates including staff has raised $60,000 each time it has been held. The second part of the day involves the students experiencing different sports and activities with 25 Regional Sporting Organisations providing the opportunities in sports ranging from Zumba to Ice Hockey.

The initiative now includes an additional day for contributing primary schools with the same sports offered and many of the senior students at the college assisting with the coaching on the day. 94% of the primary school students would like to repeat the experience again next year and 84% indicated that they were encouraged to take up a new sport.

One of the successes to come from the project is the development of a number of sports clubs. The sports of judo, table tennis and badminton are now being run directly from the school facilities on a regular basis. On Tuesday afternoon year 7 and 8 students from contributing schools visit the college for table tennis and badminton coaching. The success of the programme has resulted in a year 7 and 8 table tennis competition (open to all primary schools) on Thursdays afternoons.

NZSSSC sees this as a perfect example of community engagement and utilisation of facilities at the same time as providing increased opportunity for participation.

For more information go to www.nzsssc.org.nz/

14th March 2013 - SPORT PARTICIPATION GROWS IN NEW ZEALAND SCHOOLS