A randomised trial of an intervention to sustain Physical Activity for Everyone (PA4E1) program delivery in secondary schools

The PA4e1 program consists of a suite of seven evidence-based PA practices: • Quality physical education practical lessons: All members of the PDHPE faculty complete professional learning on the S.A.A.F.E (Supportive, Active, Autonomous, Fair, Enjoyable) teaching principles and implement them during practical lessons • Student PA plans: PDHPE teachers guide all students in years 7-10 to develop a Personal PA plan annually. • Resistance training program: All students in one year group complete an enhanced school sport program (Resistance Training for Teens). • Supervised and planned recess and lunch time activities: The school implements supervised recess and/or lunchtime activities for students at least 3 times per week. • Development of a supportive school PA philosophy: The school embeds the PA4E1 program within strategic plans • Links with community PA providers: The school identifies and formalises links with community-based agencies that promote and offer ‘outside of school time’ PA and activities to students (or students and their families). And communicates this to students and their families at least once per term, • Communication of PA messages to parents and carers: Using various modes of communication the school provides families and parents with information on PA such as recommendations, strategies to improve PA. Please note the intervention of interest in this study is the intervention to sustain delivery of PA4E1 not the PA4E1 program itself. To support schools to sustain delivery of the PA4E1 program, measured by compliant delivery of the seven PA4E1 practices, a four-strategy sustainability intervention will be offered to schools. The 12-month intervention will consist of the following four sustainment strategies: 1. Identifying and onboarding new staff involved in PA4E1 Each term, the Project Officer will identify any new or incoming staff in PA4E1 delivery schools by sending a termly email to school Champions and PE teachers. When new staff are identified, they will receive a welcome email. New PA4E1 School Champions will be provided with resources to support their understanding of the program and their responsibilities, including an electronic and hard copy of the School Champion Manual and online access to the portal training modules for school champions. New PA4E1 teachers will be notified (with Champions copied in) that their School Champion will onboard them to the program, help to register them with the online portal, and prompt them to complete the portal training module to ensure PE sessions are Supportive, Active, Autonomous, Fair, and Enjoyable for all students. These onboarding materials are designed specifcally for this study to provide clear instructions on how to deliver PA4E1 program practices, explain the purpose and relevance of PA4E1 in the school context. 2. Executive support – securing and formalising schools ongoing commitment to PA4E1 This strategy aims to obtain formal commitments from school principals to sustain PA4E1 within their schools and to communicate these expectations to staff. At the start of each school year, Project Officers will request that executive staff of PA4E1 schools sign and circulate a pre-prepared formal statement of endorsement to all staff. The statement will highlight that the executive staff gives explicit approval for their school to be recognised as a PA4E1 School and will confirm their support for the implementation of the seven PA4E1 practices by the school's staff. These communications are planned for Term 1 to establish commitment and again in Term 4 to reinforce sustainability into the following year. 3. Reminding School Champions and teachers delivering PA4E1 This strategy focuses on maintaining awareness of PA4E1 practices and available support materials and reinforcing the ongoing value of the program. Each term, an email newsletter will be distributed to School Champions and PE staff (or equivalent staff delivering PA4E1), providing program updates and reminders to do the seven practices, outline the support materials available, and promote use of the online portal. To further maintain visibility, Project Officers will provide school champions with a resource pack at the start of the school year containing environmental prompts (e.g., posters, calendars, power point presentation slides) for display in staffrooms and other shared spaces. The power points slides will be offered for use during year 7 orientation presentations. 4. Recognise School Champions and PA4E1 staff contributors This strategy aims to provide recognition to School Champions and contributing staff to sustain their motivation to deliver the PA4E1 program. At the start of the school year, an official correspondence from the University and Health Service will be sent to the school Principal, with School Champions, the PE department, and other staff delivering PA4E1 copied into the correspondence. The correspondence will highlight the contributions of the School Champion and PE department and emphasise their valuable role in PA4E1. Similarly, at the end of the school year, a formal thank-you correspondence will also be sent acknowledging the contributions of School Champions, PE department, and other staff delivering PA4E1. Delivery and fidelity to the sustainment intervention (i.e., PA4E1 sustainment support strategies) will be monitored through continuous tracking by project officers, using checklists to document delivery of each strategy and the extent to which it was implemented as intended (Secondary Outcome 2). In addition, the project manager will conduct regular audits of intervention delivery, including reviewing the content of emails sent to school staff, as part of a quality assurance process to ensure adherence.