By Aktive
Published on Wednesday 25 February 2026
Physical activity should be a big part of everyday life for our tamariki and rangatahi. Through play, sport, recreation and movement, our young people build friendships, develop skills for life and connect with their communities.
Schools play an important role in instilling a love of being active in young people across Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. Some might not realise that physical activity isn’t a “nice to have” in our school curriculums: rather, it’s a vital tool in improving educational outcomes across the board.
Research shows that physically active students engage more in learning, stay in school longer, reach higher levels of achievement and experience better mental wellbeing – outcomes that every school and parent wants for their young people.
With schools shaping their strategic plans for 2026 and 2027, now is the time to make sure that physical activity is a core part of your school's priorities.
Aktive is here to help with this mahi, working with a range of our partners including CLM Community Sport, Harbour Sport, Sport Auckland, Sport Waitākere and College Sport Auckland to support Auckland schools and kura through a range of different initiatives and programmes.
These include Korikori (Aktive's approach to encouraging activity and building a system where young people are active through play, physical education, active recreation and sport), Healthy Active Learning (assisting schools and kura to improve child and youth wellbeing through healthy eating and quality physical activity), and working to encourage young people to keep 'playing'.
Play is particularly important. Not only is it fun, but it's also fundamental to growth, supporting cognitive, physical, social and emotional development. Creating environments where tamariki have enough time and space to play helps them build their confidence in movement, and grow their creativity skills.
Regional Sports Directors within CLM Community Sport, Harbour Sport, Sport Auckland, Sport Waitākere play a key role in helping school leaders and sport staff create environments where more rangatahi feel motivated and excited to take part in school sport. Their support can range from guiding the planning and delivery of both intra‑ and inter‑school opportunities—especially those designed to engage students who aren’t currently involved—to working alongside school sport departments and leadership teams to develop cohesive strategic documents and action plans. Together, this mahi strengthens school sport systems and ensures young people have positive, meaningful sport experiences.
Promoting quality physical activity is a priority for Aktive, aligned to the Participation focus area of our 2024–2028 Strategy, which recognises that creating positive, inclusive experiences in sport and recreation increases the likelihood of lifelong participation.
If you’re not sure where to start at your school? Our team can help. We can provide free advice and support with strategies to encourage participation, quality experiences, community connections and funding.
Together, with our many and varied sector partners, we're here to help schools turn physical activity into a strategic advantage - one that supports wellbeing, engagement, learning and achievement for all tamariki and rangatahi.