Why KIDDO?
Dryandra’s approach began with a clear understanding of student need. The school identified that many children were entering Kindy with very poor Fundamental Movement Skills.
For a school community where many children have limited opportunities to access physical activity outside of school, KIDDO provides a practical way to create repeated, engaging and developmentally appropriate movement experiences during the school day.
Dryandra has used KIDDO to give staff:
- A shared framework for teaching movement skills
- A clear method for assessing student progress and identifying where extra support is needed
A gradual approach
Dryandra’s implementation has grown over time, becoming part of both classroom practice and whole-school planning.
The school began using KIDDO in 2019 and has embedded KIDDO and FMS targets in its Operational Plan since 2020. Today, KIDDO is used in multiple ways across the school:
- Kindergarten - Year 2 teachers use it for daily fitness planning
- PE teacher uses it during PE lessons and block sport.
- SMASH Club (a targeted intervention program for students who need additional assistance with FMS development) and a whole-school Health Expo in 2023.
This staged approach shows that schools do not need to implement everything at once. Dryandra has built a model that fits its context, uses staff expertise and responds to student need.
Making an impact: Using assessment data
Dryandra uses the KIDDO FMS Assessment to understand what students can do, where they need further support and how teaching should be adjusted.
For example, the 2024 cohort insights show a clear picture of student development.
- Kindy students entered school with very low FMS, with kicking the only skill measuring above the national average
- After one year of KIDDO and FMS development, Foundation students showed strength in kicking and bounce and catch, while run, balance and jump remained priorities
- Year 1 students, after two years of KIDDO and FMS development, scored above the national average in bounce and catch, kick for distance and run; however, balance and jump were still developing
- After three years of KIDDO instruction, in Year 2, the only skill still below the national average was balance
This use of data helps Dryandra move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. It allows teachers to identify cohort trends, plan lessons around actual student needs and provide extra support for students who require more practice.
The graphs show the insights for the 2024 Year 2 Group compared to national averages. You can clearly see balance is the only skill below the national average (Note: A lower score for the run is better, so it is ideal for the class average to be below the national average)
PE and beyond: Movement that supports learning
At Dryandra, movement is part of the broader school experience. KIDDO is used in Kindergarten - Year 2 for morning fitness, PE lessons, block sport and targeted programs such as SMASH Club.
SMASH Club, Dryandra’s targeted intervention program, is based on KIDDO data and is provided to selected Foundation to Year 3 students. It targets each child’s specific skill deficits, gives students an extra five hours per term of focused FMS instruction and practice, and is run by the PE teacher.
The school has also focused on creating fun, engaging and physically active environments indoors and outdoors, beyond formal KIDDO, fitness and PE sessions.
Student and teacher feedback also highlights the value of making movement enjoyable and easy to implement. Students say they love the games, playing with friends, making their bodies strong and healthy, getting outside and improving at kicking balls. Teachers value the easy assessment tools, improved data uploading, clear cohort insights, parent reports, a wide range of activities and videos demonstrating different activities.
What's next?
Dryandra’s work in physical literacy is ongoing. The school has identified several next steps to strengthen and sustain its practice.
Future priorities include:
- Ensuring all staff have KIDDO training
- Continuing to set challenging targets for students
- Maintaining Tier 2 intervention for students at risk
- Improving the way information and activity ideas are shared with parents through the website
These goals show that Dryandra is committed not only to student improvement, but also to whole-school capacity building. By continuing to train staff, use data, support students who need extra help and connect families with activity ideas, Dryandra is creating a sustainable model for physical literacy.