Who we are
Established in 2023 by Associate Professor Nicole Nathan, the National School Health Promotion Collective brings together state and territory departments of health and education and leading health promotion agencies.
Members of the Collective are:
Australian Council for Health, Physical Education and Recreation NSW
Catholic Schools Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle
NSW Aboriginal Education Consultative Group
Queensland Department of Education
Tasmanian Department of Health
Tasmanian Department for Education, Children and Young People
Department of Education and Training, Northern Territory
Preventative Health South Australia
Department for Education, South Australia
What we do
Chronic disease is responsible for ~80% of premature deaths in Australia and costs more than $20 billion (AIHW, 2022). Targeting risk factors during the time that health behaviours are developed (childhood and adolescence) is critical to preventing the development of chronic disease.
Our focus is therefore effective and cost-effective evidence-based health promotion programs in schools across the following priority areas:
- Vaping prevention and cessation
- Physical activity enabling school uniforms
- Physical activity programs
- Healthy canteens
- Mobile phone restrictions
How we do our work
Working in partnership we will generate evidence and guidance to support chronic disease prevention and health promotion efforts nationally.
Our progress to date
In 2023 our team was awarded a $4.9 million Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) Grant to tackle one of the most pressing challenges in school health promotion; ensuring that effective programs are sustained over the long term. The National School Health Promotion Collective is focused on identifying what helps programs last, testing practical strategies to support sustained delivery, and equipping decision-makers with the tools they need to plan for sustainability from the outset.
We began by bringing together policymakers and practitioners from every state and territory for the inaugural National School Health Promotion Workshop held in Newcastle on 21 November 2024. This landmark event marked the first national dialogue between health and education policymakers focused specifically on the sustainability of health promotion efforts in schools. It set the foundation for our ongoing collaboration across jurisdictions and confirmed shared priorities for action.
Since the grant commenced in March 2025, we have established national governance and research structures, begun co-design with policymakers, and finalised study protocols across multiple strands of work. Our upcoming milestones include:
- National survey of schools (late 2025) to map current sustainment practices and challenges
- Sustainment trial of the PA4E1 physical activity program (late 2025)
- Studies focused on school uniform flexibility and mobile phone policy (2026), with the uniforms study forming part of a collaborative international study across 8 countries
- Adolescent vaping cessation study launching late 2025
Together, these projects will build the evidence needed to help schools and policymakers make informed, sustainable choices that improve student health.