School Sport Unit

About us
About us
About us

The School Sport Unit provides carefully planned, adaptable and enjoyable physical activity experiences for all students in NSW public schools.
Rep.Representative sport
Representative sport
Representative sport

Parents, teachers, and students can browse Schools Sports Associations to find representative sport events and results for students aged 8 to 19 years old.

Association level
- Hunter
- North Coast
- North West
- Riverina
- South Coast
- Sydney East
- Sydney North
- Sydney South West
- Sydney West
- Western
- Barrier
- West Darling
State and National level
School sport history
Swimming and water safety
Swimming and water safety
Swimming and water safety

NSW public schools can access programs and resources to help students develop swimming, water safety and survival skills.
PSCNSW Premier’s Sporting Challenge
NSW Premier’s Sporting Challenge
NSW Premier’s Sporting Challenge

To promote increased participation in sport and physical activity, leading to healthier, more active lifestyles, the Premier's Sporting Challenge (PSC) is a multi-faceted program offering a range of initiatives to Department of Education students and teachers across the state. The PSC aims to get more students and staff 'more active, more often'.
Disability and inclusion
Disability and inclusion
Disability and inclusion

Opportunities for students with disabilities to get involved in sports are available at various levels throughout the school sport structure, from participation to elite. The participatory (or provisional) level does not require classification, however, if an athlete wishes to compete at a regional, state, national or international level, they will need to gain classification through the appropriate sporting organisation.
Procedures and guidelines
Procedures and guidelines
Procedures and guidelines

Teachers and school leaders can find advice, support and compliance resources for implementing high quality and safe sport and physical activities for students.
Teacher resource hub
Teacher resource hub
Teacher resource hub

Teachers can find professional learning workshops, eLearning courses as well as teaching and learning resources to support the implementation of quality sport and physical activity programs.

Zone Excellence Framework

Zones are the engine room of school sport in NSW public schools. School-based staff, including principals, school leaders and both experienced and beginning teachers, serve as Zone executives, convenors, coaches, team managers and officials. Through their leadership and commitment, Zones create the opportunities most students experience each year, from weekly sport to carnivals and gala days that inspire participation and strengthen school communities.

Zones are also a crucial step in the Representative School Sport Pathway, identifying and supporting talented students to progress through structured opportunities, so students can develop their skills, confidence and aspirations through quality competition and coaching.

What is the Zone Excellence Framework?

The Zone Excellence Framework (ZEF) is a self-reflection and planning tool designed to support continuous growth in the safe, inclusive and effective delivery of Zone sport. It is not a rating system. Zones can use it to identify current strengths and priorities for improvement. Movement between levels may occur over time as systems mature, staff change or new opportunities emerge.

Overview

The ZEF helps Zones to:

identify what is working well
prioritise areas for improvement
plan practical next steps
track progress over time as systems mature, staff change and new opportunities emerge.

Intended audience

The ZEF is designed for:

Zone executives and convenors
sport organisers and Zone coordinators
principals and school leaders supporting Zone governance
teachers involved in planning, convening and delivery of Zone sport.

How Zones can use the ZEF

Zones can use the ZEF flexibly to suit their context. A suggested approach is:

Read the descriptors for each theme and discuss what is currently in place
Make an on-balance judgement about the level that best reflects current practice
Identify 2–3 priorities that will make the biggest difference for safety, inclusion and delivery quality
Plan next steps including actions, timelines and who is responsible
Review progress at least once per term, or after major events, staffing changes or known challenges.

What you can use it for

The ZEF can support Zones to:

strengthen governance and administration systems
improve consistency across member schools
reduce avoidable workload through clearer processes and templates
plan targeted improvements that increase participation, inclusion and safety
support executive handover and continuity when staff change.

Support

For support using the ZEF, or help with Zone improvement in sport and physical activity, contact: schoolsportunit@det.nsw.edu.au

Last updated: 5 March 2026