By Micklehurst All Saints CE Primary School
AT Micklehurst, there is a strong emphasis on the importance and value of physical education and mental health and well-being from Early Years through to Key Stage 2.
As well as having achieved the Gold School Games Mark for our commitment, engagement and delivery of competitive sport, we are one of only a handful of schools to have been awarded the AcSEED award for promoting the need for high quality emotional well-being and mental health support.
We have now added to our sporting achievements by winning the Tameside Active Award for School Commitment to PE and Sport at Active Tameside’s recent Awards Evening, having been nominated by Hayley Simpson, Senior Sports Coach.
This award recognises schools that have gone above and beyond to incorporate physical activity and sport into the school day for both children and staff.
Every morning before lessons commence all children and staff participate in the daily ‘Wake Up, Shake Up’ which sees trained children Sports Leaders lead classes in a five-minute workout to music played throughout the school via our PA system.
As well as leading these morning routines, Sport Leaders coordinate and deliver lunchtime and activities and assist in the delivery of after-school clubs.
Our Sports Ambassadors programme provides and develops the valuable life skills of leadership, resilience and determination.
After lunch all children participate in a mindfulness session to focus them for their afternoon’s learning.
Children have the opportunity to take part in two hours of Physical Education a week across a broad range of sports and benefit from specialist Tameside Active sports coaches delivering many of the sessions.
Within Early Years and Key Stage 1 the emphasis in PE is on building the fundamentals of agility, balance and coordination as well as the fundamental movement skills, including running, throwing, catching, jumping and skipping. Children then have the opportunity to apply these skills into team games where they can start developing their skills in attacking and defending.
During Key Stage 2, children have the chance to take part in a number of different sports including tag rugby, basketball, hockey, athletics, volleyball, rounders, dance, gymnastics and cheerleading.
Teams also compete in a number of competitions across Tameside and through the Mossley and Carrbrook Schools Partnership.
Swimming is also an important focus in school, with lessons extended beyond the basic requirement to provide them from Year 4 upwards to starting children in Year 3 as a means of ensuring as many as possible meet the National Curriculum target of swimming 25 metres by the end of Year 6.
A big emphasis is placed on National Sports Week and also providing children with opportunities to participate in as wide a range of activities in possible. This has included hula hooping, skipping, tri-golf, extreme gymnastics, curling, fencing and participation in the annual Winter Games at the Chill Factore in Manchester.
Mrs Bradley, Year 3 Teacher and PE Co-ordinator, said: “The importance of physical activity, mental health and wellbeing and healthy life styles is firmly embedded into all aspects of life in school.
“As well as participating in a wide range of sports activities children also learn about healthy eating and living and grow vegetables in our outside learning spaces.
“Children leave school with a wide range of experiences that should help them to continue with healthy lifestyles as they move through secondary school and into adulthood.”