Member Article

Training helps engage pupils in PE

Fairytales and children’s stories are now being used to engage students at a North East primary school in physical education (PE), thanks to the success of an innovative teacher training scheme.

Jayne Rowell, Reception class teacher at Eppleton Academy Primary, Sunderland, is one of the most recent graduates of the Principles of Coaching Sport programme run by SAFC’s official charity, the Foundation of Light.

The scheme, which is available to sports teachers and coaches across the North East, is designed to help integrate PE seamlessly into education and to make it more enjoyable and engaging for students of all ages.

Each course is delivered on a one-to-one basis, with Foundation coaches working in partnership with participants to develop their knowledge and confidence in delivering structured PE lessons, while also helping them to achieve a nationally recognised qualification for Continuous Personal Development (CPD).

As part of her six week course, Jayne was given the opportunity to learn how more creative teaching methods could benefit her young students and help them to become more active participants in their weekly, two-hour, PE lessons.

She initially observed two sessions run at the school by coaches from the Foundation of Light, who used references to characters such as Spiderman and Minions (Despicable Me) to help the four and five year old pupils to understand and develop basic physical movements

After that, Jayne was encouraged to develop her own practice and lead her own basic skills sessions based on this technique. This proved so successful that the school now utilises this teaching style on a regular basis and is enjoying a marked increase in pupil participation as a result.

Jayne said: “I’ve been teaching for more than 10 years and have never seen the students as engaged or happy in their PE lessons as they are since I completed the Foundation of Light’s Principles of Coaching Sport programme.”

“The six-week scheme really encouraged me to be more creative in the way that I teach basic skills and, by incorporating popular stories such as Jack and the Beanstalk and The Emperor’s New Clothes, I’ve now expanded that to include the use of high-level apparatus, as well as floor work, while also incorporating the use of ICT in lessons”

“The best part is that this can be adapted to suit changing tastes and each child’s personal interests, which probably explains why even the quietest of students are now keen to volunteer to demonstrate their ideas to peers.”

The Principles of Coaching Sport programme, which is available across six or eight weeks depending on the participant’s individual needs, can be delivered in school or outside of regular teaching hours.

Each course is tailor-made using a combination of workshop and practical sessions, with all participants graduating with a BTEC qualification and a bank of 20 lesson plans to be used in school.

Ian Dipper, Family Learning Co-ordinator for the Foundation of Light, said; “The Principles of Coaching Sport programme is one of the most popular courses offered by the Foundation of Light and really has wide reaching benefits.

“Not only do the coaches achieve practical guidance and a qualification that counts towards their CPD requirements, but their immediate and future students also enjoy fun and more productive PE session as a result.”

For more information, or to sign up for Principles of Coaching Sport programme call Ian Dipper on 0191 551 5313 or email ian.dipper@safc.com.

More details about the full range of sport and education-based courses on offer from the Foundation of Light can also be found at www.foundationoflight.co.uk or by following @SAFCFol on Twitter.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sorted PR .