PE and Sport

Linking sport to positive behaviour

scameron — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 11:25:48 +0100

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority’s PE and School Sport (PESS) investigation concluded that physical activity has a motivational impact on children, increasing their self-esteem and general wellbeing. It also found that PE and sport helps children to develop essential social skills such as concentration, self-discipline, cooperation and an awareness of the need to think of things and people other than themselves.

Integrating sports psychology into PE

scameron — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:14:01 +0100

‘Not using sports psychology as a tool is like teaching geography without maps’
Mitch Lyons, basketball coach and founder of Get Psyched, a non-profit organisation working to promote better mental health in student athletes.

Helping students who want to work in sport

scameron — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:59:19 +0100

There are more than 200 possible roles in the sport and active leisure sector, yet many school leavers are only aware of the traditional options, coaching and instructing. If they consider themselves ill-equipped for these jobs, they are likely to abandon all thoughts of a career in sport or leisure.

In reality, the sport and leisure industry is one of the country’s fastest growing sectors, and with the battle against inactivity and obesity high on the government agenda, the demand for skilled
staff to deliver its objectives will only continue to rise.

How can aspiring footballers be encouraged to gain academic qualifications?

scameron — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:36:24 +0100

The dream of many a young boy is to become a professional footballer, earning an extravagant salary, driving a fast car, a WAG on his arm, celebrity status and a lavish lifestyle as advertised in glossy magazines and tabloid newspapers. However, the reality is that a only a tiny minority of youngsters have the talent to pursue this career and even fewer have the drive and work ethic required. These invaluable characteristics do not often appear in individuals and to achieve these football aspirations at a high level they need to be carefully nurtured and supported.

2012 Olympics: promoting primary PE

scameron — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 17:09:16 +0000

September saw the final handover of the Olympic Games to Britain. On 17 September the Paralympics flag was handed to the mayor of London. Overall, the Olympics have been a success story for Britain, with athletes gaining 47 medals (19 of them gold) in the summer games, and even greater success in September’s Paralympics with 102 medals (42 of them gold). With the handover complete, it is already being asked how Britain can consolidate and maintain this standard.

PE lesson plans: Coordination, running and throwing skills

scameron — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:56:14 +0000

Match!
This ideal warm-up activity uses playing cards to improve running skills and coordination.

Duration: 20 minutes

Go for it!
This game will improve skills in passing, running and use of space.

Duration: 15-20 minutes

Keeper of the treasures
This game will give pupils the opprtunity to analyse and consider how certain abilities can be improved using carious types of equipment.

Duration: 20 minutes

PE lesson plans: Fitness programme, choreography and game plans

scameron — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:48:32 +0000

The line game
The purpose of this activity is to move the whole team from one end of the playing area to the other using just the lines on the court

Duration: 5-10 minutes

A healthy approach
This activity is designed to allow students to contruct a fitness programme that will improve their performance.

Duration: 30 minutes

Performance
This activity will help students make use of choreographic principles when composing dances.

Duration: 20 minutes+

Using PE to boost cross curricular skills

scameron — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 12:11:46 +0000

CASE STUDY Combs Ford Primary School, Stowmarket, Suffolk

A Suffolk primary used the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority’s PE and School Sport (PESS) initiative to rejuvenate the entire school and boost the skills and independence of pupils with special educational needs.

Overview

Developing primary thinking skills with cricket

scameron — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:40:27 +0000

This Primary Know-How section from PE & Sport Today offers lesson activities for:

Year 3 and 4
Year 5
Year 6

Crispin Andrews first explains how striking and fielding activities can develop children's thinking skills

Safety in sport: goalposts

scameron — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 11:32:47 +0000

We often don’t fully appreciate the need for safety measures until something goes tragically wrong.
In 1991 Brenda Smith’s 11-year-old son, Jonathan, was killed when a 200lb goalpost fell on top of him, rupturing his heart. Brenda, from Essex, was shocked to discover that a boy in the Isle of Wight had died and that a seven-year-old boy in Morecambe had died four years previously in 1986, both in goalpost-related incidents. Meanwhile a girl in Scotland had sustained a broken pelvis and suffered lifelong injuries when a goal fell on her.

Sport spotlight: Orienteering

scameron — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 09:51:12 +0000

What is orienteering?

A new curriculum for girls' PE

scameron — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 15:38:59 +0000

In the majority of secondary schools the teaching of PE looks very similar, with something of ‘an implicit agreement as to what should be included in the curriculum and how it should be taught, with the focus being largely on the sporting model’ (Capel, 2007: 493). Such a model appears to focus mainly on skill acquisition within a traditional curriculum, which places an unbalanced emphasis upon team games and is taught using a limited range of largely didactic pedagogic approaches (Green, 1998; Penney and Evans, 1999; Metzler, 2000; Ofsted, 2002; Kirk and Kinchin, 2003).

Inspirational athlete: Desmond Douglas, table tennis player

scameron — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 12:56:43 +0000

Many billions of balls have pinged and ponged their way over the net since table tennis was invented more than a century ago. What began in Victorian Britain as an after-dinner amusement for the upper classes is, behind football, now one of the most popular sports in the world.

The game made a debut appearance at the Olympics in 1988 and, with London 2012 guaranteeing British participation in the four Olympic events for the first time since 2000, renewed interest in the sport is to be anticipated.

Lesson plans: incorporating the Olympics into the primary curriculum

scameron — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:28:08 +0000

This information pack offers lesson ideas for the primary curriculum that use the Olympics as inspiration. It includes:

Sport spotlight: Mini-basketball

scameron — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:42:14 +0000

The world development is administered by the Federation Internationale de Basketball (International Basketball Federation; FIBA) with headquarters in the city of Geneva, Switzerland. The international objective is to introduce young people to the world of sport in a spirit of friendship and understanding.

Improving social skills using sport

scameron — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:11:04 +0000

The Bexley School Sports Partnership (SSP) was set up in 2002 with the initial aim of reaching and exceeding the national target of young people taking part in two hours of PE and sport a week. Over time, the remit and focus of the partnership has changed, as we have come to use sport as a tool for making fundamental changes to young people’s lives.

Identifying primary G&T pupils in sport

scameron — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:55:47 +0000

A cricketer’s career

When he was 13, cricketer Nasser Hussain was well on the way to becoming an international leg spinner. But within three years, he had undergone a growth spurt and in the midst of this physical development his bowling fell to pieces.

PE lesson plans: Athletics, basketball and speed

scameron — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:58:39 +0000

Improving technique
These activities are designed to improve student's techniques in athletics.

Duration: 20 minutes

Shooting the basket
This activity is designed to improve a student's shooting and passing skills.

Duration: 20-30 minutes

Cones to drones
This activity will help improve speed and performance.

Duration: 5-10+ minutes

What a load of rubbish!
This activity is designed to get students to work together in a team on a 'recycling' activity.

Girls from ethnic minorities: sports participation

scameron — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:47:42 +0000

Current research indicates that a significantly large proportion of females from ethnic minorities, particularly those from South Asian communities (e.g. Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, and Indians) are failing to participate in physical activity in the UK. Reliable data on participation trends which pertains to women from South Asian communities is scarce. The aim of this study therefore was to make a contribution that will help to shed light upon the real and lived experiences of South Asian females and their engagement with physical activity in the UK.

Introduction

Computer games to encourage fitness

scameron — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:18:51 +0000

Beneath Christmas trees across the country and around the world, Nintendo Wiis were wrapped and ready for action. And for once no one could complain about children and young people being couch potatoes as living rooms were transformed into sporting arenas.

Boxing4Schools: tackling youth issues

scameron — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 15:04:37 +0000

Boxing4Schools is the first project of its kind in the UK, linking schools with local amateur boxing clubs and endeavouring to address disaffected youths, discipline, respect and the battle against obesity.

The scheme is run in conjunction with the Amateur Boxing Association (ABA) and, for the first time in nearly 50 years, allows secondary school pupils to learn the training skills of non-contact boxing as a regular part of their curriculum.

A gifted and talented sports programme

scameron — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 14:05:48 +0000

A progressive and forward thinking establishment, Bucklers Mead School is situated on the outskirts of the town of Yeovil in Somerset. Head of PE at the school is Craig Fletcher, a dynamic and experienced teacher who over the past few years has been involved in the National Gifted and Talented Scheme.

In a department of over five teachers and a schools sports coordinator (SSCO) – assigned to develop partnership with a local sports colleges and primary feeder schools – Craig has worked hard to improve the quality and performance of both students and staff.

Sports assessment to encourage physical literacy

scameron — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:39:25 +0000

Assessment is much more than simply monitoring progress and ticking boxes. And there is much more to PE than aspiring to run the fastest, jump the highest and perform magical feats with bat or ball.

Cricket games for primary students

scameron — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:09:02 +0000

Contrary to what certain Australian and Indian cricketers might have you believe, cricket is a striking and fielding, not just a ‘striking’, game. However, the slanging matches and posturing machismo that has taken place Down Under this year provides teachers with an opportunity to take the sort of lighthearted approach to PE that children love.

Encouraging citizenship values through sport

scameron — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:57:30 +0000

Like any other international sport, cricket is full of the sort of controversies and drama that can bring a subject like citizenship to life.

Whether examining social and moral responsibilities, facilitating community involvement or developing political literacy, cricket can add contemporary relevance and link abstract concepts to high profile events and real life situations.

The following activity ideas will help children access one particular area of the Key Stage 2 citizenship curriculum – rules and fairness.

How sports can engage students in maths

scameron — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 11:19:11 +0000

So Shane Warne has finally retired from first class cricket. The lure of the rupee and the poker table, not to mention family and many other business commitments, means that a year and a half after playing his last test match, the incomparable leg-spinner will not be turning out for Hampshire again.

There is a vast array of statistics on the web, so the study of sporting superstars like Warne can bring primary data handling projects to life.

Sport spotlight: Cheerleading in schools

scameron — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:49:14 +0000

Cheerleading is a vibrant, high energy, athletic discipline that is exploding in popularity. Probably the fastest growing sport across Britain – and certainly the fastest growing spectator sport – major indoor arenas are frequently sold out. Part of its evident appeal is performing in front of large appreciative audiences and being a competitive sport in its own right that is also exciting to watch.

Teaching wrestling

scameron — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:27:06 +0000

Do you remember Please Sir and the Welsh teacher (Mr Price) who used to mark his pupils’ books down the pub?

That was the first time I had ever pondered what these highly respected figures did to unwind away from the stresses and strains of ‘the chalk face’.

The origins of the modern Olympic Games

scameron — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 10:02:09 +0000

Contrary to popular myth, Baron Pierre De Coubertin did not conceive the idea of the modern Olympics in Athens, 1896. So instead let us acknowledge Dr William Penny Brookes, father of the modern Olympian movement, the Games of which first took place in 1850 in Much Wenlock, a town in Shropshire.

Inspirational athlete: Tom Daley, swimmer

scameron — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 09:48:32 +0000

Tom Daley is an extraordinary boy. As most children prepare to move from the comfort of their primaries up to ‘big school’, 10 year-old Tom was preparing to become British U18 Diving Champion. Then, in February this year, he qualified for the Beijing Olympics: he’ll be just 14 years and 79 days old when he dives for Britain at the world’s greatest sporting showpiece.

Your positive moments in PE

scameron — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:40:30 +0000

“I helped a toddler overcome his fear of the water. He truly enjoyed our "Pool Day." It was a small step for me, but a giant leap for him.”
- SpEd teacher

Making G&T cool using sport

scameron — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:10:54 +0000

Why do some G&T pupils get bullied for being bright whereas others do not? There is a theory that it is cool to be a bright boy if you are good at sport (for girls, the acceptance is possibly linked more to fashion sense and an attractive appearance). One of the biggest responsibilities of a school leader is to develop a culture where it is cool to be bright.

Is two hours of PE a week enough?

scameron — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:42:58 +0100

Nearly every day you can read or watch an article in the news with regards to healthy living or obesity issues. On the news I watched a piece on how inactive adults have become – and that an adult is dying every day as a result of inactivity. If adults are inactive, what role model do they provide to their children? Very recently there was a newspaper article discussing how scientists have created a new formula for newborn babies that has a specific hormone in that could ‘end obesity’.

PE lesson plans: Basketball, badminton and volleyball

scameron — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:30:00 +0100

Zone defence
This activity is designed to teach the fundamental concept of zone defence in basketball.

Duration: 20 minutes

Badminton hoops
This activity is intended to improve a studen's badminton skills.

Duration: 20 minutes

Slightly dodgy
This activity will allow students to develop their throwing skills and improve their performance.

Duration: 30 minutes

Foot volleyball
This activity promotes a student's ball control and also reinforces their volleyball skills.

Using sport to motivate all achievement

scameron — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:30:00 +0100

Increased motivation, improved independent learning and better decision making are just some of the results Windsor High School boasts following four years’ involvement in the PESS investigation, which it joined in 2004, two years after being designated a specialist sports college.

PE lesson plans: Outdoor and adventurous activity

scameron — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:20:30 +0100

These rather different PE lesson plans for primary schools are themed around outdoor adventure. Each one involves three separate activities, including an introduction to the theme, the main activity, followed by an evaluation by the pupils themselves, to encourage them to see what they've learnt

Inclusive sport

scameron — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 11:20:00 +0100

King Edward VI is a specialist sports college based in Bury St Edmunds and attended by around 1,305 students aged between 13 and 18. The school, an officially accredited ‘healthy school’, is dedicated to providing its students with a curriculum that – from elite students to the most challenged – is 100 per cent inclusive.

Helping pupils with asthma to exercise

scameron — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:35:00 +0100

Research suggests that up to one third of children with asthma may miss out on PE or other sport about once a week because of their condition, despite compelling evidence that exercise is good for them. There is no reason why an asthmatic child, given proper medication, support and appropriate adjustments to their activities, should not enjoy the full range of physical activities on offer at a school.

Sport spotlight: Schools football

scameron — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:25:10 +0100

The English Schools Football Association (ESFA) is the governing body that organises schools football throughout the country, which it does in partnership with the FA. The ESFA aims to provide enjoyable soccer experiences for both primary and secondary school children by offering competitions ranging from mini-soccer for under-11 footballers through to the 11-a-side game for older pupils from Year 7 upwards. Throughout the country, county and district associations affiliated to the ESFA also offer a full programme of competitions and festivals for their schools.

Inspirational athlete: Sharron Davies, swimmer

scameron — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 13:20:14 +0100

There are so few examples in the UK of swimmers making their mark internationally as young as 13. What was it like as a child to be one of Britain’s best swimmers?
It was normal progression really into that sort of dedication. I started swimming at six and by eight I was training most days. In those days most swimmers started very young. They are older now. I had to grow up quickly I guess in some ways.

Teaching non-traditional street sports

scameron — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:30:28 +0100

Encouraging our children and young people to undertake more physical activity is becoming an increasingly important priority for schools. In summer 2007, prime minister Gordon Brown said: “We need to put school sport back where it belongs, playing a central role in the school day. Whatever their natural ability and whatever their age, sports and activity can make our children healthier and raise their self-confidence and self-esteem.”

The PE primary challenge: five hours per week

scameron — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:18:27 +0100

No sooner are headteachers providing two hours of high-quality physical activity for all their children and the government ask for more.

Facilitating the delivery of high-quality PE and a wide range of out-of-school-hours activities to cater for the needs of those youngsters who aren’t particularly bothered by netball and swimming, but might like a bit of street dance, quad biking or kabaddi, is not enough. Now there must be five hours – two on the curriculum and three more out of school hours and in the community – every week.

Sport and child protection

scameron — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:55:02 +0100

The government wants to see every pupil doing at least five hours of physical activity by 2012; but will existing child protection policies and procedures permit the sort of mass delivery from outside organisations, necessary for schools to achieve this target without placing too great a burden on their own staff?

PE lesson plans: General fitness, dexterity and leadership

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:28:27 +0100

These PE lessons provide a basic framework which can be developed to meet the local needs, age and ability of your students. All are cross-curriculum linked PE games too.

Written by Godfrey Hall

**Taken from The PE File, edited by Sara Evans (no longer published)**

Lesson plans for effective PE transition

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:28:27 +0100

This free resource for PE teachers gives suggestions for lessons plans for the autumn and summer terms of year 6 , to smooth the way for a constructive, rather than repetitious, programme over the KS2 and KS3 cross-over.

Written by Lisa Symonds

Taken from The PE File, edited by Sara Evans (no longer published)

PE lesson plans: Ball skills, muscular development and strategy planning

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:28:27 +0100

These PE lessons provide a basic framework which can be developed to meet the local needs, age and ability of your students. All are cross-curriculum linked PE games too.

Written by Godfrey Hall

Taken from The PE File, edited by Sara Evans (no longer published)

PE lesson plans: Technique, accuracy and zone defence

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:28:27 +0100

These PE lessons provide a basic framework which can be developed to meet the local needs, age and ability of your students. All are cross-curriculum linked PE games too.

Written by Godfrey Hall

Taken from The PE File, edited by Sara Evans (no longer published)

PE lesson plans: Improving thinking skills and team work

jlee — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:28:27 +0100

The Bond game
The objective of this PE activity is to use advanced organisational and strategic concepts and apply them in demanding situations.

Duration: 20 minutes+

1,2,3 and away
This aim of this PE resource is to improve reaction time and develop team work.

Duration: 15 minutes+

Written by Godfrey Hall

PE lesson plans: Counter-balance and counter-tension

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:28:27 +0100

Lesson 1 The objective of this lesson is to establish meaning and perform examples of counter-balance and counter-tension. Lesson 2 Students will learn to link movements of counter-tension and counter-balance logically, economically and creatively. Lesson 3 This lesson aims to develop trust between partners or groups.

PE teaching resource: Students' fitness diary

scameron — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:28:27 +0100

Encouraging students to fill out this fitness diary in PE lessons not only encourages physical activity, but also triggers research in associated subject areas such as health and biology.

The diary concentrates on the areas of aerobic exercise, muscular endurance and strength, but PE teachers can adapt the tasks to suit their students’ main areas of activity.

Written by Lisa Symonds