Student leaders strengthening connection and inclusion through physical activity
Student leaders across central Auckland primary schools are learning how to make physical activity more inclusive for their peers, building stronger connections between mainstream schools and specialist satellite units.
Student physical activity leaders (PALs) have been working alongside Sport Auckland’s Healthy Active Learning team and the Halberg Foundation to support adaptive physical activity opportunities for specialist satellite units.
Physical activity student leaders (PALs) at Mt Roskill Primary School have learned how to make well-known games and sports adaptive and accessible for all ākonga.
At Mt Roskill Primary, which has an inclusive setting for students with additional needs called the Endeavour Centre, deputy principal Jess Lawrence says the peer-led approach is already making a difference.
“Having the students from the Endeavour Centre have more to do with our mainstream students makes them have that sense of belonging in the playgrounds at break times.”
At Sommerville Special School, kaiako and sports coordinator Monique Istead says PALs are developing their understanding of how to support students who attend specialist schools.
"From what I saw today, the PALs really understood how to communicate with some of our learners and it's not a big scary thing anymore," says Monique.
PALs supporting with adaptive netball at the adaptive interschool event.
Putting learning into action
In late 2025, PALs from Stonefields School, Dominion Road School and Mt Roskill Primary attended an inclusion-focused workshop with the Halberg Foundation.
They then put their learning into action at an adaptive inter-school sports day, supporting around 100 students from Sommerville Special School, Central Auckland Specialist School and the Endeavour Centre. Following the event, PALs also supported satellite classes at the ‘Have a Go Day’ for the Mt Roskill sports cluster.
One Mt Roskill PAL says the adaptive sports days have changed how he sees his leadership role. “I can help [other students] and make them feel welcome for who they are.”
Daniel Reeve, kaiako at Central Auckland Specialist School, says the benefits go both ways.
“For mainstream students to see what some of our students have to go through on a day-to-day basis, they learn compassion.”
An Active NZ survey showed tamariki with a disability experienced higher levels of exclusion during physical activity and had fewer opportunities to participate at school.
Recent Healthy Active Learning evaluation shows progress since 2020: teachers are more confident planning physical activity based on student voice and the number of schools offering experiences suitable for all learners has increased from 65 percent to 78 percent.
Ākonga from Stonefields School learn ways to adapt volleyball at their training with Halberg.
Strengthening relationships through inclusion
The experiences at the adaptive sports day had inspired schools to further strengthen their relationships with satellite classes and to expand opportunities for PALs to champion and support satellite students, both within school and at other inter-school events.
This year, PALs from Stonefields School will support Sommerville School’s athletics day, while Mt Roskill Primary is working towards having students lead inclusive break-time activities for learners from the Endeavour Centre.
“We want to continue to help build those physical and social skills with ākonga from the Endeavour Centre and mainstream classes,” says Jess.
PALs supporting with a game of Boccia at the adaptive interschool event.
