AFL Schools launches as gift to NSW/ACT primary school teachers

Photo: NSW Government’s Minister for Education and Early Learning, The Hon. Sarah Mitchell MLC alongside Alyce Parker (GIANTS) and students from Waverley College.

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Today the AFL launched AFL Schools, a free program which offers more than 55 hours of primary school teaching content, at an event at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.

The AFL Schools program, available at play.afl/schools, provides teachers and schools a suite of free high-quality and curriculum aligned teaching resources, as well as robust professional learning sessions.

The content aims to empower teachers to deliver quality lessons – both on the field and in the classroom – which encourage students to be more active and engaged, while simultaneously exposing them to Australian football, its clubs and players.

The site and resources are backed market research, and were developed in conjunction with Australian education agency Kimberlin Education over the past 12 months.

Lisa Steane, AFLW player for the Sydney Swans and qualified teacher, is proud of the AFL Schools initiative. “It’s great to see the sport I love collide with my career away from the footy field in such a meaningful way,” she said. “Primary teachers’ workloads have been building for many years and programs like AFL Schools which provide some relief as well as evidence-driven education outcomes will be welcomed by the sector.”

AFL Schools’ online program features 77 new lessons, which each take around 45 minutes to complete. These practical and in-class lessons are stepped out, to ensure teachers who are unfamiliar with Australian football can still generate meaningful outcomes for their students. AFL Schools also offers a range of professional development opportunities to benefit teachers.

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Tens of thousands of primary school students and teachers will now have access to free teaching and learning resources through AFL Schools

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The NSW Government’s Minister for Education and Early Learning, The Hon. Sarah Mitchell MLC, also attended the launch said the lesson plans developed provide teachers and schools with additional resources on top of what the Department of Education provides.

“We want teachers to have access to easy, explicit learning materials and having AFL Schools provide this to teachers is an extra helping hand,” Ms Mitchell said. 

 “I was pleased to be at the launch where teachers across Sydney got the first look at what can be accessed.

“AFL Schools aims to provide teachers with both on the oval and in the classroom lesson plans, encouraging students to be more active and engaged while getting exposed to one of Australia’s most popular sports.”

As they plan for 2023, teachers are encouraged to visit play.afl/schools to see the full AFL Schools offering.

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