FACT SHEET#6
#31#1111DATE
150 minutes of weekly physical
activity
Sport and Physical Activity Policy – Revised 2015
History in NSW
1998
The NSW Student Fitness and Physical
Activity Action Plan (Memo 98/263) was
developed in response to the
recommendations of the 1997 Student
Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey
(SPANS). A key component was to
increase levels of physical activity in
schools by encouraging schools to set
aside a minimum of 120 minutes per
week for planned physical activity for
students in Kindergarten to Year 6.
NSW Public Schools are
required to provide a minimum
of 150 minutes of planned
physical activity for students in
K-10 each week.
Why is physical activity
important in schools?
Children and young people spend a
significant time of the week at school.
The Melbourne Declaration on
Educational Goals for Young Australians
articulates nationally consistent future
directions and aspirations for Australian
schools. It recognises that schools play a
vital role in promoting the intellectual,
physical, moral, spiritual and aesthetic
development of young Australians and
2006
that schools share this responsibility with
Policy Standards for Curriculum Planning the whole school community.
and Programming, Assessing and
Recent research indicates that students
Reporting to Parents K-12 mandated
are spending on average 70 percent of
NSW Public Schools provide 120
their school time sitting down. Sitting
minutes per week for planned physical
time increases to 80 percent when
activity from Kindergarten to Year 10.
factoring in only classroom time. Schools
are able to offer diverse opportunities to
2015
combat such sedentary behaviours and
Sport and Physical Activity Policy was
contribute to the development of the
revised and increased weekly planned
whole child.
physical activity time from 120
minutes to 150 minutes.
Responsibilities of
Principals
These changes are evidence-based and
reflect Australian Government and World
Health Organisation recommendations
Principals are responsible for ensuring
for physical activity.
that the school meets the mandatory
PUBLIC SCHOOLS NSW – LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP DIRECTORATE
weekly requirements for student
participation in sport and physical
activity.
The Department will monitor the
implementation of the Sport and
Physical Activity Policy.
Schools will need to be able to show
how they provide students with 150
minutes per week of planned physical
activity. This may include a weekly
timetable for each stage detailing
planned physical activity or a whole
school scope and sequence for planned
physical activity showing time allocation.
Further Information
Leader School Sport Unit
T 02 97076900
E schoolsportunit@det.nsw.edu.au
http://www.sports.det.nsw.edu.au/
© April 2015
NSW Department of Education and Communities
WWW.SCHOOLS.NSW.EDU.AU