The vital connection between educational leadership and physical activity takes center stage in this compelling conversation with the NSW Department of Education's School Sports Unit. As school leaders navigate competing priorities, understanding the wealth of support available through structured sporting pathways becomes essential for student wellbeing and academic success.
Andrew Hooper, who bridges the Primary Principals Association and Primary School Sports Association, reveals how these organisations collaborate to deliver Australia's longest-running gifted and talented program. With over 125 years of history, the PSSA offers critical support for principals implementing effective sport programs, from legal guidance to skills development and event management. The conversation highlights how engagement with local PSSA representatives and subscription to the Sports Unit newsletter can transform a school's approach to physical activity.
Peter Banks then unpacks the six arms of the School Sports Unit: representative pathways, disability inclusion, teaching resources, swimming programs, Premier's Sporting Challenge, and policy guidelines. The spotlight falls on the School Physical Activity Health Check—a powerful tool already used by 350+ schools to baseline their programs against research-backed standards and develop improvement plans aligned with school excellence frameworks.
The discussion clarifies common misconceptions, particularly the important distinction between representative pathways and local participation opportunities. Banks emphasises that principals are ultimately responsible for local sporting arrangements and should actively engage in governance structures to ensure alignment with school values and priorities.
Looking ahead to 2025, the Unit's commitment to live streaming 32 state sporting events demonstrates their dedication to equity, particularly for rural and remote communities who can now celebrate student achievements regardless of location.
Ready to enhance your school's approach to physical activity? Subscribe to the School Sports Unit newsletter, explore the professional learning options in the Teacher Resource Hub, and consider how strategic engagement with structured sporting pathways can build both student wellbeing and staff leadership capacity.
Link to NSW School Sports Unit:
https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/school-sport
Links and References:
To view our Professional Learning Offerings, visit:
https://www.nswppa.org.au/professional-learning
To view our latest offerings, visit: https://www.nswppa.org.au/catalogue
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Drew (00:00):
Welcome back to Professional Learning's the New
South Wales PPA EducationalLeadership Podcast.
It's great to have your company.
This podcast aligns to thevalues of the New South Wales
Primary Principals Association,that is, the values of principal
wellbeing, principals as leadlearners, as well as supporting
principals to lead schooloperations.
(00:23):
If you enjoy this podcast,don't forget to subscribe for
further updates.
Now let's get into today'slatest episode.
Welcome to our special four-partseries with the New South Wales
Department of Education SportsUnit.
We've created this as a specialyes, four-part series as there
(00:44):
is so much content andinformation to share.
We look forward to sharing thisfour-part series, which is
approximately 30 to 35 minutesdepending on the episode.
And if you're listening andthinking, how does the school
sport unit align withprofessional learning?
Well, it's a great question.
The short answer is there is alot.
(01:05):
There is so much evidence-basedresearch science around the
brain, alignment with yourschool excellence framework,
well-being, benefits of sportand retention, supporting
student with disabilities, aswell as practical and sound
advice based around currentpolicies, just to name a few.
So, with all that, we lookforward to sharing this
(01:27):
four-part series, as I said, ofapproximately 30 to 35-minute
podcast episodes.
References to all of thematerial shared will be in our
podcast notes to explore furtherIn part one.
Our guests are Andrew Hooper andPeter Banks.
Let's start now.
Our first guest is AndrewHooper, here with us today.
(01:48):
Andrew Hooper is our PWSArepresentative for the Primary
Principals Association.
Welcome, andrew.
Thanks, drew.
Andrew.
Let's start with what is yourrole in two parts in the PWSA as
well as the PPA.
Andrew (02:03):
Yeah, I have a very exciting role.
So I'm part of the PrimaryAssociation (PPA) as the rep,
which is Primary School SportsAssociation, so I float between
the two organisations as theprincipal rep and I communicate
information that is vital forthe running of schools and
information for principalsbetween the two associations.
(02:24):
I have a huge passion for sportand I really want to make sure
that that stays forefront withineducation and with principals
when they're organising thingswithin their school.
Drew (02:35):
Yeah, very pivotal, very important role and tell us what
sort of support can the PWSAoffer and the PPA offer to
support primary principals orthe PPA members?
Andrew (02:48):
The New South Wales Sports Unit has got a lot of
people involved in a lot ofthings that can really support
principals in managing differentthings within the legality side
of things, within runningprograms, support with
skills-based how to help withrunning major carnivals, to just
developing themselves as acoach or a manager.
(03:09):
They oversee the whole lot ofour sport within our New South
Wales branch and they're thereto support and help principals,
as well as teachers and ourschools, and their main passion
is making sure that kids getthat opportunity to participate
and follow the pathway programs.
Drew (03:28):
Yeah, such important to ensure, particularly the why
goes back to supporting studentsin our schools.
But it's just the navigation,andrew, of getting through all
of that in terms of where to goto.
Where would you recommend?
Do they go to their localrepresentative through the PPA?
Do they go through theirrepresentation through the PWSA?
(03:50):
Can you give us some sort ofnavigation, which way, which is
the best pathway for principalswho want to implement sport?
They want to implement itcorrectly?
Give us the roadmap or the bestway forward that they can
access these resources.
Andrew (04:06):
So every local Association has their own PSSA
group which is run by theteachers within their area.
We really need principals toget involved and support those
locals.
But also within the PPA we havea PSSA which is a sporting
representative in every PPCgroup and they will give a
report at each of their termmeetings and they'll bring
(04:29):
issues back to the PSSA orthrough to me that I can take
back through either the PPA orso.
We've got a chain there andthere's a system that people can
follow and there's lots ofsupport out there.
So we're really trying to getthat information out to people
to show them what's at thesports unit.
We want people to make surethat they subscribe to the
(04:50):
newsletter because that comesout once a term and it's got a
wealth of information andknowledge within that.
Drew (04:56):
Yeah, there sure is lots of resources and information.
That's very valuable In termsof the opportunities and
contributions.
What are the opportunities thatthe PSSA can offer to provide
value to schools and schoolleaders?
Andrew (05:10):
Okay, we run a lot of programs for beginning teachers
to upskill them so that they canhelp run carnivals at a
regional, state and school level.
So we give that opportunitiesas a trial program and we
support those young beginningteachers in that area so that
that skills within those schoolsfor a long time.
(05:30):
We also, you know, offercoaching clinics, we offer
pathway programs for studentsand we just give a lot of
opportunities as much as we can.
So we're adding sports in allthe time you know and really
making giving kids thoseopportunities.
Drew (05:44):
Yeah, I mean leading those events are leadership skills in
themselves, aren't they?
You're often imagining thatprospect of running an athletics
carnival, running a swimmingcarnival.
It's a whole skill set initself.
To bring a team, bring a school, You're not only leading your
teachers and your staff, butyou're also bringing that
community involvement, which itleads to a really good outcome
(06:08):
if done successfully.
Andrew (06:09):
It certainly does If you've got a teacher that can
run a successful swimmingathletics cross-country carnival
.
They build their skill setbecause they're working with
students, other teachers andparents and the wider community
and building those skills inthat way are essential to
building a teacher's repertoireand skill set.
Drew (06:29):
Yeah, absolutely.
Now let's go to the PSSA spacein terms of pathway.
Pssa has been around for solong now.
It's been an integral part ofNew South Wales public schools.
Can you give us a sort of anoverview or a pathway for
principals who want to supporttheir students in their school,
(06:52):
and what are the best pathwaysthat you've seen in your role?
Andrew (06:56):
Probably the biggest thing is that principals need to
be at the forefront in theirschools and making sure that
they give kids opportunities toattend trials, whether it's at a
district level or whether it'sat a regional level, and support
those kids going along in thatprogram and also supporting
their staff if they want to getinvolved in managing or coaching
teams as well.
(07:17):
So it's a matter of thempublicly and, I suppose, within
their school, promoting positiveinvolvement within sport,
because it's probably one of thebest HPGE programs that we have
within our system and givingthose kids that opportunity.
You know it's vital for thosestudents and for all students to
keep a healthy, active mind aswell.
It's a part of, you know,wellbeing as well, a lot of
(07:39):
giving those kids opportunitieswith sport and within our
pathway programs.
Drew (07:46):
Yeah, certainly is, and I'm glad you mentioned the high
gifted and talented program,because that is exactly what it
is.
It's been one of the longesthigh, high gifted, talented
program running in in publicschools.
Do you know, without puttingyou on the spot, how long this
program has been going for?
Andrew (08:01):
Oh, we've been going for over a hundred and you know 25
years, so it's been around andit will be around for a long
while.
It's one of the oldest programsgoing around in our education
system and it's vital to one ofthe cogs in our whole system.
Drew (08:16):
Yeah, absolutely Looking forward to further promotion.
What are the things that ourleaders need to be aware of in
terms of PSSA?
Andrew (08:26):
Our leaders just need to make sure that they're
supporting teachers within theirschools, supporting students to
go away and try differentsports.
That's what it's about inprimary school is trying as many
sports as you can and gettinginvolved and just having fun and
building the skill set withinour students, but also our
staffs, and just giving thoseopportunities.
So principals need to make surethat they promote and nurture
(08:50):
the teachers and the students tohave a go at those different
sports.
Drew (08:54):
Yeah, that's exactly what it is.
It's all about having a go partof being participation.
It's so important part of beingin primary school to have just
access to sport because outsideof school there's a lot of
barriers.
Andrew (09:09):
There is.
There is a lot of barriers andwe run sporting programs better
than anyone else.
We have that control, we havethat overarching, I suppose,
structure and routines that weset up within our schools every
day so we make sure that sportsare run fairly and equitable and
we give every child anopportunity when we're running
events.
Yeah, fantastic.
Drew (09:31):
Any other final thoughts or insights or tips and advice
for principals listening in.
Andrew (09:38):
My biggest thing is, you know, I would download the
school sports unit newsletter.
It comes out once a term andthere's a wealth of information
that'll support schools withintheir system.
So that's probably my biggestadvice and just make sure that
they keep supporting school andsport within their school and if
they have any issues, to pleasecontact either myself or Brett
Thurgate.
We're the primary principalrepresentatives and we can help
(10:00):
sort out any issues that youneed to sort out.
Drew (10:04):
Fantastic.
Andrew Hooper, everyone ourPrimary Principals Association,
pwsa sport rep giving some verysound advice, so I encourage you
to reach out to him, Andrew.
Thanks for your time today.
Andrew (10:17):
Thanks, drew, absolute pleasure.
Drew (10:20):
Okay, our next guest is Peter Banks, who is a leader of
the school sports unit at theNew South Wales Department of
Education.
Peter is responsible forleading the department's school
sport programs and initiatives,so I'm looking forward to really
unpacking the work that heleads through the New South
Wales Department of Education.
Okay, well, welcome, peterBanks.
(10:41):
Great for you to join us today.
Thanks very much, drew.
Let's discuss.
Great for you to join us today.
Thanks very much, drew.
Let's discuss firstly, yourrole in the sports unit.
Could you give us a backgroundto, or our listeners a
background to, what your role isand how it can support
principals?
Peter (10:57):
Yeah, absolutely.
I'm the leader of the schoolsport unit and my role is really
to oversee the six arms of theunit and assist the staff that
run those arms to provide thebest support that they possibly
can for principals and staffaround the state.
Those six arms if we go throughthem, we've got the
representative school sport arm,which sees children be able to
(11:19):
move from school through zones,through their association and
onto state representation intheir chosen representative
sport.
That that's a unique programreally from around the world
because it allows students,through a funnelling system, to
be their best, commensurate withtheir ability.
So wherever their ability topsout, that allows the students to
(11:40):
fulfil their dreams in theirchosen sports.
Our disability and inclusionspace is the second one of our
arms.
We're really proud of the workthat's being done in that area.
We've got two dedicateddisability and inclusion
officers and I'm sure that bothPeter and Anthony, who I know
will be coming on later, willtalk to you around that.
But it's a real growth area ofours and something that we feel
(12:03):
passionately about and there'sno doubt that it's one of the
joys that I've seen in my rolein the last five years.
The growth of that space yeah,terrific teacher resource hub.
Third of third of the arms,where we provide support for
principals and staff aroundphysical activity and ways that
they can meet the mandate of 150minutes of physical activity
(12:24):
per week in their schools, whichis, of course, really important
.
There's some great resourcesthere which have been developed
over the last five years.
Swimming and Water SafetyProgram Many of our colleagues
in schools are involved in thatprogram and certainly we would
encourage, wherever possible,because it is a life skill, that
colleagues really consider thatto be something that they'll
(12:45):
put on their school calendarregardless of where they're at.
And there's been some resourcesdeveloped that sit on our
website too, to support thoseschools that potentially may not
be able to get to the water ona regular basis.
Premier Sporting Challenge mostof our colleagues are aware of
that program and it's been inoperation for 14 years.
Great numbers involved and weknow that the slogan of more
(13:06):
active more often resonates withschools and resonates with
teachers and, of course,therefore principals as well.
And then the last of our armsis our policy and guidelines,
which I've left that to lastbecause I think from a
principal's viewpoint it's theone that they need to be aware
of and there has been somesignificant updates in that
space, which probably will beaddressed by Lissette King, our
(13:28):
policy advisor officer, a littlebit later.
But I think it's fair to sayeven in my time as a principal I
wasn't fully aware of thesupport that is offered through
the school support unit, andparticularly in that space.
So really vital that ourprincipal colleagues are well
versed in what's available there.
Drew (13:45):
Yeah, so important.
And those six arms, just whatyou've unpacked, all of those
crucial part of the sports unitSitting as a principal.
They're thinking these arefantastic programs, but how
Peter do as a principal they'rethinking these are fantastic
programs, but how Peter do as aprincipal, how do they
successfully implement thosearms?
What advice would you give toprincipals?
Peter (14:06):
I think the key messaging here, drew, is to have two or
three staff members within aschool that you have dedicated
to, potentially, maybe, each oneof those arms.
Where say you're aware of theprograms?
I think the first, the firstissue is, you know, some
colleagues aren't fully aware ofthe programs and the support
that we can potentially offer,but certainly it's every
(14:29):
principal's obligation tosupport all facets of education
and sport and physical activityis vital and we know also that
the links between physicalactivity and well-being are
irrefutable and our programs,you know, play into that, you
know, certainly strongly yeah, alot of research and evidence
clearly backs that up in termsof educational outcomes for
(14:51):
students.
Drew (14:52):
Yeah, it's a real navigation, so it's a it's a
communication piece in terms ofmaking sure to try and point
where would principals go.
Do they go to the sports unitwebsite as a first point of
contact?
Peter (15:06):
That's a great question.
I think one of the reallyeasiest things to do is to
include the school sport uniticon as one of your essentials
on your dashboard.
Principals have a lot of otheressential items there as well
and that's just an additionalone.
But it certainly can eliminatesome of the googling into random
space if you can go directly tothe source and also certainly
at the school sport unit.
(15:26):
We pride ourselves on beingreally responsive.
So if you know, we get a phonecall, an email, we follow up as
soon as we possibly can and thestaff that we have here are
really happy to assist principalcolleagues, endpoint them in
the right direction in whateverarea that they're looking to
gain information in.
But that would be the firststep, no doubt, is just having
(15:48):
that on your dashboard, and Ithink also principals have an
obligation, in my opinion, toencourage staff to be involved,
to support staff going out toour programs, because the skills
that they learn in going out toour programs there's no doubt
that they're transferable toother elements of education.
The leadership that they cangain through mixing with other
(16:10):
teachers, dealing with otherstudents and their parents in a
range of settings, assist themwhen they're developing in their
own career and they take thoseskills back to their own school
and they become better educatorsback in their own school.
So it's a win-win situation.
Drew (16:27):
Yeah, they sure do.
Those skill sets do definitelytransfer and you can apply those
to the many leadershipframeworks.
Peter, I was going to go intothe professional learning space
because that's a key componentthrough the association but
through the sports unit.
Can you guide us in terms ofany professional learning
through those six arms,potentially that you could
(16:49):
navigate principals or those whoare willing and able?
Principals have navigatedtowards that website where to go
for professional learningopportunities.
Peter (16:59):
There's a couple of our courses which I'll point out to
principal colleagues.
Initially, and a hot topic atthe moment right around the
world is concussion and ourschool sport unit worked with a
children's hospital to developsome professional learning in
that concussion space and I'dlike to think that we're not
just department leaders butindustry leaders in the
provision of professionallearning for our staff around
(17:19):
there.
We also know that mostconcussions don't occur on the
sporting field.
They occur in the schoolyardkids running into poles of
various nature, running intoeach other.
So some knowledge around what todo and how to identify a
concussion and what to do aftera suspected concussion is really
vital and there's a reallyinformative professional
(17:41):
learning opportunity there forprincipals and their staff and
it's really, I think, valuablefor all members of a school,
whether they be through to youroffice staff, to your teaching
staff, and I think it's avaluable one that principal
colleagues should considerhaving their staff complete.
It's an online course, can bedone in two hours and certainly,
(18:02):
from my perspective, anyteacher that's taking a team
away or going to school camp.
I think that would be reallyvaluable for them to do and then
, in the school setting itself,all I think your office staff
should be well versed in thesigns as well, and there's some
great follow-up sheets that havebeen developed as well, so I'll
(18:23):
point in that direction.
Also, the School PhysicalActivity Health Check yeah, tell
us further about that.
So it fits into the HPGEframework nicely and really it's
about capturing baseline datafor your school, getting an
on-balance judgment about whereyour school sits in the
(18:43):
provision of sport and physicalactivity across the school.
So it operates a little bit ina similar vein to the school
excellence framework wherethere's delivering, sustaining
and growing and excelling,there's markers that as a staff,
as a stage, as a communitygroup, as a student voice that
(19:03):
can have input, and then youmake an on-balance judgment
about where your school sits andthat helps then with the
provision of where your schoolreally sits in the delivery of
physical activity and then whatimprovements you could make to
see that change over the courseof your school excellence cycle.
Drew (19:21):
Fantastic, that sounds like a really valuable resource
that school leaders notnecessarily are aware of and
could could unpack.
Has it been?
Has it been?
I'm hearing it saying thatwould be a fantastic resource.
Has it been accessed?
Peter (19:35):
Yeah, we've had over 350 schools access it to date and
using it.
Whenever we go and deliverprofessional learning around the
school physical activity healthcheck certainly it gets very
well received.
It's backed in research.
Drew (19:49):
Yeah.
Peter (19:50):
And I think the fact that we give markers of where to
next has been really wellreceived by principal colleagues
and staff around the state too.
And the notion of an on-balancejudgment is a good one because
often the teacher in a schoolthat loves PE, who loves sport,
they have one view of theopportunities and maybe a
(20:13):
community member may have avaried view.
Drew (20:15):
So this requires those collaboration over staff
meetings with senior executive,led by the principal, to get
that true on-balance judgmentaround collecting genuine
baseline data and ultimately agood, fantastic outcome for the
school, the school students andthe community to see where your,
where your school, is at withan evidence-based research
(20:37):
framework.
So that sounds really excitingfor colleagues who or are
interested in that, or shouldsay further resources in the
sports unit resource hub yeah,there's uh, so many drew that we
haven't got really time to gothrough.
Peter (20:51):
I mentioned all of them, but certainly there's been in
the policy space, I guess withsome changes in permissions and
not necessarily looking at thosemandatory.
They're not mandatory changes topolicy, but what they are is a
streamlining of what's importantin putting notes together for
kids.
I think is really important.
(21:12):
So there's some really greatflowcharts have been developed
to assist, you know, principalsand their delegates to
understand, depending on theevent that the kids are going to
, what sporting event, whatinclusions they have to have in
their permission notes to go out.
So just some more directflowcharts around that have been
really helpful as well.
We've just held eight drop-insessions and there's been over
(21:35):
1,300 principals and delegatesdrop into those.
So I think we can't deny theimportance of that work and what
that speaks to me is that weknow principals and their
delegates and all staff membersare so keen to do their best and
to look after the welfare ofkids, which I applaud, and it's
about for us getting theinformation out there and
(21:55):
hopefully this podcast is justanother way that we can do that.
Drew (21:58):
Yeah, absolutely, and in terms of those numbers, 350 is
still a good number.
But in terms of the broadersense there are 1800 members
through our association as well.
So definitely room to grow inthat area.
Peter, in terms of otheropportunities through the sports
unit you've mentioned, throughthose key six frameworks as well
(22:21):
, are there any other, any otherinformation that our our school
leaders or principals, any tipsand advice to be aware of that
you could give our listeners?
Peter (22:30):
well, there's a's a couple of things, drew, that I
could touch on, and I guess thefirst is and I have mentioned it
briefly is the support thatprincipals can give staff
members in their school.
We can't run the majority ofour programs without the
volunteer teacher support thatcomes out of schools, and
certainly we understand that atthe moment finding casuals is
(22:51):
difficult.
Budget cuts are affectingeveryone, but the opportunities
that are provided kids when theycome out to our programs and we
know how important it is forstaff and staff well-being too,
when they actually canparticipate in our programs I
think speaks volumes about theimportance of them.
So if I could make a compassionplea to principal colleagues to
(23:13):
really get behind and back intheir staff members that wish to
be involved in whether it berepresentative school support,
whether it be taking kids todisability inclusion programs,
running the premier sportingchallenge at their school, or
swimming and water safety, Ithink that would be a great
place to start.
One thing that I can mentionthat I think is sometimes
(23:35):
confused is the notion of what'sbecome part of the vernacular
of PWSA.
I have to be clear thatinter-school sport that happens
between one school and anotherschool on a Friday afternoon is
not part of the representativeschool sport pathway.
It doesn't allow for theprogression of students to go
from their school to their zoneassociation etc.
(23:57):
It's allowing a participationopportunity for children from
school A to play against schoolB.
And the reason I raise that isbecause we often get questions
from principals how can myteachers select their team?
We've had a disagreement aboutwho should be selected, all
these sorts of questions, butreally that's a principal's
discretion about who is selectedand even the sports that they
(24:21):
run.
Because at those local zonelevels the principals, our
principal colleagues, are incharge of the zones.
So if there's 14 schools withintheir local zone, the decision
makers within that zone are theschool principals.
When those zones have meetingsand delegates are there, check
(24:53):
with the principal and ask theprincipal how either he or she
wishes to vote on that issue,because the school principals
are the decision makers and theycarry the can for one of them
to stay in those zone situations.
And I think we just need to beaware that our influence at the
(25:13):
school sport unit really startsat the association level and
from a representative pathway,it's the pathway programs that
we are involved in.
Yeah, now there is other formsof representation, like you
could argue that knockouts, forexample, are representation
slightly different and I'm happyto provide some advice around
that later.
But I guess the key for me isunderstanding that critical
(25:36):
difference between pathway andparticipation.
Drew (25:39):
It's an important point you've raised, Peter, because
that I'm sure you get lots ofinformation or emails or phone
calls about that very notion andwhat is say, pathways, as
opposed to your Friday afternoonsport or whenever that time
that is agreed to.
I guess what I'm hearing isprincipals need to really step
(26:00):
in to understand what ishappening in that space at the
local level and be aware of whatis being voted on, because it
ultimately has a knock-on effectand impact in their school
context.
Peter (26:13):
Absolutely.
We've seen situations whereprincipals have almost been
blindsided about a decisionthat's been made at their local
level.
Yet had that vote come back tothe school for the principal's
input, a decision may have beencompletely different.
So I would like principals toyou know they have to be armed
with that information that theyare the decision-makers in that
space.
To your first point, drew, it'squite funny.
(26:33):
Every Friday afternoon at aboutfour o'clock the phone will ring
at the school sport unit with aparent wanting to dispute a
netball game's calls between orit could be rugby league or
whatever the game is betweenschool A and school B.
That could have occurred 500kilometres away from where we
are.
We have no knowledge of thatand that's the sort of example
(27:01):
that we can point out toprincipals around that sort of
local competition, localparticipation and an
understanding of what that is.
I also think that it's greatfor principals to either, if
they can't be on their localzone executive because of time
constraints, there should be aprincipal delegate from that
group of schools as the highestranking departmental official to
sign off on such things as riskassessments and provide advice
(27:23):
and counsel about issues andsituations that may be difficult
for, dare I say lessexperienced staff members.
Yeah, yeah for dare.
Drew (27:31):
I say less experienced staff members.
Yeah, yeah, and absolutelybecause of all those variables,
peter.
That is why principalrepresentation needs to be part
of those local decision-makingprocesses.
Yeah, absolutely, really goodpoints.
Peter (27:45):
We've got some gold standard sort of suggestions
around that.
So for any principal colleaguesthat would like to get in touch
with me, we can sort of eithercome to a local zone meeting or
meet with groups of principalsaround that very matter.
Drew (28:00):
Fantastic, Fantastic to hear In terms of other looking
forward, in terms of it's been ahuge year this year.
What are some highlights thatprincipals should be aware of
for 2025?
Peter (28:12):
Something that I haven't mentioned, which I think has
been a highlight, which willcontinue again next year, is our
live streaming.
We live streamed over 32 eventsthis year and we know
anecdotally, but also we've hadwritten support around just how
well that's received byprincipals and their school
communities.
And certainly if you've got achild at your school that's off
(28:33):
at a state event, we know thatoften principals will put on the
vision of that childparticipating in whatever event,
even in their school hall or inclassrooms, to allow other
students at the school to fullyhave the experience about what
they're doing.
And it's aspirational as wellFor other kids back at the
school, who may be younger, tostrive for where that particular
(29:01):
child is at that current moment.
So I guess you know there'ssomething that to look forward
to and you know I'd encourageprincipals if they've got, you
know, a student or studentsoffered either a team or
individual event, to actuallytap into that facility.
It's free, it's not free total,but we understand the value of
it and are committed to that,certainly at least for another
12 months.
Drew (29:18):
Yeah, that's a terrific resource and I can imagine
communities coming together andI'm sure you would have received
a lot of positive feedbackthrough principal school
communities as well.
So fantastic initiative.
Did you say 32, peter 32?
Peter (29:31):
events this year and be the same next year in various
places around the state.
We often get contact from aparent that says that only one
of the parents could attend thestate championship and it was
great that dad could be on thetractor harvesting and watching
either his son or daughter in anactivity, and I think sometimes
(29:52):
we might not fully understandhow important that is to
families as well.
So that's been something thatwe're really proud of and I
think is really been beneficialfor our rural and remote
colleagues and also obviouslyremote students and families to
be able to access vision oftheir child's event just through
(30:14):
whatever device they have itthere yeah, terrific, fantastic
initiative and great to knowthat that will continue into
2025.
Drew (30:24):
peter, it's been a pleasure unpacking.
We could go further into thisand I'm sure we could come back
to further initiatives as well,but those six main initiatives
that you've outlined are givingadvice to us to access it
through the sports unit and tonavigate and support Any final
tips for our principalslistening in, no, just to really
(30:47):
appreciate the work thatprincipal colleagues do, fully
understand the complexity of therole, fully understand how a
principal is stretched in manydifferent directions and
understand that this is one ofthose directions that we're
asking for a little bit ofstretch.
Peter (31:02):
But I think the benefit of being involved and the
benefit that you'll see for allyour kids and, of course, staff,
will far outweigh what goesinto it.
But just want to say thank you,drew, for, you know, allowing
us to promote our programs inthis in this way.
Drew (31:20):
We thank you very much oh absolute pleasure for us as well
, just to highlight theopportunities that sport brings
to students, but also the, thenavigation that principals, as
you said, being pulled indifferent directions with
different measures, as you wouldbe aware of as a principal.
So it's important to bring itto light and show the importance
(31:41):
and particularly can reallyshine through the importance of
the high, gifted and talentedpolicy that sport units.
The sport unit does run.
So thank you for your time.
Thanks very much, drew.
Well, that concludes part onewith our guests Andrew Hooper
(32:09):
and Peter Banks.
In part two of this podcastseries with the sports unit, we
will hear from Anthony Moyes andMichael Kirwan and the impact
of their work in New South Walespublic schools.
Welcome back to Professional Learning's the New
South Wales PPA EducationalLeadership Podcast.
It's great to have your company.
This podcast aligns to thevalues of the New South Wales
Primary Principals Association,that is, the values of principal
wellbeing, principals as leadlearners, as well as supporting
principals to lead schooloperations.
(00:23):
If you enjoy this podcast,don't forget to subscribe for
further updates.
Now let's get into today'slatest episode.
Welcome to our special four-partseries with the New South Wales
Department of Education SportsUnit.
We've created this as a specialyes, four-part series as there
(00:44):
is so much content andinformation to share.
We look forward to sharing thisfour-part series, which is
approximately 30 to 35 minutesdepending on the episode.
And if you're listening andthinking, how does the school
sport unit align withprofessional learning?
Well, it's a great question.
The short answer is there is alot.
(01:05):
There is so much evidence-basedresearch science around the
brain, alignment with yourschool excellence framework,
well-being, benefits of sportand retention, supporting
student with disabilities, aswell as practical and sound
advice based around currentpolicies, just to name a few.
So, with all that, we lookforward to sharing this
(01:27):
four-part series, as I said, ofapproximately 30 to 35-minute
podcast episodes.
References to all of thematerial shared will be in our
podcast notes to explore furtherIn part one.
Our guests are Andrew Hooper andPeter Banks.
Let's start now.
Our first guest is AndrewHooper, here with us today.
(01:48):
Andrew Hooper is our PWSArepresentative for the Primary
Principals Association.
Welcome, andrew.
Thanks, drew.
Andrew.
Let's start with what is yourrole in two parts in the PWSA as
well as the PPA.
Andrew (02:03):
Yeah, I have a very exciting role.
So I'm part of the PrimaryAssociation (PPA) as the rep,
which is Primary School SportsAssociation, so I float between
the two organisations as theprincipal rep and I communicate
information that is vital forthe running of schools and
information for principalsbetween the two associations.
(02:24):
I have a huge passion for sportand I really want to make sure
that that stays forefront withineducation and with principals
when they're organising thingswithin their school.
Drew (02:35):
Yeah, very pivotal, very important role and tell us what
sort of support can the PWSAoffer and the PPA offer to
support primary principals orthe PPA members?
Andrew (02:48):
The New South Wales Sports Unit has got a lot of
people involved in a lot ofthings that can really support
principals in managing differentthings within the legality side
of things, within runningprograms, support with
skills-based how to help withrunning major carnivals, to just
developing themselves as acoach or a manager.
(03:09):
They oversee the whole lot ofour sport within our New South
Wales branch and they're thereto support and help principals,
as well as teachers and ourschools, and their main passion
is making sure that kids getthat opportunity to participate
and follow the pathway programs.
Drew (03:28):
Yeah, such important to ensure, particularly the why
goes back to supporting studentsin our schools.
But it's just the navigation,andrew, of getting through all
of that in terms of where to goto.
Where would you recommend?
Do they go to their localrepresentative through the PPA?
Do they go through theirrepresentation through the PWSA?
(03:50):
Can you give us some sort ofnavigation, which way, which is
the best pathway for principalswho want to implement sport?
They want to implement itcorrectly?
Give us the roadmap or the bestway forward that they can
access these resources.
Andrew (04:06):
So every local Association has their own PSSA
group which is run by theteachers within their area.
We really need principals toget involved and support those
locals.
But also within the PPA we havea PSSA which is a sporting
representative in every PPCgroup and they will give a
report at each of their termmeetings and they'll bring
(04:29):
issues back to the PSSA orthrough to me that I can take
back through either the PPA orso.
We've got a chain there andthere's a system that people can
follow and there's lots ofsupport out there.
So we're really trying to getthat information out to people
to show them what's at thesports unit.
We want people to make surethat they subscribe to the
(04:50):
newsletter because that comesout once a term and it's got a
wealth of information andknowledge within that.
Drew (04:56):
Yeah, there sure is lots of resources and information.
That's very valuable In termsof the opportunities and
contributions.
What are the opportunities thatthe PSSA can offer to provide
value to schools and schoolleaders?
Andrew (05:10):
Okay, we run a lot of programs for beginning teachers
to upskill them so that they canhelp run carnivals at a
regional, state and school level.
So we give that opportunitiesas a trial program and we
support those young beginningteachers in that area so that
that skills within those schoolsfor a long time.
(05:30):
We also, you know, offercoaching clinics, we offer
pathway programs for studentsand we just give a lot of
opportunities as much as we can.
So we're adding sports in allthe time you know and really
making giving kids thoseopportunities.
Drew (05:44):
Yeah, I mean leading those events are leadership skills in
themselves, aren't they?
You're often imagining thatprospect of running an athletics
carnival, running a swimmingcarnival.
It's a whole skill set initself.
To bring a team, bring a school, You're not only leading your
teachers and your staff, butyou're also bringing that
community involvement, which itleads to a really good outcome
(06:08):
if done successfully.
Andrew (06:09):
It certainly does If you've got a teacher that can
run a successful swimmingathletics cross-country carnival
.
They build their skill setbecause they're working with
students, other teachers andparents and the wider community
and building those skills inthat way are essential to
building a teacher's repertoireand skill set.
Drew (06:29):
Yeah, absolutely.
Now let's go to the PSSA spacein terms of pathway.
Pssa has been around for solong now.
It's been an integral part ofNew South Wales public schools.
Can you give us a sort of anoverview or a pathway for
principals who want to supporttheir students in their school,
(06:52):
and what are the best pathwaysthat you've seen in your role?
Andrew (06:56):
Probably the biggest thing is that principals need to
be at the forefront in theirschools and making sure that
they give kids opportunities toattend trials, whether it's at a
district level or whether it'sat a regional level, and support
those kids going along in thatprogram and also supporting
their staff if they want to getinvolved in managing or coaching
teams as well.
(07:17):
So it's a matter of thempublicly and, I suppose, within
their school, promoting positiveinvolvement within sport,
because it's probably one of thebest HPGE programs that we have
within our system and givingthose kids that opportunity.
You know it's vital for thosestudents and for all students to
keep a healthy, active mind aswell.
It's a part of, you know,wellbeing as well, a lot of
(07:39):
giving those kids opportunitieswith sport and within our
pathway programs.
Drew (07:46):
Yeah, certainly is, and I'm glad you mentioned the high
gifted and talented program,because that is exactly what it
is.
It's been one of the longesthigh, high gifted, talented
program running in in publicschools.
Do you know, without puttingyou on the spot, how long this
program has been going for?
Andrew (08:01):
Oh, we've been going for over a hundred and you know 25
years, so it's been around andit will be around for a long
while.
It's one of the oldest programsgoing around in our education
system and it's vital to one ofthe cogs in our whole system.
Drew (08:16):
Yeah, absolutely Looking forward to further promotion.
What are the things that ourleaders need to be aware of in
terms of PSSA?
Andrew (08:26):
Our leaders just need to make sure that they're
supporting teachers within theirschools, supporting students to
go away and try differentsports.
That's what it's about inprimary school is trying as many
sports as you can and gettinginvolved and just having fun and
building the skill set withinour students, but also our
staffs, and just giving thoseopportunities.
So principals need to make surethat they promote and nurture
(08:50):
the teachers and the students tohave a go at those different
sports.
Drew (08:54):
Yeah, that's exactly what it is.
It's all about having a go partof being participation.
It's so important part of beingin primary school to have just
access to sport because outsideof school there's a lot of
barriers.
Andrew (09:09):
There is.
There is a lot of barriers andwe run sporting programs better
than anyone else.
We have that control, we havethat overarching, I suppose,
structure and routines that weset up within our schools every
day so we make sure that sportsare run fairly and equitable and
we give every child anopportunity when we're running
events.
Yeah, fantastic.
Drew (09:31):
Any other final thoughts or insights or tips and advice
for principals listening in.
Andrew (09:38):
My biggest thing is, you know, I would download the
school sports unit newsletter.
It comes out once a term andthere's a wealth of information
that'll support schools withintheir system.
So that's probably my biggestadvice and just make sure that
they keep supporting school andsport within their school and if
they have any issues, to pleasecontact either myself or Brett
Thurgate.
We're the primary principalrepresentatives and we can help
(10:00):
sort out any issues that youneed to sort out.
Drew (10:04):
Fantastic.
Andrew Hooper, everyone ourPrimary Principals Association,
pwsa sport rep giving some verysound advice, so I encourage you
to reach out to him, Andrew.
Thanks for your time today.
Andrew (10:17):
Thanks, drew, absolute pleasure.
Drew (10:20):
Okay, our next guest is Peter Banks, who is a leader of
the school sports unit at theNew South Wales Department of
Education.
Peter is responsible forleading the department's school
sport programs and initiatives,so I'm looking forward to really
unpacking the work that heleads through the New South
Wales Department of Education.
Okay, well, welcome, peterBanks.
(10:41):
Great for you to join us today.
Thanks very much, drew.
Let's discuss.
Great for you to join us today.
Thanks very much, drew.
Let's discuss firstly, yourrole in the sports unit.
Could you give us a backgroundto, or our listeners a
background to, what your role isand how it can support
principals?
Peter (10:57):
Yeah, absolutely.
I'm the leader of the schoolsport unit and my role is really
to oversee the six arms of theunit and assist the staff that
run those arms to provide thebest support that they possibly
can for principals and staffaround the state.
Those six arms if we go throughthem, we've got the
representative school sport arm,which sees children be able to
(11:19):
move from school through zones,through their association and
onto state representation intheir chosen representative
sport.
That that's a unique programreally from around the world
because it allows students,through a funnelling system, to
be their best, commensurate withtheir ability.
So wherever their ability topsout, that allows the students to
(11:40):
fulfil their dreams in theirchosen sports.
Our disability and inclusionspace is the second one of our
arms.
We're really proud of the workthat's being done in that area.
We've got two dedicateddisability and inclusion
officers and I'm sure that bothPeter and Anthony, who I know
will be coming on later, willtalk to you around that.
But it's a real growth area ofours and something that we feel
(12:03):
passionately about and there'sno doubt that it's one of the
joys that I've seen in my rolein the last five years.
The growth of that space yeah,terrific teacher resource hub.
Third of third of the arms,where we provide support for
principals and staff aroundphysical activity and ways that
they can meet the mandate of 150minutes of physical activity
(12:24):
per week in their schools, whichis, of course, really important
.
There's some great resourcesthere which have been developed
over the last five years.
Swimming and Water SafetyProgram Many of our colleagues
in schools are involved in thatprogram and certainly we would
encourage, wherever possible,because it is a life skill, that
colleagues really consider thatto be something that they'll
(12:45):
put on their school calendarregardless of where they're at.
And there's been some resourcesdeveloped that sit on our
website too, to support thoseschools that potentially may not
be able to get to the water ona regular basis.
Premier Sporting Challenge mostof our colleagues are aware of
that program and it's been inoperation for 14 years.
Great numbers involved and weknow that the slogan of more
(13:06):
active more often resonates withschools and resonates with
teachers and, of course,therefore principals as well.
And then the last of our armsis our policy and guidelines,
which I've left that to lastbecause I think from a
principal's viewpoint it's theone that they need to be aware
of and there has been somesignificant updates in that
space, which probably will beaddressed by Lissette King, our
(13:28):
policy advisor officer, a littlebit later.
But I think it's fair to sayeven in my time as a principal I
wasn't fully aware of thesupport that is offered through
the school support unit, andparticularly in that space.
So really vital that ourprincipal colleagues are well
versed in what's available there.
Drew (13:45):
Yeah, so important.
And those six arms, just whatyou've unpacked, all of those
crucial part of the sports unitSitting as a principal.
They're thinking these arefantastic programs, but how
Peter do as a principal they'rethinking these are fantastic
programs, but how Peter do as aprincipal, how do they
successfully implement thosearms?
What advice would you give toprincipals?
Peter (14:06):
I think the key messaging here, drew, is to have two or
three staff members within aschool that you have dedicated
to, potentially, maybe, each oneof those arms.
Where say you're aware of theprograms?
I think the first, the firstissue is, you know, some
colleagues aren't fully aware ofthe programs and the support
that we can potentially offer,but certainly it's every
(14:29):
principal's obligation tosupport all facets of education
and sport and physical activityis vital and we know also that
the links between physicalactivity and well-being are
irrefutable and our programs,you know, play into that, you
know, certainly strongly yeah, alot of research and evidence
clearly backs that up in termsof educational outcomes for
(14:51):
students.
Drew (14:52):
Yeah, it's a real navigation, so it's a it's a
communication piece in terms ofmaking sure to try and point
where would principals go.
Do they go to the sports unitwebsite as a first point of
contact?
Peter (15:06):
That's a great question.
I think one of the reallyeasiest things to do is to
include the school sport uniticon as one of your essentials
on your dashboard.
Principals have a lot of otheressential items there as well
and that's just an additionalone.
But it certainly can eliminatesome of the googling into random
space if you can go directly tothe source and also certainly
at the school sport unit.
(15:26):
We pride ourselves on beingreally responsive.
So if you know, we get a phonecall, an email, we follow up as
soon as we possibly can and thestaff that we have here are
really happy to assist principalcolleagues, endpoint them in
the right direction in whateverarea that they're looking to
gain information in.
But that would be the firststep, no doubt, is just having
(15:48):
that on your dashboard, and Ithink also principals have an
obligation, in my opinion, toencourage staff to be involved,
to support staff going out toour programs, because the skills
that they learn in going out toour programs there's no doubt
that they're transferable toother elements of education.
The leadership that they cangain through mixing with other
(16:10):
teachers, dealing with otherstudents and their parents in a
range of settings, assist themwhen they're developing in their
own career and they take thoseskills back to their own school
and they become better educatorsback in their own school.
So it's a win-win situation.
Drew (16:27):
Yeah, they sure do.
Those skill sets do definitelytransfer and you can apply those
to the many leadershipframeworks.
Peter, I was going to go intothe professional learning space
because that's a key componentthrough the association but
through the sports unit.
Can you guide us in terms ofany professional learning
through those six arms,potentially that you could
(16:49):
navigate principals or those whoare willing and able?
Principals have navigatedtowards that website where to go
for professional learningopportunities.
Peter (16:59):
There's a couple of our courses which I'll point out to
principal colleagues.
Initially, and a hot topic atthe moment right around the
world is concussion and ourschool sport unit worked with a
children's hospital to developsome professional learning in
that concussion space and I'dlike to think that we're not
just department leaders butindustry leaders in the
provision of professionallearning for our staff around
(17:19):
there.
We also know that mostconcussions don't occur on the
sporting field.
They occur in the schoolyardkids running into poles of
various nature, running intoeach other.
So some knowledge around what todo and how to identify a
concussion and what to do aftera suspected concussion is really
vital and there's a reallyinformative professional
(17:41):
learning opportunity there forprincipals and their staff and
it's really, I think, valuablefor all members of a school,
whether they be through to youroffice staff, to your teaching
staff, and I think it's avaluable one that principal
colleagues should considerhaving their staff complete.
It's an online course, can bedone in two hours and certainly,
(18:02):
from my perspective, anyteacher that's taking a team
away or going to school camp.
I think that would be reallyvaluable for them to do and then
, in the school setting itself,all I think your office staff
should be well versed in thesigns as well, and there's some
great follow-up sheets that havebeen developed as well, so I'll
(18:23):
point in that direction.
Also, the School PhysicalActivity Health Check yeah, tell
us further about that.
So it fits into the HPGEframework nicely and really it's
about capturing baseline datafor your school, getting an
on-balance judgment about whereyour school sits in the
(18:43):
provision of sport and physicalactivity across the school.
So it operates a little bit ina similar vein to the school
excellence framework wherethere's delivering, sustaining
and growing and excelling,there's markers that as a staff,
as a stage, as a communitygroup, as a student voice that
(19:03):
can have input, and then youmake an on-balance judgment
about where your school sits andthat helps then with the
provision of where your schoolreally sits in the delivery of
physical activity and then whatimprovements you could make to
see that change over the courseof your school excellence cycle.
Drew (19:21):
Fantastic, that sounds like a really valuable resource
that school leaders notnecessarily are aware of and
could could unpack.
Has it been?
Has it been?
I'm hearing it saying thatwould be a fantastic resource.
Has it been accessed?
Peter (19:35):
Yeah, we've had over 350 schools access it to date and
using it.
Whenever we go and deliverprofessional learning around the
school physical activity healthcheck certainly it gets very
well received.
It's backed in research.
Drew (19:49):
Yeah.
Peter (19:50):
And I think the fact that we give markers of where to
next has been really wellreceived by principal colleagues
and staff around the state too.
And the notion of an on-balancejudgment is a good one because
often the teacher in a schoolthat loves PE, who loves sport,
they have one view of theopportunities and maybe a
(20:13):
community member may have avaried view.
Drew (20:15):
So this requires those collaboration over staff
meetings with senior executive,led by the principal, to get
that true on-balance judgmentaround collecting genuine
baseline data and ultimately agood, fantastic outcome for the
school, the school students andthe community to see where your,
where your school, is at withan evidence-based research
(20:37):
framework.
So that sounds really excitingfor colleagues who or are
interested in that, or shouldsay further resources in the
sports unit resource hub yeah,there's uh, so many drew that we
haven't got really time to gothrough.
Peter (20:51):
I mentioned all of them, but certainly there's been in
the policy space, I guess withsome changes in permissions and
not necessarily looking at thosemandatory.
They're not mandatory changes topolicy, but what they are is a
streamlining of what's importantin putting notes together for
kids.
I think is really important.
(21:12):
So there's some really greatflowcharts have been developed
to assist, you know, principalsand their delegates to
understand, depending on theevent that the kids are going to
, what sporting event, whatinclusions they have to have in
their permission notes to go out.
So just some more directflowcharts around that have been
really helpful as well.
We've just held eight drop-insessions and there's been over
(21:35):
1,300 principals and delegatesdrop into those.
So I think we can't deny theimportance of that work and what
that speaks to me is that weknow principals and their
delegates and all staff membersare so keen to do their best and
to look after the welfare ofkids, which I applaud, and it's
about for us getting theinformation out there and
(21:55):
hopefully this podcast is justanother way that we can do that.
Drew (21:58):
Yeah, absolutely, and in terms of those numbers, 350 is
still a good number.
But in terms of the broadersense there are 1800 members
through our association as well.
So definitely room to grow inthat area.
Peter, in terms of otheropportunities through the sports
unit you've mentioned, throughthose key six frameworks as well
(22:21):
, are there any other, any otherinformation that our our school
leaders or principals, any tipsand advice to be aware of that
you could give our listeners?
Peter (22:30):
well, there's a's a couple of things, drew, that I
could touch on, and I guess thefirst is and I have mentioned it
briefly is the support thatprincipals can give staff
members in their school.
We can't run the majority ofour programs without the
volunteer teacher support thatcomes out of schools, and
certainly we understand that atthe moment finding casuals is
(22:51):
difficult.
Budget cuts are affectingeveryone, but the opportunities
that are provided kids when theycome out to our programs and we
know how important it is forstaff and staff well-being too,
when they actually canparticipate in our programs I
think speaks volumes about theimportance of them.
So if I could make a compassionplea to principal colleagues to
(23:13):
really get behind and back intheir staff members that wish to
be involved in whether it berepresentative school support,
whether it be taking kids todisability inclusion programs,
running the premier sportingchallenge at their school, or
swimming and water safety, Ithink that would be a great
place to start.
One thing that I can mentionthat I think is sometimes
(23:35):
confused is the notion of what'sbecome part of the vernacular
of PWSA.
I have to be clear thatinter-school sport that happens
between one school and anotherschool on a Friday afternoon is
not part of the representativeschool sport pathway.
It doesn't allow for theprogression of students to go
from their school to their zoneassociation etc.
(23:57):
It's allowing a participationopportunity for children from
school A to play against schoolB.
And the reason I raise that isbecause we often get questions
from principals how can myteachers select their team?
We've had a disagreement aboutwho should be selected, all
these sorts of questions, butreally that's a principal's
discretion about who is selectedand even the sports that they
(24:21):
run.
Because at those local zonelevels the principals, our
principal colleagues, are incharge of the zones.
So if there's 14 schools withintheir local zone, the decision
makers within that zone are theschool principals.
When those zones have meetingsand delegates are there, check
(24:53):
with the principal and ask theprincipal how either he or she
wishes to vote on that issue,because the school principals
are the decision makers and theycarry the can for one of them
to stay in those zone situations.
And I think we just need to beaware that our influence at the
(25:13):
school sport unit really startsat the association level and
from a representative pathway,it's the pathway programs that
we are involved in.
Yeah, now there is other formsof representation, like you
could argue that knockouts, forexample, are representation
slightly different and I'm happyto provide some advice around
that later.
But I guess the key for me isunderstanding that critical
(25:36):
difference between pathway andparticipation.
Drew (25:39):
It's an important point you've raised, Peter, because
that I'm sure you get lots ofinformation or emails or phone
calls about that very notion andwhat is say, pathways, as
opposed to your Friday afternoonsport or whenever that time
that is agreed to.
I guess what I'm hearing isprincipals need to really step
(26:00):
in to understand what ishappening in that space at the
local level and be aware of whatis being voted on, because it
ultimately has a knock-on effectand impact in their school
context.
Peter (26:13):
Absolutely.
We've seen situations whereprincipals have almost been
blindsided about a decisionthat's been made at their local
level.
Yet had that vote come back tothe school for the principal's
input, a decision may have beencompletely different.
So I would like principals toyou know they have to be armed
with that information that theyare the decision-makers in that
space.
To your first point, drew, it'squite funny.
(26:33):
Every Friday afternoon at aboutfour o'clock the phone will ring
at the school sport unit with aparent wanting to dispute a
netball game's calls between orit could be rugby league or
whatever the game is betweenschool A and school B.
That could have occurred 500kilometres away from where we
are.
We have no knowledge of thatand that's the sort of example
(27:01):
that we can point out toprincipals around that sort of
local competition, localparticipation and an
understanding of what that is.
I also think that it's greatfor principals to either, if
they can't be on their localzone executive because of time
constraints, there should be aprincipal delegate from that
group of schools as the highestranking departmental official to
sign off on such things as riskassessments and provide advice
(27:23):
and counsel about issues andsituations that may be difficult
for, dare I say lessexperienced staff members.
Yeah, yeah for dare.
Drew (27:31):
I say less experienced staff members.
Yeah, yeah, and absolutelybecause of all those variables,
peter.
That is why principalrepresentation needs to be part
of those local decision-makingprocesses.
Yeah, absolutely, really goodpoints.
Peter (27:45):
We've got some gold standard sort of suggestions
around that.
So for any principal colleaguesthat would like to get in touch
with me, we can sort of eithercome to a local zone meeting or
meet with groups of principalsaround that very matter.
Drew (28:00):
Fantastic, Fantastic to hear In terms of other looking
forward, in terms of it's been ahuge year this year.
What are some highlights thatprincipals should be aware of
for 2025?
Peter (28:12):
Something that I haven't mentioned, which I think has
been a highlight, which willcontinue again next year, is our
live streaming.
We live streamed over 32 eventsthis year and we know
anecdotally, but also we've hadwritten support around just how
well that's received byprincipals and their school
communities.
And certainly if you've got achild at your school that's off
(28:33):
at a state event, we know thatoften principals will put on the
vision of that childparticipating in whatever event,
even in their school hall or inclassrooms, to allow other
students at the school to fullyhave the experience about what
they're doing.
And it's aspirational as wellFor other kids back at the
school, who may be younger, tostrive for where that particular
(29:01):
child is at that current moment.
So I guess you know there'ssomething that to look forward
to and you know I'd encourageprincipals if they've got, you
know, a student or studentsoffered either a team or
individual event, to actuallytap into that facility.
It's free, it's not free total,but we understand the value of
it and are committed to that,certainly at least for another
12 months.
Drew (29:18):
Yeah, that's a terrific resource and I can imagine
communities coming together andI'm sure you would have received
a lot of positive feedbackthrough principal school
communities as well.
So fantastic initiative.
Did you say 32, peter 32?
Peter (29:31):
events this year and be the same next year in various
places around the state.
We often get contact from aparent that says that only one
of the parents could attend thestate championship and it was
great that dad could be on thetractor harvesting and watching
either his son or daughter in anactivity, and I think sometimes
(29:52):
we might not fully understandhow important that is to
families as well.
So that's been something thatwe're really proud of and I
think is really been beneficialfor our rural and remote
colleagues and also obviouslyremote students and families to
be able to access vision oftheir child's event just through
(30:14):
whatever device they have itthere yeah, terrific, fantastic
initiative and great to knowthat that will continue into
2025.
Drew (30:24):
peter, it's been a pleasure unpacking.
We could go further into thisand I'm sure we could come back
to further initiatives as well,but those six main initiatives
that you've outlined are givingadvice to us to access it
through the sports unit and tonavigate and support Any final
tips for our principalslistening in, no, just to really
(30:47):
appreciate the work thatprincipal colleagues do, fully
understand the complexity of therole, fully understand how a
principal is stretched in manydifferent directions and
understand that this is one ofthose directions that we're
asking for a little bit ofstretch.
Peter (31:02):
But I think the benefit of being involved and the
benefit that you'll see for allyour kids and, of course, staff,
will far outweigh what goesinto it.
But just want to say thank you,drew, for, you know, allowing
us to promote our programs inthis in this way.
Drew (31:20):
We thank you very much oh absolute pleasure for us as well
, just to highlight theopportunities that sport brings
to students, but also the, thenavigation that principals, as
you said, being pulled indifferent directions with
different measures, as you wouldbe aware of as a principal.
So it's important to bring itto light and show the importance
(31:41):
and particularly can reallyshine through the importance of
the high, gifted and talentedpolicy that sport units.
The sport unit does run.
So thank you for your time.
Thanks very much, drew.
Well, that concludes part onewith our guests Andrew Hooper
(32:09):
and Peter Banks.
In part two of this podcastseries with the sports unit, we
will hear from Anthony Moyes andMichael Kirwan and the impact
of their work in New South Walespublic schools.
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