SPORT PARTNERSHIPS
Activate a community, motivate a generation
Our Vision
Our aim is to work with schools and partners to help create a local hub through which wider inclusion and greater opportunities exist for children to access sport and activity; improving health, wellbeing, leadership, and aspiration.
The prevalence of childhood obesity is highest in Blackbird Leys with almost 3 out of every 10 children in year 6 obese
Children in low incomes families are 30% more likely to have low activity than children in high income families
People in lower socioeconomic groups are twice as likely to be inactive as those in the highest socio-economic groups
Less than 10% of children in the poorest areas of Oxfordshire can swim
A child born in Blackbird Leys can expect to live 13 years less than a child born in the most affluent parts of Oxfordshire
Our Strategic Partner
Healthy Active Children is one of Active Oxfordshire's three strategic priorities. We work alongside them to be directed into priority neighbourhoods in southeast Oxfordshire, working with primary and secondary schools to help ensure that our younger generations can access a healthy, active start in life.
Our partner schools
Our focus is in schools in three priority neighbourhoods, identified to us by Active Oxfordshire. Programmes are planned to widen inclusion and provide greater opportunity for children to participate in sport and physical activity.
We support schools within the communities of Blackbird Leys, Rose Hill, and Littlemore:
The Oxford Academy
Rose Hill (primary)
Sir John Henry Newman (primary)
St John Fisher (primary)
Orchard Meadow (primary)
Our Programmes
Our programmes are based around three core principles of physical activity and sport: – educate – activate – motivate
Through engaging in physical activity, children can activate their bodies and minds, leading to improved overall health and wellbeing. The competitive nature of sports can also motivate individuals to reach for their personal best, pushing themselves towards achieving their goals.
Beyond physical benefits, sports provide a platform for teaching valuable life skills such as teamwork, discipline, and resilience, educating individuals on the importance of hard work and dedication. Through sport and physical activity, individuals can grow, learn, and thrive in various aspects of their lives.
Educate
Build programmes of sport leadership and instruction to develop skills in young people to become active agents of change within their own communities.
Activate
Develop programmes of sport and activity that engage and provide opportunities to children from the most disadvantaged areas.
Motivate
Create a fun and active environment of inclusion and aspiration that develops a sense of belonging and increased long term participation.
Widen inclusion in sport and physical activity
Provide opportunity for quality sport and physical activity
Build life-long character virtues
GOALS OUTCOMES
Greater love of and involvement in sport and physical activity
An enhanced sense of self-belief and confidence
Leaders who are active agents of change within their communities
IMPACTS
Long-term engagement in physical activity and sport
Improved levels of mental health and wellbeing
Increased community connection and civic responsibility
Impact Data
2021 - 2024
346 c h i l d r e n o n o u r s w i m m i n g p r o g r a m m e
£30,000 r a i s e d f o r A c t i v e O x f o r d s h i r e
o t i v a t e
c t i v a t e
d u c a t e
Sports STEPS
Accessing resources to experience a new range of sports
First Pitch Baseball
Providing an opportunity to explore through sport & play
Sport Enrichment
Increasing opportunities to develop a love of exercise & activity
Joining together to build skills through shared experiences Rowing Academy
Swimming Instruction
Removing barriers to new skills, confidence & resilience
Young Sport Leaders
Educating role models & leaders
School Games
Widening access to grow aspiration & achievement
Active Oxfordshire
Creating healthy, active children
Our programmes of activities are adaptive, working alongside our partner schools to meet their specific needs.
Educate: The pyramid is underpinned by Active Oxfordshire who guide us to areas of greatest need, and the Young Sport Leaders who we educate to lead, support, and grow as active citizens.
Activate: The cornerstone programmes of the pyramid focus on inclusion, activating all children through Schools' Games, Swimming Instruction, and Sport Enrichment.
Motivate: First Pitch baseball and the Rowing Academy widen opportunity, motivating children to try new sports. Through Sport STEPS children aspire to try new sports and physical activities.
Partnership Programmes
Young Sport Leaders
Young Sport Leaders (YSL) are essential to the delivery and success of all our sports partnership programmes. They are front line practitioners, delivering many aspects of our sport and physical activity partnership programmes. The YSL course is spread across two years – Yr. 11 and Yr. 12 – and a pupil will be taken through integrated stages of training to develop the necessary skills for coaching sport and physical activity in our partner schools. Alongside developing the ability to coach and lead, YSL develop skills of communication, empathy, resilience and determination while increasing awareness of the diversity children‘s needs within different parts of our community.
ensures full inclusion me, led in four primary d by Young Sports ement, and the ivity is tailored to the onal curriculum. The hildren with greater ole models to the eveloping skills of etting, and resilience. It a long-term part of the els of inactivity in lower
STEPS
STEPS is an adaptive programme specifically designed to widen inclusion for identified children in Yr. 5 and Yr. 6 within the three priority neighbourhoods. The progamme is led by trained PE staff at Radley College and The Oxford Academy, supported by Young Sport Leaders. STEPS is designed to ensure that every child learns new skills of physical literacy, while being engaged in a range of sports and activities. Every child has the opportunity to learn in a fun safe environment, accessing some of the best resources to raise aspiration and motivation. In additions wider skills are developed through communication, independence, resilience, and selfconfidence. We work with The Oxford Academy to help the transition between primary and secondary school, with local sports clubs and organisations to increase long-term participation.
uced in the UK in 2021 ity improving every through sport and play. d deliver training to tailored to fit any school nclusion in urban and ucation needs and/or gramme to work in the ghbourhoods, led by d Academy.
Rowing Academy
A Yr. 9 programme run in partnership with The Oxford Academy, where children showing rowing potential gain a place on the Rowing Academy. The programme joins together pupils from our two schools to work together twice a week throughout the school year. Coached by highly qualified rowing coaches, children learn core rowing skills on land in the rowing tank, on the ergos and on the river. The core life skills inherent to rowing, including teamwork, communication, determination, resilience, inclusion, support and courage are all developed through a fun and safe environment. Participants learn to become more independent, build confidence, and create lasting friendships with their peers. Children showing particular promise are sponsored through the Radley Mariners to join the local Hinksey Boat Club.
Schools’ Games
We aim to tackle access barriers to high quality sport facilities by supporting and hosting Schools‘ Games and activities at Radley College. Events include athletics, cross-country, girls sport leadership development, and boccia that provide a fully inclusive access to the schools' facilities. Young Sport Leaders from both Radley College and The Oxford Academy are trained to support events, providing instruction, encouragement and role modelling. For the children taking part it provides an opportunity to experience being part of a large sporting event, building aspiration, self-worth, friendships and a sense of achievement.
Swimming Instruction
A Yr. 7 programme run in partnership with The Oxford Academy. The programme aims to address the issue that less than 10% of children from the poorest areas of Oxford are able to swim. The programme is based in the swimming pool at Radley College, where children from The Oxford Academy are provided with curriculum time and coached by qualified swimming instructors. The programme is funded in part with access funds provided by our strategic partner, Active Oxfordshire. Alongside learning an important life skill, the children become more independent, able to listen and follow instruction, while building confidence and resilience. The intention is to remove barriers that restrict children’s access to swimming instruction, learning in a safe and inclusive environment.
WIDER INCLUSION
GREATER OPPORTUNITY
RAISED ASPIRATIONS
INCREASED ATTAINMENT
