With children spending half of their waking hours at school, it’s imperative that they are encouraged to move regularly. The benefits of physical activity upon learning outcomes are remarkable; and when a healthy approach to activity is fostered, life-long habits are formed.

Research shows that when children are active, it supports greater concentration in class, improved mood and behavior, and psychological and emotional well-being. Physical movement creates neural pathways in children’s brains and allows them to better connect socially with others.

You can read more about the importance of physical play and wellbeing in students in our article here.

The Victorian Government recognise the marked benefits of children and adolescents being active, and have invested $45.4M into the Active Schools Framework. This initiative builds on existing programs to further drive physical literacy among students, providing additional funding and resources for teachers and schools.

Recognising that the solution to keeping kids active is multifaceted, the Active Schools Framework promotes a holistic approach; in school, with family and in community. 

This approach helps to ensure that students are supported in all areas of their lives, creating cohesiveness and solidifying healthy habits. 

There are 6 priority areas that support activity in the Active Schools Framework:

• quality physical education
• quality school sport
• active classrooms
• active travel
• active recreation
• supportive school environment.

In addition to funding for schools, the Victorian Government is offering families $200 vouchers per child to help pay for sporting activities within their local communities.

Government Grants are a great way for schools to provide much needed resources to students. We have a number of customers who have used Grant money to install a Gaga Ball Pit in their schoolyards, and have quickly seen how well-loved and needed this resource is for students. The installation of a Gaga Ball pit sits neatly within the realms of the Active Schools Grant, and we have a range of Pits to suit your needs - from Permanent Outdoor, to Portable, to Accessible.

In Victoria, the Active Schools Framework isproviding funding in a number of areas;

Active Schools Grants

100 schools will receive a $30,000 Active Schools Grant to plan and implement a whole-school approach to improving student physical activity, across 2023/2024.

Active Schools PE and Sport Funding Boost

300 Victorian government schools will receive a $3,000 Active Schools PE and Sport Funding Boost, across 2023/2024.

Active Schools Extracurricular Boost

200 government secondary schools will receive a $14,000 Extracurricular Boost to help provide extracurricular physical activity opportunities, across 2023/2024.

Over 300 Victorian schools will be eligible and notified to apply for an Active Schools Grant each year; schools will be selected based on their SFOE (School Family Occupation and Education index). Once approved, funding will be paid through the Student Resource Package for all successful applicants.

Providing a detailed plan and clear directive of how funding will be utilsed is critical to having your application considered. Your application should link back to the Active Schools Framework, focusing on one or more of the priority areas.

Some examples to reference in your plan may include implementing engaging, age-appropriate equipment and activities in playgrounds, professional development programs which support PE and Sports programs and intra and inter-school sports programs.

Whilst this particular Grant is for Victoria, each Australian State delivers funding across various grants and initiatives. We recommend researching within your State to see what funding programs are available to your school.

To find out more about the funding within the Active Schools Framework, please visit here.