Table 2 Overview of the multi-component implementation support intervention

 1. Obtaining executive and leadership support: School executive sign a partnership agreement outlining commitment to the program. School team/committee formed (new team or re-alignment of existing team, inclusive of in-School Champion and school executive member) to oversee program, meet at least once per term.

 2. Embedded school staff: in-School Champion: An existing school PE teacher is allocated a half day per week funding to support program implementation (funding of $350AUD a fortnight provided by the Department of Health to cover half–day a week release for the duration of the intervention (8 school terms, which is 2 years)).

 3. External implementation support: A Support Officer (health promotion officer, ideally with PE teacher training) co-located within the relevant local health district will make regular contact (weekly for 12 months, and as needed for the remaining 12 months) with in-School Champion via phone, email and/or face-to-face site visits.

 4. Teacher professional learning: Accredited with teacher accreditation body NESA [38]

  • In-School Champion training – Two × 1-day face to face training sessions - hosted by PA4E1 implementation team in Term 1 and Term 5. These involve paid overnight accommodation, all meals and transport costs for those in-School Champions that attend

  • Quality PE training – 8 × 10-min online training videos delivered via the password protected program website focused on the SAAFE principles to be viewed by all PE teachers and discussed as a PE department, including some brief quiz questions relating to the videos

  • Enhanced school sport training – PA4E1 in-School Champion (or other teachers involved in delivering the program could attend 1 day face-to-face training offered through NSW Department of Education (School Sport Unit). – Resistance Training for Teens (course costs paid by project for in-School Champion), or equivalent training run by PA4E1 implementation team - Term 1–2 (not accredited). Other teachers can attend (not paid for by project)

  • School PA policy training – in-School Champion to undertake existing online school PA policy training run by the NSW Department of Education (Government schools only) [42]

 5. Resources: Primarily distributed via the program website (PA4E1 Online) accessed by in-School Champion and other PE teachers as required:

  • Resources on the program website include: Overview of program presentation (Powerpoint presentation), project milestones to be achieved each term (over 8 terms, with term 1 as a planning term - this includes preparation, training and practice implementation milestones), online quality PE training (SAAFE Principle videos (6 videos - one overview and one per Principle) and worksheet, peer observation materials), student personal activity plan templates, recess and lunch resources, policy templates, examples of community PA providers, tips and frequently asked questions

  • Some PA equipment provided to support the delivery of recess and lunchtime PA ($100AUD equipment voucher) and enhanced schools sport program (5 Gymsticks/school)

  • Posters outlining Quality PE principles (SAAFE Principles [41] to be displayed in PE department by 12 months

 6. Provision of prompts and reminders: emails or phone calls (occurring weekly in the first 12 months and as needed in the second 12 months from Support Officer encouraging schools to implement PA practices, complete training. Automated messages sent each term via the program website to in-School Champions about completion of teacher professional learning and completion on online termly surveys.

 7. Implementation performance monitoring and feedback – termly performance monitoring surveys are completed by in-School Champions via the program website, and a feedback report on progress against milestones for each PA practice is automatically generated and sent to the school Principal, Head PE teacher and in-School Champion. The report is used by the external Support Officer to identify practices that can be achieved as ‘easy-wins’ (i.e. need only a little bit more effort to be achieved) and to guide implementation support and overcome barriers to implementing PA4E1 more broadly.