Flagship national project · Scan now open
A national research program examining the conditions across recess, lunch, transitions and supervision in Australian schools.
The live research pathway
Play Latitude invites adults working across Australian primary, secondary, combined and specialist schools to examine the conditions surrounding recess, lunch, transitions, supervision and related informal parts of the school day.
The anonymous National School Scan brings together school conditions, staff capability, workability, sustainment and practical priorities. It is not a staff performance assessment, school inspection or ranking.
PlayReady provides the evidence-informed framework. Play Latitude is the national scan and operating pathway that brings the framework into active school research.
Open the National School ScanPlatform contribution
Builds a clearer picture of how school staff experience the conditions surrounding play.
Supports structured noticing of strengths, gaps and priorities without reducing play to a checklist.
Examines why good intentions are enabled, constrained or unevenly enacted across school contexts.
Positions play and recess as educational infrastructure rather than peripheral time.
Research foundation
International research examining the preparation and conditions surrounding quality outdoor play.
A comparative foundation for understanding the gap between valuing play and making it workable in everyday practice.
Latest accepted scholarship
Accepted for publication in the International Journal of Play, a national analysis of 60 Australian public-education documents found that risk, supervision, climate exposure and adult responsibility are governed more clearly than play sufficiency, student agency, outdoor belonging and play-supportive adult capability.
View the accepted research recordResearch governance
The project site and approved participant materials are the source of truth for eligibility, consent, privacy and study contact details.
Play Latitude Schools is supported through Charles Sturt University tri-faculty funding. Formal project governance, expenditure and research processes remain within the relevant University arrangements.
Project team
The team connects research leadership, play and inclusion expertise, national recruitment and the practical realities of school life.
Founder and Chief Investigator
School of Education, Charles Sturt University
Brendon founded and leads the School Conditions Lab. His research connects play, movement, school environments, climate exposure, supervision and everyday routines with children’s and teachers’ wellbeing, belonging and learning.
Research lead profile
Co-investigator
Senior Lecturer, School of Education, Charles Sturt University
Shukla’s research spans STEAM education, cultural-historical theory, inclusive and play-based pedagogy, and digital video observation across early childhood, primary and higher education. She brings child rights, holistic development and culturally responsive play perspectives to both programs.
Research profile
Research Assistant
PhD Candidate, Charles Sturt University
Sara is an educational leader and researcher working across inclusive education, teacher wellbeing and sustainable leadership. Her doctoral research examines how leadership and organisational systems can better support neurodivergent teachers in primary schools. She supports Play Latitude’s system approvals, recruitment and translation.
Professional profile
Adjunct Research Associate
Practitioner Collaborator, Play Latitude
School of Education, Charles Sturt University
Lucy is an Adjunct Research Associate and accomplished primary teacher with 15 years of classroom and school-based experience. Her applied scholarship connects student wellbeing, behaviour support, recess risk and the realities of outdoor school life. She co-authored the accepted national policy analysis Reading Play Between the Lines and contributes practitioner insight to Play Latitude.
Selected publication