KEY POINTS:
A kick-around at lunchtime at Manurewa East School isn't just a part of the push to keep students fit - it is one of the reasons playground bullying has decreased.
The school had major problems when principal Phil Palfrey joined in 1999, including having been labelled unsafe for students by officials. Playground bullying during lunchbreaks was particularly bad.
But Mr Palfrey, a self-confessed soccer nut and one of only two male teachers at the school at the time, came up with a novel way to tackle the problems after he joined in a student match one lunchtime.
He said the second he stepped on the field in his sports gear, the attitudes of the students changed. "All the kids would behave. I was there, I was looking at them, I was talking to them," he said. "Also, more importantly, I was interacting with them really positively and having fun."
The results were so astounding that a compulsory organised lunchtime sports programme was started at the decile 2 school.
The Year 5 and 6 students are required to spend the last half-hour of their lunchtime at an organised sport session with a teacher.
Mr Palfrey, who was awarded a Queen's Service Medal for public service this year, documented the results for the master's thesis he completed three years ago.
He found evidence the organised sports sessions could reduce bullying. In practice, he saw the line of misbehaving children outside the principal's office in the afternoons disappearing.
Mr Palfrey said being involved in sport meant senior students couldn't wander behind buildings or other remote areas.
Girls and boys play together, cutting down on gender-specific bullying trends.
Mr Palfrey said the programme was aimed at older students because younger students picked up on their behaviour and wanted to be like them.
While bullying has virtually been eliminated from the playground, Mr Palfrey said he still surveyed pupils to identify the handful of children who "scare" others.
"The more we involved ourselves in a positive way out on the field, the less we got negative incidents," said Mr Palfrey.
The only cost of the scheme is teachers' time. St Cuthbert's College also donates used sports equipment to the school.
The Education Review Office usually reviews schools once every three years. But, in 2000, it issued its third discretionary report on Manurewa East School since 1997.
Among its list of "serious deficiencies" that had needed addressing was the quality of school leadership, the provision of a safe environment and relationships among staff.
In 2000, it said there were significant improvements in each area for the first time since 1997 and credited the appointment of Mr Palfrey six months earlier.
Its latest report from 2004 showed the new initiatives were making a difference. "Laughter and enjoyment permeate the school, with children striving hard to meet high behavioural and academic expectations," it read.
Mr Palfrey said a range of programmes were now running in the school, including drives for better literacy, numeracy and attendance run as part of the Ministry of Education funded Manurewa Enhancement Initiative.
It is an Auckland Regional Council Enviroschool - complete with a coop of 13 resident chickens.
This year, the school joined the Manukau Family Literacy Programme, launched in 2003 by the City of Manukau Education Trust to train parents as they teach reading, which Mr Palfrey described as amazing.
He said data comparing schools in the Manurewa Enhancement Initiative showed Manurewa East School's students were doing well academically.
Meanwhile, at lunchtime, they brush up on sport.
Despite having a bigger school to care for now and having aged during the process, Mr Palfrey still enjoys a kick-around with the kids about once a fortnight.
Giving the students a sporting chance
Being told to play sport at lunchtimes doesn't phase Keanu Singsam (right) - he likes it so much, he'd do it anyway.
The Year 6 Manurewa East School student has joined in the lunchtime sessions for years, even before he reached Year 5 and 6 when it became compulsory. Keanu plays rugby and softball and swims, but basketball and netball are his favourite games. The 11-year-old is one of two boys in the school's A netball team.
"I like netball because it's a fast game," says Keanu. "I can get the ball off the girls easily ... I can jump higher."
For Karissa Rapana (left), 9, the compulsory lunchtime sport is a new concept. The Year 5 student says she doesn't miss her old lunchtime habits of going to the library to read or hanging out with friends in the playground.
Her favourite sport is soccer and the lunchtimes help her brush up on her skills. She became the senior soccer team's goalie this year and she admits she needs the practice. "I keep getting hit in the face by the ball," she grins.
Keanu and Karissa agree the sessions are a good way to ward off any problems with bullying. Keanu says students get so involved in the game, they don't think of bothering others while Karissa says being in a team helps loners make friends.
