Active research · Australia
Play Latitude Schools
A national study of conditions surrounding recess, lunch, transitions and supervision, informed by the experiences of school staff.
Read about the studyIndependent scholarly platform
Researching the conditions that shape the school day.
Time, weather, space, materials, rules and routines shape what children and teachers can do at school. School Conditions Lab examines how these everyday conditions influence participation, belonging, health and learning.
Founded and led by Associate Professor Brendon Hyndman, School of Education, Charles Sturt University.
Working in an Australian school? Explore Play Latitude.
Everyday school conditions
surfaces + markingssun + shadeThe research focus
What are school conditions?
School conditions include time for play and movement, access to space and materials, exposure to weather, and the rules, routines and decisions that organise daily life. This research examines how people experience those conditions and what schools and systems can realistically change.
Consider a shaded space: who can use it, at what times, under which rules, and with what supervision?
Read the research questionsCurrent work
Connected questions, distinct projects
Each project retains its own research team, evidence status and governance.
Research in progress · Australia
Heat-Safe Schools
Research on heat and environmental exposure, school grounds, public guidance and the decisions schools can put into practice.
Explore the researchEdited volume in development
Overlooked Foundations
Beyond the Core Business of Schools is being developed with Springer and co-edited by Brendon Hyndman and Vaughan Cruickshank.
Read about the volume
Founder and Research Lead
Brendon Hyndman
Associate Professor Brendon Hyndman established School Conditions Lab to connect nearly two decades of research on school life. His work spans playground interventions, movement and health, environmental exposure, and the decisions that shape participation.
He leads the platform’s research direction. Collaborators are recognised through their contributions to specific projects and publications.
Selected scholarly foundations
A program developed through research
2014Published intervention
Changing the resources for school play
LEAP examined movable play materials, physical activity and children’s experience in an intervention school and a matched comparison school.
Read the research 2023Research bookThe Impact of Extreme Weather on School Education
Brendon Hyndman and Jennifer Vanos connect environmental exposure with the protection of school communities.
Read the research 2026Published teacher studyReimagining play in schools
Responses from 135 teachers across 25 countries examine preparation and professional learning for outdoor play.
Read the researchAccepted for publication · October 2026
When the schoolyard gets wet
Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education
A national analysis of rainfall exposure at 11,025 Australian schools in 2025 identified 1,112 high-rainfall schools, representing more than 440,000 student enrolments. The findings bring rainfall into focus as a condition of schooling, with implications for outdoor participation, school grounds, infrastructure planning and educational equity.
Public scholarship
Research in public discussion
The Conversation ·
Should schools ban students from doing cartwheels?
Brendon examines how space, preparation and supervision can support active play, and whose opportunities may be lost when schools restrict it.
Read the articleArticles, interviews and talks bring questions about school conditions to wider audiences. Watch Brendon’s TEDx talk, The Power of Play: Reimagining Schools for Belonging, and explore selected public and professional contributions.
Explore ideas and impactContact and collaboration
Find the relevant pathway
Researchers
Explore published work and discuss a research question.
Schools
Find current studies and participation information.
Systems and policymakers
Discuss evidence needs and decisions at system level.
Doctoral researchers
Explore research fit and make an initial enquiry.
Media and event organisers
Contact Brendon about commentary or speaking.
Collaborators and funders
Discuss a defined opportunity or funding proposal.