Item: Partnership Sports Strategy
Posted by: Sue Ager
Dated: Tue 17th July 2007 4.39PM
In April 2000, the Government published its sports strategy A Sporting Future for All. One of the strategy's key actions at the time was to establish in excess of 600 School Sport Co-ordinator (SSCo) Partnerships in communities of greatest need. In October 2002 the Government announced the significant investment of £459 million into physical education (PE) and school sport over the next three years. These proposals included the expansion of SSCo Partnerships to include 2,400 SSCos and 13,500 primary link teachers (PLTs) by 2006. The Hunts School Sports Partnership is included within this last phase.
The purpose of the programme is to increase sports opportunities for more young people through co-ordinated PE, school sport and out-of-school-hours learning activities that link with local community sports facilities and development programmes.
September 2006 saw the launch of the Hunts Schools Sport Partnership, which is based at Hinchingbrooke School. The Partnership Development Manager (PDM), Sue Ager has been appointed to oversee the work of the programme, she will work with the School Sport Coordinators (SSCos), experienced PE teachers who work with partner primary, junior and infant schools within their families of schools.
The SSCo partnership recognises that it is in primary school where most children develop their basic skills and enthusiasm for sport. Specific funding is allocated through the programme for supply cover to enable an experienced primary teacher from each of the primary phase schools to be released from their timetable for up to 12 days per year. This time can be taken as a whole day, half-day or in blocks of time as seen appropriate. PLT time is used for training (and dissemination of training outcomes to other primary colleagues) and co-ordination or joint planning of key programme areas with SSCos and other PLTs.
The on-going professional development of primary school teachers is crucial to the success of this programme and the PLTs are at the centre of this development. PLTs access training opportunities delivered through the national training programme delivered by the British Association of Advisers and Lecturers in PE (BAALPE) and the Physical Education Association of the United Kingdom (PEAUK), LEAs, LA sports development units, national governing bodies of sport (NGBs) and Sports Coach UK.
National education and training opportunities complement local training and seek to provide professional accreditation in line with the requirements of the National Standards for Subject Leadership and the code of practice for professional development.
The key work areas for the programme and those that the PLTs will contribute towards are:
1. Strategic planning: to enhance PE and sports development for the school through the school development plan.
2. Primary liaison: to establish and develop linked PE and sports development programmes for local schools, particularly targeting the KS2/3 interface.
3. School to community: to build and support school/club links.
4. Out-of-school-hours activities: to develop and support out-of-school-hours sport programmes with local clubs, NGBs, school sport associations and sports development officers. Inter-school competitions will be a feature of this objective. This will link closely with the DfES out-of-school-hours learning (study support) objectives.
5. Coaching and leadership: to develop leadership, coaching and officiating programmes for senior students to gain appropriate skills and qualifications to enhance their future role within the sporting community.
6. Raising standards: to support schools in reviewing current PE and sport programmes and the role they play in raising standards across the school.
The Hunts Schools Sport Partnership will work with its partner schools to:
- enhance PE and school sport provision, ensuring access of all young people to at least two hours high quality PE and school sport in and out of the curriculum a week
- improve young peoples' motivation and attitude resulting in an increase in their achievement in all aspects of their school life
- improve the standard of performance by children across a range of sports
- increase the number of qualified and active coaches, leaders and officials in schools and local sports clubs and facilities
- increase participation among school children, particularly by girls and disabled young people and those in areas of particular socio-economic disadvantage.
Please do not hesitate to contact the Partnership Development Manager, Sue Ager if you have any questions on tel: 01480 375700 Extn.5621 or e-mail sa@hinchbk.cambs.sch.uk
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