Active Sussex

Active pupils make strong students

Physical activity contributes to good physical and mental development. It has a wide range of physical and emotional benefits, from developing strength, increasing concentration and educational performance and learning, to boosting mood and reducing the risk of many lifestyle-related diseases.

“Performing regular physical activity is associated with improved attainment, concentration, and learning, improved mental health, and a healthier weight status” UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines (2019)

The UK Chief Medical Officers (CMO) have set out physical activity guidelines for children and young people, drawn from global evidence, to ensure they access all the benefits listed above.

These guidelines state that primary school aged pupils should participate in an average of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. Yet, the latest data shows that less than half (47%) of children and young people in Sussex hit this target. In England, more than 1 in 5 children are overweight or obese when they begin school, with that rising to 1 in 3 children by the time they leave primary school.

In addition to high quality PE lessons and extra-curricular clubs, there are several ways that schools can look to promote physical activity throughout the school day and ensure pupils reap the benefits of being active.

Active Travel

Travelling to and from school either by foot, bike or scooter is a great way of increasing daily physical activity for pupils and families.

How is your school encouraging active travel? Do you have an area where bikes and scooters can be stored throughout the school day? Are pupils recognised and rewarded for travelling to school actively?

Sustrans

Sustrans help young people to travel actively and safely to school or to college.

Living Streets

Living Streets' mission is to achieve a better walking environment and inspire people to walk more - one street, one school, one step at a time.

School Streets

A School Street is a road outside a school with a temporary restriction on motorised traffic at school drop-off and pick-up times. The result is a safer, healthier and pleasant environment for everyone.

Active Travel

Travelling to and from school either by foot, bike or scooter is a great way of increasing daily physical activity for pupils and families.

How is your school encouraging active travel? Do you have an area where bikes and scooters can be stored throughout the school day? Are pupils recognised and rewarded for travelling to school actively?

Sustrans

Living Streets

School Streets

Active Lessons

Non-PE lessons don’t have to be taught sitting down at a desk. There are a plethora of resources to support schools to deliver lessons, such as Maths or English, in an active way.

Teach Active

Teach Active provide schools with lesson plans and resources designed to deliver the Maths and English curriculum through physically active learning.

Tagtiv8

Tagtiv8 create educational resources and training that develop confidence in key areas of the curriculum through physical activity.

Active Lesson Resources

Resources to assist Sussex schools with planning and implementing physical activity into their day-to-day lessons.

Active Lessons

Non-PE lessons don’t have to be taught sitting down at a desk. There are a plethora of resources to support schools to deliver lessons, such as Maths or English, in an active way.

Teach Active

Tagtiv8

Active Lesson Resources

Active Playtimes

Whilst at primary school, pupils will spend approximately 1.4 years of their school attendance (20%) at playtime.

How can we make sure that this time is used to encourage pupils to be active? Are playtime staff aware of the importance of being active? Are activities organised to encourage being active during this time?

OPAL

Outdoor Play and Learning for schools are a not-for-profit company supporting your school to plan for and provide outstanding play every day.

Active Recovery Hub

An online resource of a variety of games and activities that can be played during break and lunchtimes to help more children be physically active.

Active Playtimes Guide

Active Sussex have worked with a number of schools to establish a one page guide to setting up active playtimes.

Active Playtimes

Whilst at primary school, pupils will spend approximately 1.4 years of their school attendance (20%) at playtime.

How can we make sure that this time is used to encourage pupils to be active? Are playtime staff aware of the importance of being active? Are activities organised to encourage being active during this time?

OPAL

Active Recovery Hub

Active Playtimes Guide

Active Families and Communities

Can you continue to encourage pupils to be active outside of the school day? Are pupils recognised and rewarded for being active outside of school?

Bursts

A PE home learning app for children aged 4-7 years that supports children’s readiness and progress in PE.

miMove

miMove is a digital tool that allows students to log their physical activity and teachers to view and use this information.

Active Families and Communities

Can you continue to encourage pupils to be active outside of the school day? Are pupils recognised and rewarded for being active outside of school?

Bursts

miMove

Creating Active Schools - Adopting a Whole School Approach

Active Sussex delivers an in-depth programme to support schools to develop and embed a whole school approach to delivering physical activity using the Creating Active Schools Framework.

Please get in contact to find out more: dtaylor@activesussex.org

Case Study - Leechpool Primary School

The school wanted to use their Primary PE and Sport Premium funding to engage more pupils in being active outside of school, through a PE Homework Bag scheme.

Leechpool Primary School case study

Key Resources

DfE: Enhancing physical education provision and improving access to sport and physical activity in school UK Chief Medical Officers’ Physical Activity Guidelines Public Health England: What Works Well in Schools to Increase Physical Activity Public Health England: Everybody Active, Every Day World Health Organisation: Promoting Physical Activity through Schools: A Toolkit

Creating an Active School

Discover the power of an active school

Active pupils make strong students

Active Travel

Sustrans

Living Streets

School Streets

Active Travel

Sustrans

Living Streets

School Streets

Active Lessons

Teach Active

Tagtiv8

Active Lesson Resources

Active Lessons

Teach Active

Tagtiv8

Active Lesson Resources

Active Playtimes

OPAL

Active Recovery Hub

Active Playtimes Guide

Active Playtimes

OPAL

Active Recovery Hub

Active Playtimes Guide

Active Families and Communities

Bursts

miMove

Active Families and Communities

Bursts

miMove

Creating Active Schools - Adopting a Whole School Approach

Case Study - Leechpool Primary School

Key Resources

David Taylor

Active Schools Officer