Schools have an important role in promoting sport through the co-curricular programmes they offer students. These programmes allow students to build on and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they develop in the school's physical education curriculum. Organised school sports programmes should neither be seen as substitutes for sport studies in this curriculum nor as the specific domain of physical education teachers.

The effective promotion and organisation of school sport should reflect the needs of students and ensure that all students have the opportunity to:

• participate to the highest level of their interest and ability

• experience enjoyment and achievement

• become competent and enthusiastic participants

• practise fair play (in the widest interpretation of the term) in all situations

• experience and manage competition.

Clifton School students take part in the Swim 4 Life programme in Term 1, and senior students compete in our school Athletics as well as the Cluster School competitions.  Tough Kid events are always popular with the Ohingaiti event held on the last day of Term 3 for Year 3 to Year 8 kids. Clifton School also runs a cross country competition. During the winter months, children can join the Ohakea/Bulls Junior Football, Bulls Junior Rugby or Rangitikei Netball teams for weekend competitions (registration details can be found in our weekly school newsletters).

Sports programmes can be developed in partnership with clubs and other community groups and may involve interschool and club competitions.

Students require a range of structured, sequenced, and developmentally appropriate learning opportunities in sport studies. These include opportunities to develop:

• skills for participating in diverse sporting roles

• such as playing, coaching, officiating, and administrating

• constructive attitudes, values, and behaviours that will help them to manage co-operative and competitive sports environments

• skills for identifying and critiquing the contributions that science, technology, and the environment make to sporting performances

• the skills to identify and discuss the social and cultural significance that sport has for individuals and for society

• for example, in relation to attitudes, values, specific practices and their effects, and media influences.

Community Sports Programmes

Please click on the following links to sports groups in our community:

• Bulls Junior Rugby: https://www.sporty.co.nz/bullsrugbyjnr/

• Bulls/Ohakea Football Club: https://www.centralfootball.co.nz/clubs-1/directory-1

• Bulls Netball: http://www.netballmanawatu.org.nz/Registration-Fees/ClubSchool-List-1

• Rangitikei Hockey: https://www.sporty.co.nz/rangitikeihockey/Youth-Hockey/Playing-Grades

• Sport Whanganui:  https://sportwhanganui.co.nz/

•  Weetbix Tryathlon: https://trychallenge.co.nz/

• Ohingaiti Tough Kid Challenge: https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/84577547/tough-kids-shine-in-ohingaiti-race