Active Schools Victoria

Background and rationale

The Victorian government recognised that many children and adolescents were not meeting the minimum physical activity guidelines. These guidelines recommend at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity, 5 days per week. To address these declining activity levels among Victorian students, the Active Schools initiative was launched in November 2020 as part of the Joint Ministerial Statement on Physical Activity for Children and Young People (Active Schools, Active Kids, Active Communities). Since 2020, over $87.8 million has been invested through state budgets to deliver Active Schools, including ongoing funding of $10.7 million allocated in the 2024–25 budget. The Victorian Government has also invested $1.8 billion to create an active Victoria and achieve the active living outcomes of the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plan.

Overview

An Active School goes beyond traditional physical education and sport to ensure it provides students opportunities to be active through the 6 priority areas outlined in the Active Schools Framework (see Figure):

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

Support is prioritised for schools in disadvantaged communities, as indicated by the Student Family Occupation and Education index, that receive Active Schools funding through the Student Resource Package. Each year:  

• 100 Victorian government schools receive a $30,000 Active Schools grant to implement a whole-school approach to improving student physical activity. 
• 300 Victorian government schools receive a $3,000 Physical Education (PE) and Sport Boost to support schools with the costs of PE, sport and outdoor education.
• 200 Victorian government secondary schools receive a $14,000 Extracurricular Boost to support them with the costs of providing extracurricular sporting and recreational opportunities before or after school, or during break times.

Outcomes and impact

The objectives of the Active Schools initiative include to:

• increase physical activity by supporting students to be more active before, during and after school as well as developing lifelong habits
• promote physical literacy through development of movement skills, confidence and motivation for lifelong engagement in physical activity
• integrate physical activity throughout the school day rather than just limiting activity to PE and sport
• improve infrastructure and resources such as equipment, professional learning for staff and access to physical activity programs
• engage school leadership and embed a sustainable whole-of-school approach into school strategic and implementation plans
• build staff capability and student voice for long-term program sustainability
• provide equitable access to physical activity opportunities for a range of student cohorts in metro, rural and regional areas.

Since the program inception in 2020, over 550 schools have received Active Schools funding and direct support from physical activity advisors through the Expert Support Service to implement a whole-school approach to improving physical activity.

There is ample evidence of the effectiveness of a whole-school approach to increasing students’ physical activity, informed by regular program monitoring, annual school surveys and impact stories from participating schools. The Department of Education’s 2025 Attitudes to School Survey (AtoSS) results indicate a promising trend in regular physical activity levels among Victorian students, with an increase across all year levels surveyed compared to 2024. 

The 2021–2023 Active Schools evaluation showed preliminary evidence of the program’s impact, stating it provides valuable opportunities for students to increase their participation in physical activity and supports staff to enhance their capability in supporting this goal. A second independent evaluation is scheduled for 2026.

Investment and funding

• Over $87.8 million has been invested through state budgets to deliver Active Schools, including ongoing funding of $10.7 million allocated in the 2024–25 budget.
• The Victorian Government has also invested $1.8 billion to create an active Victoria and achieve the active living outcomes of the Victorian Public Health and Wellbeing Plan.

Enablers and lessons learned

Several elements of this program appear to have worked well.

• Having state government school-based physical activity policy targets help encourage schools to engage with the program.
• A joint ministerial approach provided more opportunity for government departments to allocate budget to the scheme.
• The Active Schools Framework is based on the best available international evidence and practice.
• The Active Schools funding has provided schools with the incentive to engage with the Active Schools Framework to improve physical activity in their school and is also flexible enough for them to tailor the funding to their needs.
• The program is aligned with the broader school improvement agenda. The Active Schools Implementation Plans can be clearly integrated into school Annual Implementation Plans and other strategic planning documents.
• Active Schools embedded school leadership buy-in as a core requirement, with school leadership actively supporting implementation through Active Schools working groups. This ensures physical activity is integrated into whole-school priorities rather than remaining the responsibility of individual teachers.
• The Victorian Government’s commitment to supporting students' health and wellbeing, reflected as a key focus area within the Department of Education's Strategic Plan 2023–27. Policy priorities include student mental health and wellbeing reform, with physical activity recognised as an important factor contributing to engagement, wellbeing and learning outcomes.
• Availability of ongoing program funding through the state budget.

Challenges and considerations for others looking to replicate this program include:

• There is an Expert Support Service, delivered by Active Education Australia, which consists of 12 physical activity advisors with expertise in health and physical education, knowledge of the education system and curriculum, and experience in professional learning delivery. The Expert Support Service represents a deliberate investment to ensure implementation quality, mentoring and school capability development for sustainable, system-level change. This adds considerable cost to the program and potential challenges with program sustainability and scaling without the support service.
• Policy shifts and budget changes are also key considerations. Where ongoing funding allocation isn’t available, long-term behaviour change may not be possible within shorter budget cycles. Effective implementation requires a bespoke approach and program adaptation to local contexts rather than one size fits all delivery model. A specialised and dedicated advisory service is required to create impact and sustain long-term change.