Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson to receive peerage
05/02/10

Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, Britain's most successful Paralympian, has been recommended by the House of Lords Appointments Commission for a peerage.l
In her new role, Tanni will sit on the crossbenches in the House of Lords and will bring her wealth of experience and authority to bear to contribute effectively to the work of the House.

As one of the most renowned athletes in the world, Tanni will have a significant impact on House discussions adding new knowledge and experiences to the debate.

She competed in five Paralympic Games, winning 11 Gold Medals, and is acknowledged as one of the most gifted and courageous sportswomen of her generation.

Click HERE for the full article courtesy of the Sport Industry Group.

afPE Business Associate News: Folens Publishers
05/02/10

afPE Business Associate members, Folens Publishers have just launched their brand new website - www.folens.com

In addition to their new website Folens have recently been awarded a Professional Development Board kitemark for their new Physical Education Video Analysis Assessment Toolkit for KS3.

Click HERE for more information and the chance to see a demonstration.

afPE member, Dominic Haydn-Davies features in a Teachers TV series of ITE lecturers. In this lecture Dom works with trainee teachers with a primary PE specialism as they try pracitcal solutions to differentiating teaching.

In this ITE lecture, students are asked to identify an issue, a concern or technique that they feel needs focused development and to refine a question in relation to how they can improve this through study.

Issues include supporting talented performers, behaviour management and social construction of learning within physical education, and Dominic holds a practical workshop which focuses on trying out practical solutions to the issues

Dominic, a Senior Lecturer in PE at Roehampton University, focuses on enabling students to become reflective practitioners and demonstrates how they can target improvement towards the end of their training and beyond.

Click HERE to view the Inclusive Physical Education video, courtesy of Teachers TV.

The Children, Schools and Families Committee publishes its Fourth Report (HC 275-I and -II) on Tuesday 9 February 2010: Training of Teachers.

Hard copies of the Report and evidence will be posted to witnesses on Monday 8 February 2010.  Electronic embargoed copies can be supplied to Government departments, media and witnesses and will be available from 12.00 noon on Monday 8 February 2010. These should be requested in advance by emailing: csfcom@parliament.uk

Embargoed hard copies of the Report will be placed in the Press Gallery, House of Commons, by 12.00 noon on Monday 8 February.  All media enquiries should be addressed to Rebecca Jones, on 020 7219 5693/07917 488549, jonesbl@parliament.uk

The report can also be ordered from The Stationery Office (tel: 0845 702 3474) or from the Parliamentary Bookshop (020 7219 3890), or can be viewed on the Committee's website from 00.01 am on Tuesday 9 February 2010.

DCSF Consultation - Need to Know: Engaging with parents to support their children's education
02/02/10

Last week the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) launched Support for All: The Families and Relationships Green Paper. As part of this they are consulting you on their  measures to further support all families.

You can read the paper and see the consultation at: www.dcsf.gov.uk/supportforall  

Please take time to pass on your views and opinions. afPE will be providing a response and we urge colleagues to get in touch if you have anything to share. Please email responses to: simon.leach@afpe.org.uk  

Consultation closing date: Wednesday 21st April 2010.

New Primary Curriculum website
01/02/10

QCDA's new primary curriculum website has been officially launched.

It contains the new programmes of learning, the key features of the curriculum, what has changed and why etc. There are also guidance materials, case studies, a curriculum design tool and a video tour.

All primary schools will receive hard copies of the programmes, a guide to the new curriculum and revised level descriptions by half-term.  Copies will also be sent to Local Authorities.

To view the website visit: http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/

Leading and Managing Children's Services in England: a national professional development framework
27/01/10

The professional development framework is for leaders and managers of children's services in England. It aims to develop both present and future strategic leaders and support effective succession planning.

Click HERE for more information and to download a copy of the framework.

Please find a link to the Government's Pupil & Parent Guarantee consultation document.

Please also see the following link (www.dcsf.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2010_0013) which gives details about the formal consultation on the Pupil and Parent Guarantees.

afPE members are urged to respond  to the documentdirectly and also to feed any thoughts to simon.leach@afpe.org.uk for an afPE response to the consultation.

Click HERE to download the latest Health & Safety update which features Parkour.

The Conservatives are promising to make teaching "brazenly elitist" by improving the quality of graduates entering the profession in England.

Leader David Cameron said there would be no financial help with training for those who failed to get at least a second-class university degree.

Click HERE for the full story courtesy of BBC.co.uk

New Secondary Curriculum implementation Summary Report – Phase 2
08/01/10

Please find below - for your reference - two reports on the support provided to subject leaders by the subject associations and Aspect on the CfBT contract during phase 2. Each National Subject Lead (NSL) had to answer targeted questions from the QCDA around impact.

Click HERE to download the CfBT Report.

Click HERE to download the Aspect Report.

National Family Week 2010
06/01/10

At the end of May this year, the country's second-ever National Family Week will take place, encouraging people across the country to celebrate being part of a family, whatever shape or size. We would like you to support this campaign and join with hundreds of other organisations in promoting The Week through your networks as well as considering running sporting events and activities for families in your community. 

National Family Week aims to highlight the important role families play in society and encourage healthy active lifestyles and quality family time. It is the largest coalition on family issues and is backed by all major political parties and a huge range of national charities, local authorities, community groups and sporting associations including England Athletics, the FA, RFU, ECB and the LTA, plus a whole host of celebrities including sporting champions, Sally Gunnell and Rebecca Adlington.  The inaugural National Family Week which took place between the 25th and 31st May last year saw over 4,000 events happening across the country and received a considerable level of media attention appearing in a large number of national and regional press. National Family Week 2010 is to run between the 31st May and 6th June, with the Family Week Sports Day taking place on Saturday 5 June, and aims to be even bigger and better.

Why not be a part of it and organise a Family Week Sports Day giving families in your community the opportunity to learn about and enjoy playing sports together. Reports have shown children are struggling to achieve their recommended 2 hours of sport a week outside of school due to a lack of encouragement from parents. This is a great opportunity to introduce the whole family to sport in the hope their enjoyment will lead to long-term participation. It is also an opportunity to promote your services to families or for schools to attract new pupils and showcase the facilities they have for those outside of their school.

If a sports day is not something you are able to cater for, why not provide family discounts and offers, open your doors for taster sessions or simply promote National Family Week through your marketing materials directing people to the website (www.nationalfamilyweek.co.uk) from March this year to find out more about events happening in their area. It may be that you have activities for families already running that week and would like to use National Family Week as a platform to promote these by branding them National Family Week and uploading details to our website for inclusion on the searchable map.
 
For more information, to receive copy to promote The Week or to discuss your ideas with the National Family Week Team, please contact:
 
Gemma Fordham
E: gemma@nationalfamilyweek.co.uk
T: 020 7871 0189

Shortfall of Primary school teachers
04/01/10

Britain is facing a shortfall of 18,000 primary school teachers needed to keep class sizes under 30, a report by the think-tank Policy Exchange has found.

The report says that official statistics predicted the number of primary school-aged children would have grown by 500,000 by 2015. It calculates an extra 18,000 teachers will be needed by then if class sizes are to be kept at their current average of 26.2. The most severe shortages are in key subjects such as maths, science and modern languages.

British children's fitness levels 'falling twice as fast as international average'
04/01/10

The fitness levels of British children are falling twice as fast as the global average despite the Government spending more than £1.5 billion to encourage them to become more active, a new study shows.

Youngsters in Britain today are significantly less fit than they were a decade ago – with their increasingly sedentary lifestyles to blame, according to the research.

Children's fitness in the UK has declined by eight per cent, compared to an average of only four per cent for the rest of the world.

The researchers described the fall as "large and worrying" and warned that the Government's focus on children's weight could have led to serious fitness problems being overlooked.

Their study – published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood journal – will fuel concerns about the selling-off of school playing fields under Labour and the health consequences for the so-called "PlayStation generation".
 
Click HERE for the full article.

New Secondary Curriculum - Local Authority Newsletter
18/12/09

Click HERE to view the latest new secondary curriculum newsletter courtesy of ASPECT.

TDA Professional Development Strategy of the Children's workforce in Schools 2009-12
09/12/09

Click HERE to download the TDAs three-year strategy for the professional development of the children's workforce in schools. It proposes a coherent approach to improve practice and ensure maximum impact on outcomes for children and young people.

For more information please visit www.tda.gov.uk

Pre-Budget Report: Schools and participation spend will rise
09/12/09

The Chancellor has pledged to ensure that spending on schools and participation of 16- to 19-year-olds in education and training will rise for two years from 2011.

The 2009 Pre-Budget Report, delivered this afternoon, sets out a package to ensure that spending on schools for three- to 16-year-olds will rise by 0.7 per cent a year in real terms and spending on 16 to 19 participation will rise by 0.9 per cent a year in 2011-12 and 2012-13.

Spending on Sure Start Children's Centres will be maintained in line with inflation, according to the report, which also announced more than £800m of efficiency savings would be made in schools, children's centres and 16 to 19 participation, including through collaborative procurement of goods and services.

NHS frontline spending that supports patient care will also rise in line with inflation until 2012-13.

The report also set out plans to save at least £2bn by capping the contribution of employers to the pensions of those working in local government and the NHS as well as teachers and civil servants. Employees earning higher salaries will have to pay more towards their pensions.

Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said:  "It is unclear whether or not the proposals affecting teachers' pensions in the Chancellor's speech are simple restatements of the cost-sharing agreement already reached or proposals for further changes. We would expect any additional proposals to be the subject of negotiation."

The outcome of the Rose Review of the Primary Curriculum was published, very quietly, last week.  Here is a commentary from Margaret Talbot, with links to the appropriate documents.  An extended version will be available in the next issue of "Physical Education Matters".

Rose Review Commentary - by Margaret Talbot

Primary curriculum review - Curriculum reform consultation report to the DCSF

Essentials for Learning & Life

QCDA - Understanding physical development, health and wellbeing

QCDA - Understanding the arts

Statement from the Secretary of State

Membership numbers on increase in sports clubs despite recession
01/12/09

Participation decreases while club membership increases.  A conundrum for researchers!

Sports clubs are enjoying higher levels of membership despite the recession, according to a national survey that suggests the London Olympics are encouraging greater participation.

The rise in annual subscriptions reflects improved public funding and better marketing by traditional clubs that once teetered on the brink of closure because they were out of touch with their communities.

Sailing, motor sports, basketball, gymnastics and youth football are among the sports that have enjoyed the biggest gains between 2007 and 2009. Golf was the only one out of 73 sports to report a fall in membership.

The survey of 3,000 clubs by the Central Council of Physical Recreation (CCPR), the trade body for sport, suggests that Britain is becoming a more active nation in the run-up to London 2012. Their gains come as the Fitness Industry Association reports a 3 per cent year-on-year rise in gym memberships.

Click HERE for the full article courtesy of the Times Online.

Click HERE to view the latest new secondary curriculum newsletter.

Following several enquiries from members regarding the Health and Safety and Safeguarding arrangements in section 5 inspections, please see the recent
Ofsted Inspectors briefing.

In addition afPE is in consultation with ofsted to achieve clarity in these areas. In 2010 afPE will be issuing members with a statement and we will be designing CPD to support members in this area.

Women and Sport: Reflections and opinions of a black woman's participation in sport
26/11/09

Women and Sport: Reflections and opinions of a black woman's participation in sport is a collection of articles, opinions and letters published in the last few years.

This collection of articles represents the struggles, hardships and hurdles that must be overcome and adversity which sportswomen face and encounter as they participate in sport, from the grassroots base to international level, either as players or sports fans.

Click HERE to download this article.

Child fitness levels 'overestimated' by parents
23/11/09

Parents have big misconceptions about the amount of exercise their children do, the British Heart Foundation says.

It says 71% of nearly 1,000 parents polled think their children are "active enough" but only 10% of their children say they do the recommended amount.

The charity says parents need to take the "blinkers off" about how active their children are to prevent obesity.

The National Obesity Forum urged local councils to improve the quality and range of affordable sports facilities.

Click HERE for the full article courtesy of the BBC.

Exercise Keeps Dangerous Visceral Fat Away a Year After Weight Loss
23/11/09

Newswise — A study conducted by exercise physiologists in the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Human Studies finds that as little as 80 minutes a week of aerobic or resistance training helps not only to prevent weight gain, but also to inhibit a regain of harmful visceral fat one year after weight loss.

The study was published online Oct. 8 and will appear in a future print edition of the journal Obesity.

Unlike subcutaneous fat that lies just under the skin and is noticeable, visceral fat lies in the abdominal cavity under the abdominal muscle. Visceral fat is more dangerous than subcutaneous fat because it often surrounds vital organs. The more visceral fat one has, the greater is the chance of developing Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

In the study, UAB exercise physiologist Gary Hunter, Ph.D., and his team randomly assigned 45 European-American and 52 African-American women to three groups: aerobic training, resistance training or no exercise. All of the participants were placed on an 800 calorie-a-day diet and lost an average 24 pounds. Researchers then measured total fat, abdominal subcutaneous fat and visceral fat for each participant.

Afterward, participants in the two exercise groups were asked to continue exercising 40 minutes twice a week for one year. After a year, the study's participants were divided into five groups: those who maintained aerobic exercise training, those who stopped aerobic training, those who maintained their resistance training, those who stopped resistance training and those who were never placed on an exercise regimen.

"What we found was that those who continued exercising, despite modest weight regains, regained zero percent visceral fat a year after they lost the weight," Hunter said. "But those who stopped exercising, and those who weren't put on any exercise regimen at all, averaged about a 33 percent increase in visceral fat."

"Because other studies have reported that much longer training durations of 60 minutes a day are necessary to prevent weight regain, it's not too surprising that weight regain was not totally prevented in this study," writes Hunter. "It's encouraging, however, that this relatively small [amount] of exercise was sufficient to prevent visceral fat gain."

The study also found that exercise was equally effective for both races.

Building Character Report Published
16/11/09

Click HERE to download the Building Character report from the think tank Demos, funded by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Conservative leader sets out his vision of a smaller state, complemented by a 'big society'.

Third sector organisations with a track record of success would be funded by the state to expand successful social programmes under a Conservative government, according to David Cameron.

The Tory leader made the pledge last night during a lecture in London setting out the Conservative Party's vision of a smaller state, to be replaced by a "big society".

The expansion of the state had eroded social solidarity and responsibility and had "reached a point where it is now inhibiting, not advancing, the progressive aims of reducing poverty, fighting inequality and increasing general wellbeing", he said.

Cameron said the state needed to help create the big society by "galvanising, catalysing, prompting, encouraging and agitating for community engagement and social renewal".

"It must help families, individuals, charities and communities come together to solve problems," he said.

The Tories would identify and work with "the social entrepreneurs who have the capacity to run successful social programmes in communities with the greatest needs", according to Cameron.

"We will identify proven social programmes, franchise them to social entrepreneurs with a track record of success and fund them directly from existing state budgets to deliver public services," he said. "If we find the right people, a relatively small number can make a huge difference."

A spokeswoman for the Conservative Party said by "social entrepreneurs", Cameron had in mind all third sector organisations. "It is about removing the barriers to delivery of services by sector organisations in areas such as education and health," she said.

Whitehall also needed to become more sector-friendly, said Cameron. "We need people capable of engaging with social entrepreneurs and civic institutions who can agitate and encourage social action, and help people to build the type of sustainable organisations we need," he said.

"And if we are to break the culture of charities and social bodies being dependent on the state for handouts, we need to look at how government can use loans alongside grants to help make them more sustainable and effective."

In response to a question from Stephen Bubb, head of chief executives body Acevo, Cameron insisted his plans would not involve charities underwriting the cost of public services.

"He said the Tories expected the sector to be properly funded," Bubb told Third Sector, adding that he agreed with much of Cameron's message, which echoed Acevo's Replacing the State? policy document, published in 2003.

Article coutesy of Third Sector.

The European Emergency Number 112 is used to contact emergency services free of charge all over the EU. However it is not currently accessible to the majority of disabled people.

Now this is set to change with the start of REACH112, a european wide initiative involving France, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain and the UK. The project will introduce improved communication solutions for disabled people, allowing them direct access to emergency services.

Users will also be able to call each other in video, voice and text via the Internet and across national boundaries. It will also allow sign language users to communicate through remote interpreting services, and via other relay services, using text to talk to voice users.
 
Visit the website or email the project coordinator Uberto Delprato: u.delprato@i4es.it

Legacy in doubt with cuts in mainstream structure posts for physical education.

When it comes to sport in schools, Yvonne Fryer is woman of strong opinions. Two years ago, Fryer contacted School Sport Matters in response to an article on the lack of expertise and training in PE among primary school teachers.

Fryer is both inspired and an inspiration with her dedication to sport. Yet with the Olympic and Paralympic Games now less than 1,000 days away – the greatest sporting festival this country will have witnessed in 60 years, and which will galvanise millions of primary school-age children nationwide – the news has come through that Fryer is about to be made redundant.

Fryer works as a school sports co-ordinator, working part-time, at The Queen'sC of E primary school, in Richmond, an affluent area of west London.

She believes that all primary schools should have dedicated sports co-ordinators, thus ensuring that competitive sport and high quality PE and games lessons are available to all.

However, with budgets tight, Fryer could be made redundant as of Dec 31, along with the school's language and music teachers.

"The rationale behind this is that class teachers are deemed suitably qualified to teach PE, French and Music and cost savings can be made by losing these posts," she says.

"The majority of class teachers are unhappy about teaching these subjects to a satisfactory level or indeed to the high quality level that they have previously been taught by myself and the two other teachers. Therefore, the quality of provision of these subjects will decrease. It appears that sport has once again been put at the bottom of the pile of priorities for no good reason."

Fryer has ensured – with glowing testimonies – that two hours of PE is timetabled every week in every year group. She oversees the running of a girls' football team, a boys' team and a girls' netball team who compete in league matches against other schools; has obtained the FA Standard Charter status as a school; and last year more than 80 per cent of the Year Six pupils represented the school in inter-school sports competitions.

"I have pleaded the case for sport at a redundancy hearing, but, unless I am prepared to work for next to nothing, I will be forced to leave the legacy behind," explains Fryer.

"While we are beholden to individuals who place small value on sport and a Government that is not prepared to fund it properly, we will always lag behind other nations.

"The development of the Government's School Sports Partnerships has been an excellent one.

"However, we need to go a step further and ensure that individuals are available to all primary schools to enable the best possible participation and quality provision of sport, otherwise it is marginalised or ignored."

Article courtesy of Gareth Davies at the Daily Telegraph.

afPE 2010 National Conference - Exhibition & Sponsorship Opportunities
04/11/09

The Association for Physical Education (afPE) will host its annual conference from Wednesday 7th to Friday 9th July 2010. The venue is the beautiful Cotswold Water Park near Cirencester, Gloucestershire. 

The conference attracts over 300 delegates nationally; these comprise of PESS professionals including Local Authority PE Advisers, Lecturers, Consultants, Partnership Development Managers, Directors in Sports Colleges, School Sport Co-ordinators, Teachers, Coaches and Adults Supporting Learning.  The conference is supported by key partners including Government agencies such as DCSF and offers excellent opportunities to network and share best practice.

There are various opportunities available for exhibitors and sponsors and we would be happy to discuss your requirements to ensure maximum marketing opportunities. 

Click HERE to download further information relating to exhibition and sponsorship packages.

Click HERE to download the exhibition floor plan.

Click HERE to download the exhibition floor plan for the first floor.

If you have any questions or queries, please do not hesistate to contact:

Helen Chadwick     
Business Development & CPD Officer   
Tel: 07766 225239   
Email: helen.chadwick@afpe.org.uk  

afPE member Professor Paul Gately makes the case for physical activity as part of the approach to childhood obesity
02/11/09

Professor Paul Gately, Director of Carnegie Weight Management, was a guest on BBC Breakfast (Monday 12th October) accompanied by Freya and Jonathan, two young graduates from Carnegie International Camp. They were discussing the findings of a new obesity survey by Carnegie Weight Management which revealed 61 per cent of clinically obese children reject surgery as a means of drastically losing weight.

The survey was conducted to uncover young peoples' perceptions of the obesity issue, through the eyes of those directly affected by it – the 2.3 million* young people in the UK diagnosed as clinically obese. Over 100** young people were interviewed in the study, providing a revealing, personal insight into the issues they face on a daily basis, their attitudes towards overcoming their weight problems and their biggest fears.

*Figure sourced from 2.3 million children who are obese is based on calculations from The Health of England Survey 2007 and Office of National Statistics.
**103 children interviewed independently by Carnegie Weight Management.

To read the full report and survey findings click HERE
To view the BBC coverage click HERE

Click HERE to download the latest afPE CPD update for October 2009.

For further details on any aspect of the afPE NCfCPD, to discuss working in partnership with afPE or to discuss your local CPD needs please contact helen.chadwick@afpe.org.uk

The 2010 extended schools deadline is on the horizon. By next year, every school must provide full access to the core offer of extended services.

That means childcare, parenting support, swift and easy access to specialist services, clubs and activities and community access to facilities, including adult and family learning.

A tall order perhaps, but last week Hilary Emery, executive director of the Training and Development Agency for Schools, revealed that 89 per cent of schools are now fulfilling their extended services duties.

"Our target was to have 85 per cent of schools offering access to the core offer by September this year, so to have 89 per cent is really good," she says. That equates to 19,330 schools providing access to the full core offer, through a variety of partnerships with other schools, charities and private providers.

"Agencies are working together much more. We are now seeing people going beyond compliance and offering services that really start from the child," Emery claims. More schools are setting up cluster arrangements, she explains, which allow for the efficient sharing of resources and services across local areas.

Click HERE for the full article which highlights two innovative approaches to delivering a sustainable and relevant range of services.

Primary Reviews
19/10/09

Two reports reviewing the Primary Curriculum in England are being considered by Government.  One was led by Sir Jim Rose, commissioned by DCSF; the other led by Prof Robin Alexander at Cambridge University.

Cambridge Review:

Cambridge Review - Press Release
Cambridge Review - Context and Content
Cambridge Review - Conclusions & Recommendations
Implications for Physical Education - By Margaret Talbot

Rose Review:

afPE's concerns and guidance relating to the Rose review can be viewed HERE.

Sources close to afPE suggest Ministers have signed off the Programmes of Learning as proposed in the Rose Primary Review.  We understand that there are very few changes to the Programmes of Learning following the public consultation in the summer.

An announcement is expected in the next two weeks as soon as a suitable time in the Parliamentary Calendar has been identified.

Further documents/information can be downloaded below:

Rose Review: Pro Forma Letter to Secretary of State

Message from the afPE Chair regarding Margaret Talbot OBE
12/10/09

I write to let you know that Margaret Talbot will be leaving afPE at the end of this year.  I am sure you will want to join with me, in thanking Margaret for her leadership in establishing a very successful and influential subject association, and for the tireless work she has undertaken as advocate for Physical Education and for the Association.  We will certainly miss her strategic vision and her determination, but we wish her well for her future freelance work, and also, for her role as President of the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education.

Dr Jeanne Keay, Chair, afPE

Mind the Gap: Gypsy and black Caribbean pupils more likely to be excluded
12/10/09

Children from Gypsy and Traveller communities are five times more likely to be excluded from school, latest figures have revealed.

This is the first time the government's figures for permanent exclusion and suspensions from school have included a breakdown by ethnicity.

The figures for 2007/8 show that the overall rate of permanent exclusion had dropped slightly from 0.12 per cent to 0.11 per cent of the total school population.

Click HERE for the full article courtesy of Children & Young People Daily Bulletin

Britain's biggest supermarket chain has agreed to stop young people from buying high energy drinks in one of its stores because of concerns about the effect they have in the classroom.

Tesco made the decision for its shop in Hove, East Sussex, after the headteacher of nearby Cardinal Newman Catholic secondary school said that the drinks had a negative impact on her students' behaviour and ability to concentrate. A local newsagent has also agreed to stop selling students the drinks, which have high levels of caffeine.

Getting Kelly Holmes to chair their proposed Olympic legacy task force is certainly more of a bonus than Bono for the Tories; it is a slap in the face for the Government who have been using the dashing Dame as their resident sporting A-lister, spearheading a number of their projects.

It isn't yet clear whether Holmes has actually boarded the Blues bandwagon – she was at both party conferences – but her proposals for a Schools Olympics, enthusiastically endorsed by the Conservatives, does not augur well for the future of the Government-backed UK School Games. Currently organised by the Youth Sport Trust, there have been criticisms that these do not truly represent school sports. Holmes and the Tories want to feature 38 sports, including Paralympic events, and introduce a more competitive element among schoolkids of all ages.

Click HERE for the full story courtesy of The Independent

Due to technical problems with the online nomination form the deadline has been extended to Friday 16 October. If you are concerned a nomination has not been received please contact Laura Brownley on 0113 204 3518 or email events@sportscoachuk.org  

The Award categories are:

- Children's Coach of the Year
- Participation Coach of the Year
- Performance Development Coach of the Year
- High Performance Coach of the Year
- Young Coach of the Year
- Lifetime Achievement Award
- UK Coach of the Year
- The Coaching Chain: The Appreciation of Coaching Award
- Coach Educator of the Year
- Governing Body of the Year
- Coaching Intervention of the Year
- Coaching Environment of the Year
- Agency in Support of Coaching of the Year

To acknowledge the work of a coach please complete a nomination form at the following link: www.sportscoachuk.org/UK-Coaching-Awards-Nominations-and-Table-Sales 

Conservative conference: Cameron gives Duncan Smith role to 'mend broken society'

Iain Duncan Smith will be given responsibility in a Conservative government for "bringing together all our work to help mend the broken society," Tory leader David Cameron has said.

Cameron's speech to the party conference did not provide details of what would be the precise remit of Duncan Smith, who is a former party leader and heads the Centre for Social Justice think tank.

Cameron referenced Michael Gove, the shadow secretary of state for children, schools and families, only in relation to the challenge of reforming state education.

The speech will heighten expectation that Gove might head a standalone education department in government.
Cameron reiterated the Conservatives' commitment to retain Sure Start, recruit more health visitors and reward commitment between couples "by recognising marriage and civil partnerships in the tax system and abolishing the couple penalty in the benefits system".

Conservative conference: School inspections to focus on learning not wellbeing

The shadow children's secretary has set out plans to radically curtail Ofsted's remit so that schools will no longer be inspected on pupil wellbeing or community cohesion.

In his keynote address to the Conservative party annual conference, Michael Gove said that schools inspections should focus on evaluating teaching and learning.

Click HERE for the full article courtesy of Children & Young People Daily Bulletin

Tories to bring back competitive sport in schools with annual 'Olympics' for youngsters

The Tories today pledged to create an annual 'Schools Olympics' as part of a drive to bring back competitive sport.

Shadow Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt called for a 'revolution in school sport' to reverse the decline in competitive games under Labour.
He said a Conservative government would introduce league tables for competitive sport, forcing every school to publish details of their sports facilities and their provision of opportunities to take part in competitive games. He also pledged to bring in a national 'Schools Olympics' to foster interest in sport.

Schools from across the country will take part in local and regional contests, with the finals held at the London 2012 stadium.

Click HERE for the full article courtesy of the Daily Mail

Replacing the worst performing schools with Academies:

Michael Gove has announced radical Conservative plans to replace the worst performing schools in the country with Academies run by proven sponsors.

The Shadow Schools Secretary said that where schools fail to teach the basics properly, where discipline is poor and where the leadership has failed, we will take schools out of the hands of those who have let children down, and install leadership teams with a proven track record of Academic success.

Click HERE for the full article courtesy of the Conservative website.

Voice: Statement on Michael Gove's speech to Conservative party conference:

Commenting on the speech by Shadow Schools Secretary Michael Gove to the Conservative Party conference, Ian Toone, Senior Professional Officer (Education) with Voice: the union for education professionals, said: "It is a truism that 'unless you have good discipline then teachers cannot teach and children cannot learn'. While Voice welcomes the emphasis on parental responsibility and pledges to back teachers and head teachers on discipline, it is not clear what powers to 'confiscate banned items and restrain violent pupils' would be introduced or how they be different from existing or incoming powers.

Click HERE for the full article courtesy of Politics.co.uk

Gove set to announce reforms to Ofsted:

The shadow children's secretary, Michael Gove, is to outline proposals for reforming Ofsted as part of his keynote speech to the Conservative party conference.

Speaking to a fringe meeting at the party's annual gathering, he told delegates he would also use his speech to outline plans to get the best leaders into schools.

Gove added that the Conservative's education policies would focus on learning from other countries that have transformed their education systems by setting up schools outside of local authority control.

He said: "We need to start catching up with those other nations that have pulled ahead. If you look at those areas which have improved education most, one thing is striking. They have always ensured that the bureaucratic monoply responsible for education, particularly in areas of failure and poverty, has been broken."

He claimed that poor performing council run schools would improve once their neighbouring schools were transformed into new institutions, such as academies.

"The local authorities, and the unions who operate hand in glove with them, who have been responsible for a culture of low aspiration and low achievement, will find that new schools are established in their areas outside local authority control with a different way of working," he explained, "They will raise their game, because a rising tide lifts all boats".

Redgrave is named '2012 Champion'
06/10/09

Five-time gold medal winner Sir Steve Redgrave has been appointed as the Government's '2012 Sports Champion'.

Britain's most successful Olympian, with six medals, will lead the drive to boost participation in sports during the run up to the London Olympics.

"2012 is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to change the habits of a nation," said the 47-year-old former rower.

Click HERE for the full story courtesy of the BBC.

An Ofsted report published today showcases 20 primary schools in very challenging circumstances that have been rated 'outstanding' at least twice.

The 20 schools, from across England, defy the association of disadvantage with low standards. They serve communities where pupils come from poorer urban backgrounds and an above average proportion receives free school meals.

The report, Twenty outstanding primary schools - Excelling against the odds, shows they succeed by having the highest expectations for every pupil and staff member. It follows a similar report launched earlier this year that looked at the ingredients that lead to outstanding secondary schools.

Her Majesty's Chief Inspector, Christine Gilbert said: "Through their passion and professionalism these schools provide great service to children and young people. They show other schools how they can reduce the achievement gap between pupils from different backgrounds.

"Children are treated as individuals and have the support and expectation to achieve. Staff are passionate about finding ways of doing things better, with a relentless focus on progress in children's learning. High quality leadership ensures no effort is spared to give pupils a strong foundation.

"It is our aim at Ofsted to identify and share better practice to support improvement. Many of the stories in this report are inspiring. They show how schools, regardless of their context, can help young people make something of their lives. I hope that other schools will find it useful and inspiring too." 

Ofsted will be highlighting the success of these schools with a series of photo opportunities around the country today.

We are sending you this alert because we want to make sure our stakeholders are aware of all the ways in which we are working with providers to raise standards and improve the lives of young people and learners.

Sharing good practice gives providers and policymakers the opportunity to see what works – and makes a practical contribution to good services.

The full report can be found on the Ofsted website.

The promo page with photos and case studies is at the following link: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/Ofsted-home/Twenty-outstanding-primary-schools-Excelling-against-the-odds

You can also find out more about good practice on Ofsted's Excellence Gateway: http://excellence.qia.org.uk

Ofsted are keen to hear what you think of this report and whether you plan to use the ideas within it. Your feedback will also help us improve future reports. To give us your comments, please complete the short questionnaire at: http://85.234.135.179/index.php?sid=68262

The forthcoming families green paper will focus on supporting relationships between mothers, fathers and the wider family, Children's Secretary Ed Balls has revealed.

Speaking at a fringe meeting at the Labour party conference, Balls said he wants more services to target fathers and whole families, as opposed to mothers and children alone.

He said: "Relationships are now firmly on the agenda. I think our families green paper is an opportunity to challenge ourselves across public services, to think about the strength of families' realtionships and how that impacts on the wellbeing of our children."

Click HERE for the full article.

Primary Subjects is a publication written by primary specialists for primary teachers and there have now been four editions in your school. It is supported and funded currently by the DCSF.

The latest edition, issue 5, focuses on the London 2012 Games. To view a PDF version of this edition click HERE.

Each term a different theme is developed and the resource is packed with practical ideas about it. Below is a brief synopsis of each edition to date:

Issue One - Summer 2008, Making Every Child Matter:
This theme was chosen for the first edition as it embodies what primary teachers have always known - that children have the best educational experience when their teachers work partnership with other people and organisations. There are different perspectives on this theme from every subject area.
Link: www.afpe.org.uk/public/downloads/CfSA_PE_Apr08.pdf

Issue Two - Autumn 2008, Supporting Gifted and Talented Children:
As with issue one the content of each leaflet provides information for the curriculum leader and ideas for challenging and engaging activities. The DCSF definition of gifted and talented is adopted and the resources refer to those children who have one or more abilities in a particular curriculum area (s).
Link: www.afpe.org.uk/public/downloads/Primarysubjects_2.pdf

Issue Three - Spring 2009, Engaging with Globalisation:
Every subject pamphlet explains why it is important - even urgent - to engage with globalisation. Bringing a global dimension to lessons helps children explore this complexity and creates links between their lives and those of other people in the world.
Link: www.afpe.org.uk/public/downloads/primary_subjects_09.pdf

Issue Four - Summer 2009, Learning Outside the Classroom:
Learning outdoors is nothing new but the richness of the theme is illustrated by a variety of ideas from every subject. The leaflets explore opportunities for learning using the school site as well as other areas in the neighbourhood or further afield.
Link: www.afpe.org.uk/public/downloads/Pri_sub_4.pdf

Click HERE for more information about Primary Subjects.

LGA children's board chair sets out priorities
28/09/09

The new chair of the Local Government Association's (LGA) children and young people board has set out her priorities for the job in her first interview with the press since taking up the post.

Click HERE for the full article courtesy of Children & Young People Daily Bulletin.

afPE Awards 2010
28/09/09

Building on the success of the afPE Awards 2009, we are pleased to announce the call for nominations of the 2010 Awards.

afPE Awards 2010 - Nomination Form

Please see links below to the exemplar nomination forms for the Professional Practice Award and Leadership & Influence Award:

Professional Practice Award Exemplar*
Leadership & Influence Award Exemplar*

*These are based on previously successful nominations and are designed to give an indication of what a nomination could include. They should be read in conjunction with the introductory material on the nomination form.

Please remember that the Awards are open to colleagues in roles across the entire physical education profession and to that end, the exemplars are by no means exclusive.

There is no exemplar for the Honoured Member Award as this Award has specific criteria (see nomination form for details).

afPE Awards 2010 - Key Dates:
- Friday, 26th March 2010 - Nominations Close
- w/b 29th March 2010 - Award Committee begin their deliberations
- Monday, 26th April 2010 - Nominees informed of outcomes

If you have any questions or queries, please contact John Matthews at john.matthews@afpe.org.uk 
 

A generation of unfit school­ children has been failed by the Labour Government as it emerged yesterday that one in three do less than an hour of exercise a week.

Despite a promise to make sport an integral part of the school week, a new poll shows that few children are doing anything like the amount of exercise needed to stay healthy.

The survey by a leading health charity blows apart official figures that claim more than 90 per cent of children do at least two hours a week. Health experts said last night the findings were "extremely worrying".

The poll of more than 1,000 8-15- year-olds by the British Heart Foundation shows only one in five children do the 60 minutes of daily exercise recommended for good health.

Almost 80 per cent said they did not even know how much exercise they should be doing.

Click HERE for the full article courtesy of the Scottish Sunday Express

afPE is in the process of restructuring and we anticipate this will be complete by the end of 2009. 

In the meantime, officers for contact purposes are as follows:

Chief Executive – Margaret Talbot
Business Development Manager and National College for CPD – Sue Wilkinson
Business Development Officer - Helen Chadwick
Membership, Governance & Communication Manager - John Matthews
Membership & Communications Officer - Simon Leach
Finance Officer 0.5 fte (position to be filled) – in the short term Sally Baldwin is kindly staying on to ensure cover for this position
Reading Office Administrator 0.5 fte – Tina Smith

Glasgow 2014 progress report
23/09/09

With five years to go, work has already begun towards making Glasgow's Commonwealth Games an event to be proud of. Rhona McLeod met some of the big hitters behind 2014 and discovered that many changes lie in store.

Click HERE to view the clip courtesy of the BBC.

Unions hit back at Balls' plans to cut school budgets
22/09/09

Teaching unions have reacted angrily to plans to slash £2bn from school budgets.

In an interview with the Sunday Times at the weekend, Children's Secretary Ed Balls said the savings amounted to around five per cent of school spending and could be achieved largely through schools forming federations and sharing head teachers.

Under the plans, one head teacher could take charge of a federation of around six schools. Around 3,000 jobs could also be lost, with deputy heads the main role at risk.

Click HERE for the full article.

Ofsted Report: Improving Primary Teachers' Subject Knowledge
21/09/09

Ofsted Report recognises the impact of the National CPD Programme for Physical Education.

The importance of subject knowledge and high quality teaching are main themes of the Independent Review of the Primary Curriculum. Ofsted subject reports have shown the considerable demands on teachers' subject knowledge across the primary curriculum, not least in requiring them to understand how pupils learn in different subjects and what pupils need to know by the time they complete Key Stage 2. This report focuses on aspects of good practice in subject teaching (excluding English and mathematics) and areas for improvement.

Click HERE to read a summary of the Ofsted report and HERE for the full report.

Huge decrease in participation in year nine pupils
16/09/09

Despite a national focus on the so called 'drop off at 16', further survey work by Knight, Kavanagh & Page (KKP), the sports industry's youth participation research experts, confirms a consistent trend of between 30-50% reduction in sports participation in year nine pupils compared to year six pupils.

In a recent (2009) survey of over 1,300 young people - at year six, 28% were found to participate in sporting activities every day, however, by year nine, this had reduced to only 14%. 

KKP has collected participation data from young people in over 100 local authorities to gather this type of evidence and help implement change.

KKP's findings also demonstrate a plunge in self perceived levels of health of youngsters when they reach the age of 13-14. This tends to manifest itself in their lack of participation outside of PE lessons and a huge decrease in their enjoyment of sport.

As lead partner of the National Sports Conference at Leisure Industry Week (LIW) this year, KKP will present this research at the show and deliver sessions using their knowledge to prevent the drop off in participation among young people. The youth research experts will use data from studies conducted across the UK and explode common modern myths about sports participation. In addition, KKP will also be working with Edge Architects to provide a consultancy advice clinic, open for the full three days of the show.

John Eady, Chief Executive of KKP is pleased to be contributing, with colleagues, to LIW and the National Sports Conference. He said, "Our involvement in this year's conference is led by our desire to sharpen the focus of the industry as a whole on today's hot topics.

"A leading authority on sports development, KKP is working with industry leaders on key challenges and opportunities... from obtaining a sustainable access legacy from BSF to improving the intelligence base we work from to achieve practical results, especially in relation to sports participation.

"Whether you want specific advice or to discuss our take on contemporary issues, we welcome the opportunity to share our knowledge and experience with LIW visitors at our Consultancy Advice Clinic."

New afPE Publications Catalogue
15/09/09

The new afPE Publications Catalogue is now available to download. It features the following resources:

- Safe Practice in Physical Education & School Sport
- A Practical Guide to Achieving Excellence and High Quality Leadership in Primary Physical Education
- A Practical Guide to Teaching Gymnastics
- A Practical Guide to Teaching Dance
- Every Child Matters: Measuring Moments of Progress and Inclusive Assessment
- The Reality of High Quality Physical Education: The Crucial Role of Leadership
- Adults Supporting Learning (including Coaches and Volunteers): A Framework for Development
- Assessment for Learning in Physical Education
- A guide to Self-review in Physical Education
- Self-evaluation in Physical Education: Developing the Process
- Observing Children Moving
- Observing and Analysing Learners' Movement
- Professional Development Record
- Case Law in Physical Education and School Sport
- Learning Through Sport: Maths and English

Click HERE to download the catalogue.
Click HERE to for more information on each of the resources and to order online.

Health & Safety - Frequently Asked Questions
24/08/09

Click HERE to download a PDF document which covers a range of frequently asked questions relating to safe practice in physical education and school sport.

New guidance for natural play areas
24/08/09

Play England has published guidance to help local authorities maintain natural play areas.

The guidance advises that when commissioning services for the design and development of play spaces, local authorities should consider "incorporating into any tender a maintenance contract, which could include regular visits, watering if necessary, and replacement of damaged features".

Issy Cole-Hamilton, Play England's head of policy research, said: "Play England has published this guide in response to requests from play providers keen to improve children's opportunities to play in more natural surroundings.  The guide was written with specialists in designing and managing naturalistic play spaces and draws on their experience in managing and maintaining these spaces."

CYP Now reported in June that the government's £235m strategy to create 3,500 new play areas was being undermined as some authorities created natural areas that were unsustainable. Concerns raised by a national play inspection company included the use of untreated wood that was rotting away, patches of grass being left to wear away and ditches being left to hold water, turning into a "boggy mess".

The Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards 2009
14/08/09

Physical Education Teacher of the Year - opportunity to nominate women who deliver high quality physical education.

August sees the launch of the 2009 Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year awards, which celebrate the immense contribution made by women to British sporting life.

The awards are not restricted to the superstars who bring back medals from major games or those who break records. They cover the whole spectrum of sport from rugby union to snowboarding.

Click HERE for more information.

Teachers given guidance on children who still wear nappies
14/08/09

An education union has developed guidelines to advise teachers how to deal with children who still wear nappies when they begin school.

The move comes amid claims a growing number of parents are failing to potty train their children before sending them to primary school.

The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) has responded to the situation by offering guidance to its members, suggesting it should not be the responsibility of a teacher to change a nappy.

Meanwhile Rosemary Stokes, chairman of teaching union Voice, is helping to draw up guidance for schools in Leicester.

A spokeswoman for ATL said increasing numbers of four- and five-year-olds are beginning school without being potty-trained and parents should prioritise the practice.

"Teachers are very concerned about the welfare of children, which is why they have raised this as an issue," she said.

"The number of working mothers has increased quite dramatically over the years but making sure a child is potty-trained greatly increases their independence and dignity.

"Sadly those that are not potty-trained are at greater risk of being stigmatised by their peers."

The ATL suggests that members make it clear to headteachers that if they do carry out nappy-changing duties it is being done on a voluntary basis.

Article courtesy of Children & Young People Now.

Ofsted's new arrangements for inspecting schools from the beginning of September are outlined in several documents on the website. Drafts of these documents were made available during the middle of June but they have now been replaced by the final versions. The documents are:

The framework for school inspection
The evaluation schedule for schools
Conducting school inspections
 
In addition, all schools were given access to a new self-evaluation form (SEF) on 12 July. Ofsted has published a booklet which outlines one way of approaching the new SEF. The booklet is based around six steps which schools are encouraged to take and is written in the form of short activities which might be undertaken in a staff meeting.

Ofsted ran four dissemination conferences in June for local authorities and lead teachers. The presentation used at these conferences is available on the website. It gives the background to the new arrangements as well as detailing some of the main changes in the way that schools will be inspected. A colour-coded inspection judgement form highlighting where judgements have changed is also available on the website.

The SEF booklet, conference presentation and the inspection judgement form can be downloaded from the page for the framework.

LSC was 'reckless' with college building programme
28/07/09

A new report into the college building fiasco has branded the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) "reckless" and the government "negligent".

The Committee of Public Accounts report,  published today, found serious failings in the LSC's management of the colleges rebuilding programme.

The report also slammed the government for failing to pick up on problems at the LSC, despite the fact the programme had been plagued by problems from April last year.

Edward Leigh MP, chair of the Committee of Public Accounts, said the LSC behaved irresponsibly by approving too many projects and allowing financial commitments to outstrip what it could afford by nearly £2.7bn.

He said: "The future of the programme is now beset with considerable uncertainty which must be dispelled as soon as possible. Some colleges are heavily committed to projects on which they have incurred costs. Some straight talking is needed from the LSC so that colleges in this position are aware of the difficult decisions they will have to take."

Leigh warned that there is a risk that some colleges are taking on more debt than they can manage, which could make them more vulnerable to further financial losses.

The report also claimed the 16 to 19 transfer could jeopardise the programme further. The college rebuilding programme will require "very careful management" when the LSC is dissolved, the report said.

Article courtesy of Children & Young People Now.

School sports must include special needs children says Tim Shriver
15/07/09

Mixed sports teams containing children with special needs should be introduced to every school in Britain before the 2012 Olympics, a leading disability campaigner said yesterday.

Tim Shriver, chairman of Special Olympics International, challenged the government to "end the prejudice" by creating a more inclusive sports education policy featuring unified teams.

Click HERE for the full article courtesy of The Times.

Radio 4 interview with afPE Health & Safety Officer regarding the use of goggles
03/07/09

Glen Beaumont (afPE Health & Safety Officer) featured in an interview aired on BBC Radio 4 programme 'Today' on Thursday, the topic of discussion was the use of goggles within school swimming lessons.

Click HERE to listen to the interview (please note that you will have to fast forward to 2hrs 46 minutes).

afPE 2009 National Conference Presentations/Further Reading
03/07/09

Click on the links below to download the keynote presentations (and further reading) from the 2009 afPE National Conference.

Margaret Talbot - Part 1
Margaret Talbot - Part 2
Margaret Talbot - Part 3
Margaret Talbot - Part 4

Sir John Jones: Keynote presentation unavailable for download.
Sir John Jones referred to the following publications during his keynote presentation:

Winning the H Factor - Alistair Smith and Sir John Jones;
The Magic-Weaving Business - Sir John Jones;
Man's Search for Meaning - Victor Frankl;
Leading in a Culture of Change - Michael Fullan.

The first two books are to be published shortly.

Richard Gerver

Ian Gilbert - Motivation
Ian Gilbert - Suggested Reading

Paul Gately: Due to file size please email simon.leach@afpe.org.uk

The Education White Paper was announced in Parliament yesterday.

Click HERE to download a copy of the Education White Paper, HERE for the accompanying letter from the Secretary of State and HERE for the DCSF website: Building a 21st century Schools System.

Have YOUR say about the recommendations of the Rose Review for the Primary Curriculum.

Click HERE to read the summary of afPE concerns, and afPE guidance about the recommendations and their implications for physical education.

In addition, please find links to the on-line QCA questionnaire, and a pro forma letter which afPE asks you to adapt and send to the Secretary of State, Ed Balls, with a copy to QCA.

Schools to get control of improvement budgets
29/06/09

Local authorities should relinquish control over school budgets to individual schools, the government will propose.

The 21st Century Schools white paper is due to be published next week, but CYP Now has learned it will propose schools should receive more money and responsibility for school improvement. Details of how much they will receive are yet to be confirmed, but it is understood the move could see councils give up part of the designated schools grant to allow schools to fund initiatives directly.

John Chowcat, general secretary of children's services union Aspect, said the proposals raised "distinct concerns". One problem is that school leaders are under pressure to fund short-term needs, such as temporary staff shortages, which could divert cash from strategic improvement activities, he warned.

Martin Rogers, policy consultant at the Children's Services Network, said the move could reduce the extent to which councils are held accountable for schools. "You cannot whittle down local authorities' ability to do anything and then blame them if things go wrong," he said.
But John Dunford, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said schools would use improvement budgets for activities that chime with Every Child Matters. He said: "Schools want the maximum devolved budgets so they can make decisions about expenditure based on local need."

Article courtesy of Children & Young People Daily Bulletin.

Research shows satisfaction is high in grassroots sport
18/06/09

New research published by Sport England reveals a high level of satisfaction amongst people taking part in grassroots sport. Regular participants from over 40 sports gave an overall satisfaction rating of 80.3 out of 100 across ten areas.

Click HERE for the full article.

Why it's never too late to exercise
12/06/09

afPE member Bob Laventure comments on exercise for older people.

The over-65 age group is less active than any other. But, says Sam Murphy, exercise doesn't have to be difficult - and it can help you live a longer, happier life.

Click HERE for the full article courtesy of The Guardian.

Teachers fear new restraint rules
10/06/09

Teachers should not have to tell parents if their child is restrained at school, the National Union of Teachers (NUT) has claimed.

Click HERE for the full article courtesy of

Andy Burnham backs get-fit campaign to trim NHS costs
08/06/09

Making the country more active should be a fundamental part of what the National Health Service is about, according to the new health secretary, Andy Burnham.

In his first interview after taking on the job vacated by Alan Johnson, who was appointed home secretary in Friday's government reshuffle, Burnham told the Guardian that spending money to help people get fit and stay so was "a long-term insurance policy" that could help cut the soaring bills incurred by the NHS in treating obesity-related disease such as diabetes and heart conditions.

Burnham said he wanted primary care trusts to put more money into swimming, gym sessions and cycling, in the belief that disease prevention had to become a big focus of the cash-limited NHS.

Click HERE for the full article courtesy of the Guardian.

Activities 'improve exam results'
08/06/09

Pupils who take part in several extra-curricular activities tend to perform better in exams, research by the Independent Schools Council suggests.

A study of 508 private schools found the number of pupils getting GCSE grade B or above was linked to the number of extra-curricular activities on offer.

Pupils in top-performing schools took part on average in 50% more activities than those in weaker schools.

Click HERE for the full article courtesy of the BBC.

Play sector struggles to comply with the EYFS
01/06/09

The play community is at loggerheads over how playworkers can comply with the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS).
 
Playworkers offering out-of-school provision for children as young as five have struggled to implement the new curriculum for children under six due to its stringent definition of play.

Play England and sector skills council SkillsActive were due to publish in-depth guidance on how playworkers can work with the EYFS without compromising the values of the profession, the Playwork Principles (CYP Now, 5-11 February). But there is now a lack of consensus over whether this guidance will ever be published.

SkillsActive claims it is still going ahead with guidance. "We're working with the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) and Ofsted to make it workable for playworkers," said Paul Bonel, the council's head of playwork.

But Play England's director Adrian Voce was unable to guarantee the EYFS could work for playworkers. "The Playwork Principles are solely about initiating play and letting children respond to that. And that does seem to conflict with definitions in the EYFS regarding planned and purposeful play and learning developments," he said.

But he added: "We can't publish anything that interprets a statutory framework unless the government backs it."

The DCSF said it is still working with SkillsActive on guidance, but reiterated that the EYFS must be delivered through planned and purposeful play and a balance of adult-led and child-led activities.

Article courtesy of Children & Young People Now.