Healthy Active Learning Advisor

Hours: Fulltime – 40 hours per week

Reports to: Healthy Active Learning Regional Lead

Location: Based in Waitaki or Dunedin

Key relationships (internal): Healthy Active Learning Team, Sport and Active Recreation

Team, Insights and Evaluation Lead, Active Families
Coordinator, and Support Services Team.


Key relationships (external): Primary School Principals and Boards of Trustees,

Teachers, Ministry of Education (MoE), Ministry of Health
(MoH), Sport NZ, Healthy Active Learning national
workforce, and community partners (e.g., physical activity
providers, social agencies, non-governmental organisations
[NGOs], etc.).


Healthy Active Learning

Healthy Active Learning is a collaborative government initiative between Sport NZ, the MoH, and
the MoE. It aims to support schools to improve the wellbeing of tamariki through healthy eating
and drinking and quality physical activity. Sport NZ is partnering with Sport Otago to employ a
workforce to achieve five outcomes:

Education settings value and prioritise quality play, active recreation, sport, and health and
physical education.

Education settings support and promote quality food and drink environments.

Education settings value mātauranga Māori and promote culturally distinctive approaches to
play, active recreation, sport, kai and inu, and curriculum delivery.

Kaiako implement active teaching and learning approaches and deliver quality health and
physical education.

Education settings work effectively with whānau and their local community to enable inclusive
and equitable access to play, active recreation, sport, and quality food and drink.


Purpose of Position

Our Healthy Active Learning Advisors are responsible for the implementation of the Healthy Active
Learning initiative in selected schools across Otago. They will maintain a portfolio of between nine
to twelve primary schools. Developing and maintaining strong meaningful relationships with school
Principals and senior staff is a critical component of this role. They will work with Boards of
Trustees, Principals, and senior staff at these schools to provide advice and customised support
around the strategy, planning, and development of systems that contribute to an active and healthy
school.

They will support school leaders and teachers to better plan and implement the Health and PE
and Hauora curriculum, identify, develop, and implement opportunities for quality physical activity
experiences for tamariki (in school and in the community), and advise on how to establish healthy
behaviours and environments through supporting the adoption of healthy food and water-only
policies.

They will build connections with the wider school community such as whānau and local health and
physical activity providers to ensure a connected and coordinated approach to health and

wellbeing outcomes for our tamariki. This includes advocating for quality school and community
play, sport, and physical activity experiences for tamariki.


KEY TASKS OUTCOMES

Relationship Management Develop and nurture partnerships with schools, specifically with
Principals, Boards of Trustees, and senior staff of selected
schools.

Establish and maintain close working relationships with
appropriate MoH and MoE staff to ensure a coordinated
approach to the development, implementation, sustainability,
and effectiveness of Healthy Active Learning within Otago.

Develop key contacts within the school community, e.g. play
providers, community providers, active recreation providers,
clubs and regional sport organisations, social agencies, and
health providers.

Positively share, contribute, and collaborate with other national
Healthy Active Learning networks.

Initiative Delivery – School Engage and work with Boards of Trustees, Principals, and senior
Implementation staff of selected schools to connect Healthy Active Learning to

achievement challenges and strategic educational outcomes.

Provide relevant and up to date HPE and Hauora curriculum
knowledge, as well as planning, teaching, and assessment
strategies that support student engagement and achievement.

Utilise and deploy HPE and Hauora curriculum resources
available when and where appropriate to support quality
planning and delivery.

Understand and promote the value of physical activity for the
holistic wellbeing of tamariki.

Support schools to identify how to enhance and support their
teachers and students’ wellbeing through physical activity.

Work with the school communities (staff, students, and
parents/caregivers) to encourage, support, and enable healthy
eating and water-only policies and environments, including
integrating healthy eating and water-only messages into HPE
and Hauora teaching where appropriate, and modelling
appropriate behaviours when on school premises.

Use best practice evidence and insights to challenge traditional
behaviours and delivery models to meet the needs of tamariki
through relevant and improved play, sport, and physical activity.

Support the planning and implementation of a wide range of
opportunities and experiences, such as co-curricular and extra-
curricular sport and physical activity events and competitions.


Advise and support effective recruitment, retention, and
recognition of coaches, officials, and managers to support
quality play, sport, and physical activity.



Advocate for an increase in awareness, knowledge, and

understanding of time, place, and permission to enable quality
play opportunities.

Advocate and support schools to adopt best practice Health and
Safety and Risk Management protocols.

Initiative Delivery – Support schools to scope, identify, and access community
Community Connection resources, assets, and providers to add value to quality play,
sport, and physical activity opportunities.


Support communities to engage and connect with schools to
provide quality play, sport, and physical activity opportunities.

Advocate for and support local communities, including whānau,
territorial authorities, and local health and physical activity
providers to engage and connect with schools to provide quality
play, sport, and physical activity opportunities.

Support schools to be valuable members of a community play
system.

Assist and empower schools to make well informed decisions
when using external providers within their education setting.

Initiative Reporting and Ensure internal and external reporting requirements for Healthy
Accountability Active Learning are completed in line with organisational and
stakeholder expectations.


Commit to the Healthy Active Learning evaluation plan through
supporting and coordinating the implementation of agreed
evaluation processes.

Best Practice Ensure the philosophies and principles underpinning Healthy
Active Learning are applied, including the integration of Sport
Otago’s Regional Leadership Approach encompassing Physical
Literacy, Locally Led, and Insights and Evaluation.

Ensure Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its principles of Partnership,
Protection, and Participation are acknowledged and reflected in
the implementation of the initiative.

Ensure all decisions and behaviours are inclusive and embrace
diversity across the wider school community through
commitment to social justice, equity, and equality.

Mitigate and openly communicate any possible risks or incidents
that have the potential to bring Sport Otago, Sport NZ, and/or
invested partners into disrepute.

Actively collaborate with the wider Sport Otago team,
establishing a good working knowledge of other programmes
and initiatives, and adding value to these workstreams via the
integration of Healthy Active Learning.



Person Specification


Experience working with or within schools and/or kura.

An understanding of the operating models in primary and intermediate schools.

Knowledge of the systems, structures, and operating models that underpin the education, sport,
active recreation, and play sectors across Aotearoa.

Knowledge and understanding of the New Zealand Curriculum and/or Te Marautanga o
Aotearoa.

Knowledge and understanding of how the Sport and Education sectors interact to deliver PE,
sport, active recreation, and play opportunities for tamariki.

Experience in planning, coordinating, and implementing quality play, sport, and physical activity
opportunities and experiences for tamariki.

Knowledge of, and commitment to, Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

A positive disposition towards quality physical education and the importance and value each
have on the health and wellbeing of tamariki.

Exceptional relationship building skills, accompanied by a high level of emotional and social
intelligence.

Exceptional interpersonal skills with proven experience working with principals, teachers,
community providers, and tamariki.

The ability to be a critical practitioner by applying an inquiry approach to constantly evaluate
effectiveness and impact.

Experience in planning, managing, and prioritising multiple and competing tasks and projects
to meet deadlines and produce quality results.

A high level of verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to engage and
communicate effectively to a wide range of stakeholders and audiences.

A track record of handling confidential and sensitive matters with exemplary discretion and
professionalism

Awareness of the wider social and political context in which Regional Sport Trusts operate.

Experience in designing and facilitating professional learning and development opportunities.

Experience in influencing attitudes, behaviours, and processes.

Fosters a team spirit through a collaborative and cooperative approach to work.

Be innovative, a self-starter, and a problem solver who loves a challenge.

Be able to work flexible hours.

Have a sound working knowledge of Microsoft computer programs.

A commitment to ongoing professional development.

A personal philosophy aligned to the purpose, values, and culture of Sport Otago.

Current Driver License.