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Ask the pupils what they want to do Pupils are more likely to participate if they feel they have had a say in what’s on offer and are able to choose activities that they enjoy.
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What would pupils like to be able to do in PE lessons? In the playground? Before and after school? Who would they like to be able to work and play with? What do they enjoy doing when they’re not at school?
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Talk with the school council to find out pupils’ feelings about PE lessons, playground activities and school sport clubs.
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Consider setting up a school PE and sports council to find out what pupils think of PESS.
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Carry out a survey of pupils’ views.
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Encourage class teachers to talk regularly with pupils in circle time or PSHE about what they enjoy most in PESS and what activities they would be most likely to join in with.
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Set up a regular assembly slot to talk about the playground and to get pupils’ ideas for activities.
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Ask pupils who do not participate in school sport what they would enjoy, then provide activities and clubs especially targeted at them.
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Make sure that you put some of the pupils’ ideas into action. Be receptive to what they want, even if it is out of the ordinary!
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Meeting girls’ needs Deepdale Junior School, Preston, Lancashire
Deepdale Junior School in inner city Preston has around 330 pupils aged 7–11. Over 75% of its pupils are Asian. The school was particularly keen to get more girls involved in out of hours sport. To increase participation, the school: •
gave all pupils a questionnaire to find out which out of hours sport activities they took part in and what new activities they would like to see on offer
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analysed the results and set up clubs for some of the activities that girls had requested. These included dance, table tennis, badminton, hula hooping, athletics, rounders and more netball
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arranged for women to run clubs where possible, to provide positive role models for the girls
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started to award certificates for regular attendance at clubs.
What difference did this make? By the end of the year, there were between 10 and 15 sports clubs for girls to choose from each term. The percentage of girls taking part in out of hours sport increased from 20% to 65%. In years 3 and 6, over 75% of girls took part in at least one extracurricular activity, and in years 4 and 5 the figure reached over 45%. Rewarding attendance at clubs proved a powerful motivating factor – 70% of certificates were awarded to girls.
To find out more, visit www.qca.org.uk/pess
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Increase time for PE Most primary schools provide pupils with around 90 minutes of PE each week. Research has shown that increasing this to two hours has no negative effect on what pupils achieve in the rest of the curriculum.
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Make sure that changing time is not part of the time allocated for PE.
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To save on changing time, consider providing fewer, longer lessons each week. For example, instead of 3 x 30 minute lessons, you could provide 2 x 50 minute lessons.
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Alternatively, you could provide 3 x 40 minute lessons on either side of break or lunchtimes to allow for changing supervised by classroom assistants.
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To encourage pupils to get changed for PE quickly, put on upbeat music and challenge them to be ready by the end of the track.
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To help pupils concentrate and stay alert, consider providing 10 minute active breaks on the days when they don’t have PE lessons. These breaks could include a brisk walk, stretching and jumping exercises, skipping challenges, and so on.
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Make the most of opportunities to build on PE learning out of lesson time. Link activities that pupils take part in at clubs and in the playground with what they are doing in PE lessons.
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Building on time for PE skills Deepdale Infant School, Preston, Lancashire
Deepdale Infant School has just over 300 pupils aged 3–8. It was keen to improve pupils’ progress in PE by giving them more time to learn and practise skills. The school had stopped afternoon playtime because it created behaviour problems. To increase participation, the school: •
increased the amount of PE timetabled for each class from 2 x 30 minute lessons to 2 x 45 minute lessons each week
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extended units of work so that they lasted for a term
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introduced ‘Move to Learn’ sessions – short, active breaks – for each class three afternoons a week
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started a home-school activity programme to give pupils extra time to practise PE skills. Year 1 pupils take home an activity card and equipment to use with their parents
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started to celebrate pupils’ PE achievements in assemblies.
A pupil’s view What difference did this make? Increasing the length of PE lessons gave pupils more time to practise and raised their skill levels. As a result, they enjoyed PE more – 93% now have a positive attitude to the subject, as opposed to 79% before lessons were extended. The Move to Learn sessions provide a valuable break in the afternoon, after which pupils return to class refreshed, happy and ready to concentrate. Year 1 pupils (and their parents) are enthusiastic about the home-school activity bags and their PE skills have improved.
Pupils at St Mark’s RC Primary School in Newcastle-upon-Tyne have 2 x 45 minute PE lessons each week, supported by extra time to practise skills in the playground and at out of hours clubs. Having spent half a term focusing on basketball, Stephen explains the benefits. ‘Having two long lessons every week gets you excited as you know that next lesson you can learn something new and practise skills again in the games. I feel that my shooting and dribbling have improved as the coach has shown me how to do things properly. Key stage 2 have basketball at playtimes so that means I can practise what I have learned with my friends. I’ve also joined the after-school club for basketball.’
To find out more, visit www.qca.org.uk/pess
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Change your approaches to teaching PE The way you use the time available for PE can have an enormous impact on pupils’ levels of participation in lessons.
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Cut down on the amount of time that pupils spend queuing in PE lessons by making sure that there is enough equipment and space for everyone to be involved at the same time.
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To ensure pupils are as active as possible, organise small sided games rather than full teams for activities like rounders.
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Put pupils into groups and give them specific tasks to work towards. Make sure that they know what they have to do and how to recognise improvement and success. Consider appointing leaders to direct groups and encourage full participation.
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Block lessons by focusing on one area of activity for a stretch of time (for example, half a term). This means that less time has to be spent at the start of each lesson recapping on skills learnt a week before.
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Use core tasks from the QCA/DfES schemes of work for PE. These provide a target to aim for and give pupils a greater sense of control over their own work. As a result, their desire to get involved and make progress increases.
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Teach pupils how to use ICT, especially digital video cameras. Let them video their own and others’ work to help them decide what they need to practise next. Many pupils find this very motivating and work harder as a result.
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Give every unit or module of work a strong sense of purpose by arranging a performance or competition at the end.
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Consider redeploying teachers so that only those who are confident and enjoy the subject teach PE. Pupils are considerably less active in lessons if their teachers are nervous about physical activities and the use of space.
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Swimming for a purpose Woodbridge schools, Suffolk
Year 5 and 6 pupils who go swimming at Deben Swimming Pool in Woodbridge have been working towards core tasks from QCA’s swimming website (www.qca.org.uk/safeswimming). To increase participation, the swimming instructor: •
used a range of swimming core tasks for improvers with the pupils
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made sure that the pupils were able to work towards the tasks at the same time, rather than having to take turns and watch each other
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gave the pupils freedom to direct their own learning, improve their skills and organise activities
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videoed the pupils to help them evaluate their own performance at different stages
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encouraged the pupils to work towards a performance or competition at the end of the unit of work. What difference has it made?
Blocking saves time
The pupils are now physically active for most of their swimming lessons and spend less time waiting and watching others than in the past. Using their swimming skills for a clear purpose gives them a powerful incentive to practise and improve.
Springfield First School in West Sussex decided to focus on one area of activity for an eight week block of time. This gave pupils an opportunity to consolidate their skills in one area, rather than trying to develop skills in up to three at a time.
The pupils enjoy the core tasks and their excitement is reflected in high levels of engagement in lessons. One group of year 5 pupils even gave up some of their own time to write a song for their swimming teacher about the HELP position (a personal survival technique).
To find out more, visit www.qca.org.uk/pess
Teachers quickly noticed an improvement in pupils’ motivation, confidence and progress in lessons. In the headteacher’s words: ‘The biggest effect is that children do not have to remember what they did 7 days earlier and waste the first 10 minutes of each lesson recouping learning.’
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Introduce physical activities throughout the school day Make the most of opportunities for pupils to be physically active throughout the school day. Exercising oxygenates the brain, which helps children to concentrate, think and learn.
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Set up a breakfast club before school where pupils can take part in physical activity and enjoy a healthy breakfast.
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Provide activities for children and their parents to take part in together when they arrive at school. At one infant school, as many as 60 adults arrive at 8.30am and play with their children for between 5 and 20 minutes.
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Run ‘wake up and shake up’ sessions at the start of the school day to get the body and brain ready for learning. Give each class 5 or 10 minutes of physical activity in their classroom or the playground, or introduce a wake up dance for the whole school at the end of assembly.
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Ask pupils to design and lead their own wake up and shake up sessions.
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When attention levels start to drop during a lesson, give pupils a short exercise break. To give these breaks a focus you could set the pupils challenges, such as number of skips in a minute, walking around and shaking hands with 10 people, or standing up and writing their name in large letters with their arm and hand.
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If your school has a lunch break and just one other break, consider changing the timetable to build in a lunch break and three short breaks for exercise. These could take place inside or outside.
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Provide drinking water as an aid to concentration and alertness.
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Breakfasts and brain breaks St Leonard’s C of E Primary School, Padiham, Lancashire
St Leonard’s has 190 pupils aged 5–11. When the head and deputy head were appointed in 2000, they had a school of sluggish pupils who were not taking part in enough physical activity. To increase participation, the school: •
set up a breakfast club that runs for 30 minutes every morning serving healthy food and offering sports activities
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brought the start of the school day forward by five minutes to allow time for an aerobic session at the start of the morning. Teachers put on a pop tune and lead their class in activity
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introduced active ‘brain breaks’ every 15 to 20 minutes, when pupils put down their pens, stand up and move around. They might do some gentle stretching exercises or star jumps
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provided pupils with drinking water in lessons
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introduced multisport markings and structured playground activities
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increased the amount of curriculum PE to two hours
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introduced afternoon yoga sessions. What difference has it made? The school now has a great sense of energy. Pupils love the aerobic start to the day and complain if the teacher does not do it for some reason, saying they are not properly awake. The increased activity levels brought about by the whole range of PESS initiatives have had a remarkable effect on pupils’ concentration and attainment. The table on the right shows how the percentage of pupils gaining level 4 and above at key stage 2 has improved since the work began.
To find out more, visit www.qca.org.uk/pess
Waking up to learning South Petherwin Primary School in Cornwall introduced a ‘wake up to learning’ programme based on Brain Gym®. As a result, there was a 50% improvement in pupils’ readings for backwards number spans (an exercise in which five random numbers are called out for pupils to write down in reverse order).
English Mathematics Science
2000
2004
46% 36% 55%
76% 71% 100%
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Offer structured playground activities Pupils are more active in the playground if there are structured, well organised activities on offer.
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Change activities regularly but not too often (aim for every six weeks or so). Pupils need time to get to know what they are doing.
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Try to provide something for everyone – primary schools have successfully offered everything from circus skills and cheerleading to yoga and petanque. Unusual activities often appeal to pupils who do not feel they are ‘sporty’.
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As in the Zoneparc scheme, mark out zones to separate different types of activities. These could include ball games, skills based games (such as skittles, hula hoops), skipping, dance, free play and quiet play. Make sure that pupils know what the markings are for and how to use them.
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Provide enough equipment for all the children to be active. Invest in things that are fun and challenging, such as ski feet, different types of skipping ropes, stilts and juggling equipment.
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Put in place a fair, efficient system for borrowing and returning equipment, such as the Zoneparc scheme.
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Set up a playground committee and give pupils responsibility for designing and organising the playground, booking out spaces and facilities, and lending equipment.
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Put playground games and activities onto laminated cards with pictures and instructions. Encourage pupils to make up their own games to put on cards.
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Ask each class in turn to design and organise a week’s activities. They could do this in PE or PSHE lessons and explain their plans in assembly.
More information can be found in the DfES booklet Primary Playground Development. Please see the back of this pack for details.
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The active playground project Peter’s Hill Primary School, West Midlands
Peter’s Hill is one of the largest primary schools in the country, with 825 pupils aged 4–11. The school wanted to encourage year 5 and 6 pupils to be more active at break times and lunchtimes by introducing a range of new structured activities. To increase participation, the school: •
offered pupils activities including basketball, skipping, football, running games, throwing games, hitting games, dance and quieter activities
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set up different zones in the playground for the activities
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kept Wednesday as a ‘free play’ day
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bought innovative equipment specifically for the playground
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trained pupils as helpers and gave them responsibility for preparing equipment in the morning
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gave pupils responsibility for running the sessions and choosing whether to practise skills or play games.
Behaviour four times better What difference has it made? Over 90% of pupils now choose to take part in playground activities. All say that they prefer active playtime to free play. Girls have responded particularly well to football no longer dominating the playground. There has been a marked improvement in skills, stamina and hand-eye coordination. Behaviour has also improved as a result of the new structured play.
To find out more, visit www.qca.org.uk/pess
After Birkby Infants and Nursery School in Huddersfield introduced structured playground activities, aggressive incidents fell from 126 to 28 at morning break time, from 226 to 40 at lunchtime, and from 156 to 38 at afternoon break time.
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Train pupils and midday supervisors as activity leaders Children participate more in playground activities if they are led and supported by older pupils and midday supervisors.
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Train your older pupils as playground activity leaders. Give them responsibility for organising activities, showing younger children what to do and distributing equipment.
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Don’t always go for the obvious candidates – taking responsibility can get inactive pupils to participate and give quiet pupils an opportunity to shine. Children as young as six can be effective playground activity leaders.
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Ask some pupils to support and mentor other children who are anxious about participating. Make them play buddies and give them responsibility for encouraging small groups to get involved in activities.
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Ask experienced playground activity leaders to train their successors. This will set up a ladder for leadership in your school.
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Train your midday supervisors (and, if appropriate, your classroom assistants) to lead physical activities. They will need skills in managing and organising groups of pupils, setting up and overseeing activities, providing constructive feedback and monitoring the quality of play and performance.
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Consider changing the title ‘midday supervisor’ to ‘play leader’.
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Appoint an activity manager to oversee activities. Hold regular playground planning meetings with the manager and the PE coordinator to ensure that playtime and PE are closely linked.
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The year 6 PAL project Langer Primary School, Felixstowe, Suffolk
Langer Primary School has 206 pupils aged 4–11. It trained year 6 pupils to lead playground activities with the aim of getting more children involved. To increase participation, the school: •
trained year 6 playground activity leaders (PALs) in how to guide, encourage and praise pupils taking part in playground activities
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gave the PALs responsibility for organising rotas, allocating pupils to activities and checking equipment
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trained the PALs in how to use the playground zones and asked them to devise and manage zone challenges
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gave the PALs responsibility for running reward systems and reporting back in assemblies.
What difference has it made? In a typical week, around 90% of pupils are physically active at lunchtimes. While not all are taking part in activities led by PALs, seeing others being active encourages pupils to get going with physical activities of their own. Negative behaviour at break times and lunchtimes has decreased by a third and pupils’ PE skills have improved. As one PAL said: ‘I think I am a good leader because the children are enjoying themselves and they are improving.’
Leading play proves popular Fair Furlong Primary School in Bristol trained school meal supervisory assistants (SMSAs) as play leaders, gave them opportunities to meet regularly to discuss and disseminate effective practice, and gave them responsibility for creating systems to reward good behaviour and encourage involvement. As a result, SMSAs were under less stress and described their work as more fulfilling. For the first time, the school had a waiting list of people wanting to be SMSAs.
To find out more, visit www.qca.org.uk/pess
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Set up sport and dance clubs at lunchtimes and after school School sport clubs give pupils extra time to practise and extend their skills.
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Provide a timetable of sport and dance clubs for pupils. Make sure there is something on offer for as many year groups as possible. Key stage 1 pupils benefit greatly from taking part in basic skills clubs.
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Encourage school staff to run clubs that interest them.
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Consider different pupils’ needs and interests. If some of your pupils go to prayer straight after school, think about providing clubs in the early evening. Try to make sure that there are clubs to meet the interests of both boys and girls, and of pupils of different abilities.
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Make sure clubs run for at least six weeks. Ideally, they should run for longer, so that attending becomes a habit and pupils have time to develop good skills.
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Provide enough time for each club session to enable pupils to improve the quality of their skills and performance.
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Make sure that clubs lead to a performance, competition or demonstration. Pupils will be more committed if they are working towards a clear goal.
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Talk about your sport and dance clubs in assembly. This will encourage pupils to value and join in with what’s on offer.
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Cheerleading the way forward Crewe schools, Cheshire
A number of primary schools in Crewe decided to work together to get 100 year 5 girls who had never taken part in out of hours sports clubs involved on a regular basis. To increase participation, the schools: •
decided to set up cheerleading clubs and to link them to gymnastic and dance lessons
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arranged for a cheerleading trainer to visit each school and train teachers
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asked the teachers to design a cheerleading programme for PE lessons and to set up a cheerleading club for their school
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took part in a range of cheerleading festivals, competitions and galas
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enlisted the support of year 11 cheerleaders from another county
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set up a community club, as well as individual after school clubs.
What difference has it made? Two years on, of the original 100 girls targeted, 70 still take part in cheerleading. Fifteen have also gone on to join a local netball club.
Getting started at KS 1
The girls now enjoy school sport and, having grown in confidence, are much happier about participating. They are also much more skilful – by the end of year 6, most were showing characteristics of levels 4 and 5 in their cheerleading.
Half of all year 1 and 2 pupils at St Breock Primary School in Cornwall take part in an after school club. This figure rises to 89% in year 3, with most pupils attending more than one club.
To find out more, visit www.qca.org.uk/pess
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Enlist the help of parents, grandparents and students People with close connections to the school can provide valuable practical support and be influential role models.
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Ask your local secondary school if it has sports leadership or community sports leadership students who could run regular activities or one-off events for your pupils. Primary pupils are more likely to participate in activities that are led by older students whom they respect and look up to.
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Ask parents, grandparents and other carers if they would be interested in helping out with sport and dance clubs. Make sure that they have the support and training they need.
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If appropriate, give parents, grandparents and other carers opportunities to take leadership courses. Some might even be willing to run clubs or lunchtime activities on their own when qualified.
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Provide equipment and/or activity cards for your pupils to take home and use with their family. Ask the pupils to record how often they are active together and set them challenges.
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Encourage pupils and parents to walk or cycle to school. Set out safe routes and provide water and fruit for when they arrive.
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Ask grandparents to come into school and teach children the playground games they played when they were little. This works particularly well with key stage 1 pupils.
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Make sure that anyone who comes into school to help out with activities understands your school’s ethos.
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Inspiring role models St Cleer Primary School, Cornwall
St Cleer Primary School in Liskeard, Cornwall, has around 240 pupils aged 4–11. The school wanted to encourage more pupils to take part in PE lessons and after school clubs. To increase participation, the school: •
increased the range of after school clubs so that they catered for the whole school, including football and fun games for key stage 1 pupils, and football, Cornish dancing, athletics, tag rugby, badminton, netball and cross-country for key stage 2
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enlisted parents to help run clubs. They attended training courses alongside staff, so that they could teach as well as supervise children
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employed a professional cricket coach to work with key stage 2 pupils
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arranged for Junior Sports Leader Award (JSLA) students from the local secondary school to work with pupils
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arranged for Community Sports Leader Award (CSLA) students to organise sports festivals.
What difference has it made? The new after-school clubs are constantly over-subscribed and the school has to keep enlisting more people from the community to help organise activities. The involvement of people from outside school gives clubs greater value and makes the pupils keener to get involved. The young JSLA and CSLA students have proved particularly inspirational role models.
To find out more, visit www.qca.org.uk/pess
Community links Skelton Newby Hall CE School – a small primary school in North Yorkshire – offered limited PESS opportunities. The head called a meeting for parents, friends and governors and asked for their help to develop PESS. As a direct result, the school set up a minihockey club, a football event organised by Middlesbrough FC, links with the local village cricket club and a link with Harrogate Rugby club. In April 2005, an Ofsted report judged participation in sport at the school to be very good.
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Make the most of specialist teachers, coaches and clubs Working with specialist teachers, coaches and clubs can be a good way to make the most of your facilities and get more pupils joining in with activities.
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Ask local coaches and specialist dance or fitness teachers to run after school clubs. Offer them your facilities for a minimal rent and help them to advertise their club. Ensure that all children have the opportunity to attend, even if they have financial difficulties.
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Consider letting others use your space and facilities to give pupils more opportunities to take part in sport and dance. For example, you could ask local sports clubs if they would like to run a junior section in your school and affiliate your school to the club.
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Ask a local club to run one or more of your school clubs or teams. This can free up staff to offer something else for pupils who don’t want to get into teams.
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Work with your local authority sports development team to provide activities for your pupils – and those from other schools – on your site in the evenings. This is particularly valuable for children who have commitments straight after school.
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Enlist specialist coaches and teachers to support your own teachers in PE lessons. This can increase teachers’ confidence and raise pupils’ motivation and participation levels.
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Make sure that any specialist teachers, coaches and clubs that you work with understand your school’s ethos and have adequate insurance.
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Using external coaches for games Hadrian School, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Hadrian School in Newcastle is a special school that caters for pupils with severe or profound multiple learning difficulties. It wanted to increase pupils’ participation in playground activities and games lessons, with the aim of improving their progress. To increase participation, the school: •
brought in external coaches for cricket, rounders, rugby and basketball for games lessons in years 3 to 6
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asked the external coaches to run playground activities
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encouraged staff to develop their skills through working with the coaches
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blocked PE lessons for games activities
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used modified core tasks from the QCA/DfES schemes of work
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gave pupils opportunities to take part in games activities linked to their scheme of work at break times and lunchtimes. What difference has it made? Using external coaches gave games lessons and playground activities a new value in the eyes of pupils. They participated enthusiastically and their skills improved. Less expected was the coaches’ impact on staff. Teachers learnt from watching how the coaches adapted games and matched their tuition to each pupil’s skill levels. This knowledge cascaded down the school and, as a result, the premises manager and teaching assistants went on to run after school sports clubs.
To find out more, visit www.qca.org.uk/pess
Using specialist coaches Hareclive Primary School in Bristol brought in specialist dance and netball coaches to work with year 3 pupils and give teachers noncontact time. Each coach worked with half the class for two afternoons a week for six weeks, during which time pupils’ skills and enthusiasm increased. At the end of the coaching the pupils took part in a mini-netball tournament and many have continued to participate enthusiastically in dance and netball activities.
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Reward pupils’ participation
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Having rewards to work for generates excitement and interest in physical activity.
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Reward pupils’ commitment to, and regular participation in, playground activities and clubs.
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Set clear targets for physical activity and reward pupils when they achieve them. For example, challenge pupils to spend a certain number of minutes exercising at lunchtimes, or to walk, run or swim a certain number of miles as a team.
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Ask midday supervisors or pupils trained as playground activity leaders to run reward schemes.
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Consider rewards such as stickers, team points and certificates. Some schools provide prizes of play or sports equipment bought through sponsorship from local businesses, or offer free swims or activity sessions at the leisure centre.
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Launch a weekly playground challenge for pupils to work towards, for example ‘How many star jumps can you do in 30 seconds?’ Reward the best progress and effort, as well as the best results. Give the winners a mention in assembly.
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Try to make sure that pupils taking part in clubs work towards a competition or performance of some kind. Having a chance to show what they can do is highly motivating and rewarding for many pupils.
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Provide a reward at the end of every PE lesson for enthusiasm and constructive participation.
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Reaping the rewards Bournemouth and Poole schools, Dorset
A group of primary and secondary schools from Bournemouth and Poole LEAs used a range of strategies – including setting up reward schemes – to increase pupils’ levels of participation in PESS. To increase participation, the schools: •
appointed a sports development officer from the local authority to develop after school clubs
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introduced reward schemes for pupils who played the most active part in the clubs
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presented certificates, family swim sessions and football match tickets to encourage continued activity
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organised for sports development officers from across the county to run coaching sessions in golf, football and rugby
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expanded lunchtime activities and used money from the New Opportunities Fund for playground markings
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introduced activity breaks in lessons to improve pupils’ concentration and increased the time for curriculum PE.
What difference has it made?
Virtual success
The time spent on PESS across the schools increased from one and a half hours a week to between three and five hours. At Canford Heath Middle School, for example, 25 year 7 girls began to participate in out of hours sport for the first time and all year 6 pupils took part in club activities.
To overcome geographical barriers to inter-school competition, a group of small schools in Cornwall have found a virtual solution to motivate their pupils. Each week, pupils email record breaker challenges for other schools to try. For example, one week pupils across all the schools might be challenged to see how many star jumps they can do in 30 seconds. They then compare the results.
At St Clement and St John Infant School, 60% of year 2 pupils attended club activities. Attendance at Townsend Primary School went up to 100%, with an 11% increase in participation in out of hours clubs.
Pupils are really motivated by this and work hard to try to improve their scores. Activity levels have risen and pupils’ skills in specific activities have improved.
To find out more, visit www.qca.org.uk/pess