The sweat and effort of more than 70,000 NSW public school students has been rewarded with the completion of the Premier’s Sporting Challenge.

Each of the 404 participating schools received an award in the challenge – a State Government initiative to combat childhood obesity by encouraging students to participate in moderate to vigorous physical activity every day.

Over a 15-week period schools implemented programs and set goals to accrue time spent on physical activity. Students maintained log books of the time spent playing sport or being active during and outside school hours.

The primary challenge ran on a class basis while the secondary challenge was for teams of 10 students.

Sixteen schools throughout the state earned the challenge’s highest award, a diamond medal, signifying each participating student spent a daily average of 80 minutes exercising.

Sixty-eight per cent of students achieved the challenge’s gold medal goal of 60 minutes exercise – the recommended national guideline – each day.

Education minister Verity Firth said the challenge gave students the best possible foundation for a healthy life.

“Research shows that physical activity is essential for children and young adults, for their mental, physical and social development,” Ms Firth said.

Year 6 teacher Narelle Griffin, from diamond-medal winning Ulladulla Public School, said the challenge had improved the activity levels of her school’s participating Year 6 classes.

Each student counted their involvement in the school’s fitness program towards the challenge along with school sport and community-based activities. A friendly competition between the four classes led to an increase in the students’ daily activity levels.

“The class competition spurred the kids on,” Mrs Griffin said. “They would do running at lunch time to get their fitness levels up there.”

Mrs Griffin, the program coordinator at the school, said she believed the students would carry on their healthy habits.

“Fifteen weeks is a fairly long period and the students have established their fitness levels,” she said. “I think it becomes part of their normal routine.”

PE teacher Benjamin Cole, from diamond-medal winning Dorrigo High School, said the challenge had “further raised the awareness of the importance of physical activity in maintaining a healthy lifestyle”.

Mr Cole said the participating Years 7 to 10 students came from “a very sporting community” and were involved in a variety of “school physical activities and team sports” during the 15-week period.

“The Dorrigo High School community is proud of its students and their exemplary behaviour and application to their school work and this activity has further enhanced the school culture,” he said.

As part of the challenge elite- level athletes, including Australian representatives Brett Lee (cricket), Susan Pratley (netball) and Craig Wing (rugby league), have visited schools in their role of sporting challenge ambassadors.

The State Government initiative provides $50 million over four years to improve sports facilities and equipment in public schools and recurrent funding for programs that encourage participation in physical activity and school-based sport.