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Sport and fitness for today’s youth
May 2009 £2.75
Daring sports lead to rise in participation By Louise Cordell ADVENTUROUS schools that add more daring sports to the PE timetable have seen participation rocket, according to Ofsted. The study which was published this month says PE provision is better than ever, thanks to the introduction of more adventurous activities like skateboarding, martial arts and mountain biking onto the curriculum. Alternative classes from yoga and Boxercise to golf and cheerleading have fuelled a resurgence in lessons with nine out of ten schools now hitting Government targets of at least two hours of sport every week. Author Judith Rundle, a physical education specialist advisor, said: “While visiting schools we have found a very positive picture and I think it is the increase in variety of activities that has led to a lot of the re-engagement, particularly in older girls. While there is still a place for more traditional team games, especially for those pupils who enjoy more competitive activities, schools are widening the net and offering things that attract other pupils too. “It is clear that if schools want to improve their performance, then
increasing the variety of what is on offer is the way to do it.” Ofsted investigated the standard of PE lessons in 100 primary and 84 secondary schools in England between 2005 and 2008. Classes were rated good or outstanding at two-thirds of primaries and more than three-quarters of secondary schools. However, the report found that provision was not so good for teenagers sitting their GCSEs – only half of 14-16 year olds were required to do two hours’ PE because they were concentrating on exams and core subjects. The report said that while creative approaches to PE were paying off, the Government still needed to introduce more ambitious targets to improve worrying levels of health and fitness. Judith added: “We know that while physical education is a contributing factor towards the fight against obesity, it cannot be the sole cure and many other things, like healthy eating and activity outside school, need to be taken into consideration. Schools are able to look at these issues through PHSE programmes and while researching the report we found that the schools with strong links between these programmes and their sports provision were the most successful.”
Free gym for under fives in Liverpool
Slimming expert Rosemary Conley is launching a new weight loss programme for children. Kids 2 classes will be held at Rosemary Conley Diet and Fitness Clubs across the UK and are designed for youngsters over ten and a parent to attend together. The six-week programme will involve learning about healthy meals, fitness circuits and nutritional games and quizzes. Rosemary said: “This is not a slimming club for kids. It will really help them to feel successful and positive about their physical pursuits.”
CHILDREN under five in Liverpool are to get free gym memberships as part of a council scheme to tackle childhood obesity. The Futures scheme will offer a range of activities from active play and dance to basic ball exercises in 13 of the city's 15 Lifestyle Centres. Liverpool City Council is also giving free annual membership to 1,600 families so that they can join in. Council leader Warren Bradley said: "Nowhere else in the UK is delivering a health and fitness programme on this scale and, in the build up to us hosting the next Olympics, it would be a triumph if we could provide every child in the country free access to their local leisure centre. If Liverpool can do it so can other towns and cities.''