The PDHPE & CAFS Podcast with Kelly Bell

The Missed Opportunity in Every HMS and CAFS ClassroomThere is one task sitting in both your HMS and CAFS courses that quietly decides how ready your students are for Year 12. Most of us are wasting it.It is the big student-led research task: the Collaborative Investigation in HMS, the Independent Research Project in CAFS. We hand students total freedom too early, they pick a topic that sounds exciting but goes nowhere, and a whole term of research skill-building lands on content they will never be assessed on.In this episode, Kelly shares the 5-point test for a topic that actually works, one that sits firmly in the syllabus, generates real data and bridges straight into Year 12 thinking.HMS teachers, if you are looking for resources that bring this to life,join us inside The HMS Membership atthelearnnet.com/hms.CAFS teachers, find your resources and community atthelearnnet.com/collective.

Some of the most common things we do in Health and Movement Science look like solid teaching, but they're quietly costing our kids marks.In this episode I'm walking you through the four biggest culprits I see again and again: teaching content without bringing it to life, death by PowerPoint, examples that are too generic and the one hurting kids most in year one of the new syllabus, not knowing the difference between the key words.Here's the thing. These aren't lazy-teacher mistakes. They're busy-teacher mistakes. Every one of them happens when you're stretched thin and reaching for what's quick, and every one of them is fixable.With 2026 being the first HSC under the new Health and Movement Science syllabus and no past papers to lean on, the margin for error is smaller than ever. So let's name what's getting in the way, then sort out how to fix it.Explore The HMS Membership: thelearnnet.com/hmsJoin us at The HMS Summit: thelearnnet.com/summit

Body image is not just a high school issue. It starts younger than most of us realise.This week on The PDHPE and CAFS Podcast, Kelly Bell sits down with Kate McGill, accredited practising dietitian, body image coach and presenter with the Butterfly Foundation. Kate brings warmth, lived experience and real expertise to a conversation that matters for every classroom, from Kindergarten right through to Year 12.We talk about how to open up positive, age appropriate conversations about bodies with our youngest students. We unpack why the language we use as teachers matters so much, the everyday phrases that can do quiet harm and how to shift the focus from appearance to what our bodies let us do every day.You'll hear about:How body image develops far earlier than we think and why early conversations matterThe language traps teachers fall into without meaning to, and how to reframe themWhy body dissatisfaction affects boys and girls, in the city and the countryHow the new NSW K to 10 PDHPE syllabus gives us common language to teach this wellWhether you're a primary teacher or a high school PDHPE teacher juggling welfare and wellbeing, this episode will leave you better equipped to support the whole child.

Drug education is in your 7-10 PDHPE program. But what does the evidence actually say works with Stage 4 and 5 students?Kelly sits down with Associate Professor Emily Stockings from the Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use at the University of Sydney to talk about vaping, prevention and what PDHPE teachers can do right now in their 7-10 PDHPE classroom.They unpack why vaping spread so rapidly through NSW schools, why scare tactics consistently fall flat with teenagers and what evidence-based prevention actually looks like in practice. Emily also walks through the free Our Futures Vaping Prevention program for Years 7 and 8, already in over 1,000 schools across Australia.Practical, research-backed and directly relevant to your PDHPE program.Resources mentioned:Our Futures Institute: ourfuturesinstitute.org.auThe 7-10 PDHPE Membership: thelearnnet.com/secondary

Most primary teachers were never taught how to teach PE. They were handed a ball, pointed at an oval and told to get on with it. So it is no wonder that so many feel underprepared, under-resourced and unsure of what a good lesson even looks like.This episode changes that.Kelly breaks down the five elements of an excellent primary PE lesson, from fundamental movement skills to student leadership, equipment, space and joy. Grounded in Australian research and the new PDHPE K-6 Syllabus 2024, this is the practical, honest conversation that primary teachers have needed for a long time.Show notes and resources: thelearnnet.com/174Want resources and support? thelearnnet.com/primary

If you and your Health and Movement Science students are picking Collaborative Investigation topics that feel disconnected from the rest of the course, this episode is for you.The CI is one of the most powerful tasks in Year 11 Health and Movement Science but only when the topic is chosen well. In this episode, Kelly walks you through 8 content-connected CI topic ideas, 4 from Focus Area 1 and 4 from Focus Area 2, that don't just meet the Year 11 requirements. They actively build the knowledge and research skills your students need heading into Year 12.You will learn how to help students choose a topic that sits firmly in the Year 11 Health and Movement Science syllabus, generates real primary data and scaffolds forward into Year 12 content. Kelly also shares a suggested CI Focus Question for each topic so you can hand this straight to your students.Download the free resource mentioned in this episode at thelearnnet.com/ciLearn more about The HMS Membership with The Learning Network at thelearnnet.com/hms

In this episode of The PDHPE & CAFS Podcast with Kelly Bell, Kelly is joined by PDHPE mentors Lyndelle Batten and Tara Steinbeck to unpack the new K-6 and 7-10 PDHPE syllabuses for NSW teachers. Designed for busy educators, this episode explores key syllabus changes, practical planning strategies, and ways to reimagine PDHPE with a stronger focus on movement, health, wellbeing, respectful relationships and lifelong physical activity. Kelly also acknowledges the pressure teachers are facing during curriculum reform and offers encouragement, clarity, and classroom-ready support to help teachers feel more confident as they prepare for implementation.

This week on The PDHPE and CAFS Podcast, we’re sharing a special repurposed interview where Kell joined Ash from Rainbow Sky Creations to talk all things movement, primary PDHPE and classroom confidence.If you’ve ever thought, “I’m not sporty” or felt nervous about teaching PE, this episode is for you. Kell unpacks why physical education is not the same as sport, how simple movement breaks can support student focus and wellbeing, and why small, practical shifts can make PDHPE feel far less overwhelming for busy NSW primary teachers (some gems in there for high school PDHPE too). You’ll walk away with fresh encouragement, simple ideas you can use straight away, and a reminder that movement does not need to be complicated to make an impact.

This week on The PDHPE and CAFS Podcast, I’m joined by Jade Wholohan from Netball NSW and we’re unpacking how to confidently bring netball into your PDHPE lessons, even if you don't love netball or have not played it before.We talk about where to start, how to simplify the rules and why netball is one of the most powerful ways to build teamwork, fundamental movement skills and student confidence in both primary and high school settings. Jade shares practical strategies, simple game ideas and how to foster a love of movement through the lens of netball with your students.