GOOD SPORTS

How the Pre-Prep Sports Activity Day at Berkhamsted School was the perfect showcase to show children the benefits of physical exercise

Berkhamsted School’s Pre-Prep School recently enjoyed their Sports Activity Day, an annual event that is not only great fun for the children, but also highlights the importance of physical activity and physical literacy in the early years. It was a brilliant opportunity for the Pre-Prep children to enjoy a range of fun physical activities and take part in some gentle competition, all with their parents and teachers cheering them on and with the May sunshine finally showing itself.

The afternoon included a parade, songs and a carousel of fun activities for the children, including everything from obstacle courses, hockey and lacrosse dribbles, and a house relay race. The activities were especially structured for the di erent age groups, with Years 1 and 2 taking on more challenging tasks than their peers in the Stepping Stones (the school’s nursery) and Reception.

Throughout the whole morning, and across both year groups, the children’s willingness to try their hardest, to be enthusiastic and to support each other was obvious. The morning also showed the progression of the children’s physical skills over the course of their time at Pre-Prep, and highlighted the benefits of physical activity, physical literacy, and the Pre-Prep’s Motor Movers programme.

Physical activity at school is important because it helps to improve children’s overall health and fitness, and aids their mental health and cognitive development, meaning children are more likely to concentrate and maintain focus in lessons. Physical activity sits alongside physical literacy as an important part of life at Berkhamsted Pre-Prep. Focus is placed on giving children the motivation to want to take part in physical activity, understand how they can access it, and to build confidence in the children to want to give things a go. In addition to events like the Sports Activity Day, children in Years 1 and 2 benefit from a varied PE curriculum, engaging in activities ranging from gymnastics and ball skills to invasion games and dance. All children in Years 1 and 2 also swim weekly throughout the school year and have weekly tennis lessons promoting hand-eye coordination – key to core development in other curricular areas. Meanwhile, Stepping Stones and Reception have been benefiting from the Motor Movers programme, which was introduced in September 2021 and is run by Physical Education teacher, Ceri Cave. Underpinned by the findings of Loughborough University’s Movement for Learning Project, the Motor Movers programme means that the children in Early Years Foundation Stage (Stepping Stones and Reception) enjoy a fun 20 minute movement session with Ceri each day.

The children follow a coherent schedule of movement-based songs, rhymes and stories designed to help provide a broad base of movement fundamentals and build up strength in the core muscles, handeye coordination, and balance, all while building confidence and having fun.

The first cohort to have started this programme are now coming to the end of their six terms. It has been very successful, with all children making great progress and laying firm foundations for their on-going PE journey at school.

These programmes, as well as events like the Sports Activity Day, really highlight the benefits of physical activity and physical literacy for children. They also show how children at Berkhamsted Pre-Prep are being equipped with the foundations and skills that will hopefully result in a lifetime of engagement in physical activity.

Find out more about physical activity and general life at Berkhamsted Pre-Prep at berkhamsted.com/pre-prep/

“AfterseeingHertford Barnspremises,Icouldn’tchoose anyotherplaceformychild.Notonly aretherebrightandbeautifulbig spacestoplay,thesta arealwaysvery supportiveandkind.Themanagement teamisalwaysveryprofessional.Mygirl evenaskstogotonurseryonweekends, thatshowsushowmuchshelovesbeing there and how well she is treated.”

Parent, www.daynurseries.co.uk