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April 2008 Archive News:
Netball wants Olympic status but not among sports considered for 2016
30/04/08
The Co-operative Group has announced plans to support England Netballs bid to make netball an Olympic sport but it is not on the short-list for sports to be considered for inclusion in 2016.
Softball, baseball and golf are among seven sports under consideration for inclusion at the 2016 Olympics when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) holds its session in Copenhagen in October 2009.
Click HERE for the full article courtesy of Inside The Games.
Medieval game has a special place here
30/04/08
The game of stoolball has recently been recognised as a sport by Sport England and it is mentioned in the National Schools Curriculum for next September.
Steep captain Shirley Reed, who is current president of the National Stoolball Association, said: "If we start getting it through the schools, then that's terrific.
"It's very much easier and cheaper to take up stoolball than, say, cricket. The equipment doesn't cost as much, for one thing."
Click HERE for the full article courtesy of the Petersfield Post.
Addressing health time bomb should not be risked by squabbling
23/04/08
The Scottish Government has delivered a stinging rebuke to Cosla following suggestions that they will abandon a target set for June this year of two hours' quality physical education per week.
Recent media reports suggest the SNP are on the brink of abandoning this manifesto pledge, but there was a flat denial from a government spokesman yesterday. Reports are "completely unfounded" he said.
Meanwhile, a spokesman for Cosla responded by accusing the SNP of "castigating us as the bad guys" and denied local government wants to remove the two-hour target.
Click HERE for the full article courtesy of The Herald.
Do you think you can do better than the ref?
21/04/08
Here is a statistic that might surprise you. At 16 years of age, an individual's chances of becoming a Premier League footballer are 100,000-1. However, if a 16-year-old chooses to train as a referee, his or her chances of stepping out at Anfield or the Emirates as a Premier League match official are 100-1.
Click HERE for the full article courtesy of Telegraph.co.uk
Salmond challenged on Physical Education target
21/04/08
First Minister Alex Salmond has been accused of a U-turn over a pledge that pupils would get two hours' PE a week. Scots Labour leader Wendy Alexander said Scotland's obesity problems meant it was wrong to give up the plan. Speaking at question time in Holyrood, Mr Salmond branded weekend reports of the claim "completely unfounded".
The Tories said plans for a new local income tax would hit students, while the Lib Dems questioned the government's efficiency savings plan.
Click HERE for the full article courtesy of bbc.co.uk
Music and dance unites schools
17/04/08
Making the leap from primary to secondary school is as easy as 1, 2, 3!
Youngsters from the feeder schools to St Gabriel's RC High (in Bury) recently took part in a dance festival as part of a School Sports Partnership scheme which aims to progress the standards and achievement levels of children in physical education through a range of mediums, including music and dance.
Click HERE for the full article courtesy of the Bury Times.
Working in partnership with Ofsted
16/04/08
afPE would like you to join us for a unique one-day seminar, in partnership with Ofsted, to raise standards in physical education.
The seminar will look at:
- How to recognise high quality teaching and learning observed in lessons;
- Recording the information for feedback and use it to bring about improvement;
- Setting the focus for lesson observations;
- Recognising and agreeing high quality teaching and learning in lessons;
- How to complete and use records of evidence;
- Techniques for feedback.
Seminars will take place in Leeds on Tuesday 10th June and in Oxford on Thursday 12th June.
Click HERE for further details or email helen.chadwick@afpe.org.uk.
Subject Knowledge Booster Courses for Physical Education ITT Trainee Teachers
14/04/08
This year, afPE, in conjunction with Leeds Metropolitan University, Liverpool John Moores University, University College Plymouth St Mark & St John and Loughborough University will be running Subject Knowledge Booster Courses in the areas of Dance, Gymnastics, and Outdoor and Adventurous Activities. The courses are funded by the Teacher Training and Development Agency for Schools and will be held during June and July.
Please download the following files for full details of the courses on offer plus information for trainees and providers and an application form. The closing date for applications is May 23rd but places are limited and are likely to be in high demand. Early application is therefore advised.
 Letter to Trainees
Letter to Providers
 Booster Application Form
Further new service for members and primary teachers:
Primary Subjects - Physical Education - Issue 1
11/04/08
afPE is part of the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) funded Council for Subject Associations (CfSA).
During the first year the CfSA is producing a Primary school subject association pack which comprises four pages for each national curriculum subject.
The first publication was based on the Every Child Matters strategy and is being sent out to all primary schools In England during April. The second publication time line has just been released and DCSF want each subject to focus on Gifted and Talented.
Primary Subjects - Issue 1
Policy Advisory Group (PAG) - Minutes from March 2008 Meeting
11/04/08
The latest afPE Policy Advisory Group (PAG) meeting was held at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff on 5th March.
If you are a member of afPE then you can download the minutes which are located in 'Members' News' within the member area of the afPE website.
N.B. If you would like to be reminded of your password, please email Simon.leach@afpe.org.uk
Heart disease risk 'increases for children who are inactive'
10/04/08
Unfit, lazy children are six times more likely to develop early signs of heart disease than those who are active and take exercise, scientists have warned.
Click HERE for the full article courtesy of the Telegraph.co.uk.
Queries on quality and levels of activity within the PSA target
10/04/08
British children get only two hours of Physical Education each week – and it shows. With obesity rates rising, should we emulate Japan and insist on a tough exercise regime?
Click HERE to read the full article courtesy of The Independent.
afPE responds to the Government's Play Strategy
10/04/08
The Association for Physical Education (afPE) is pleased to see this commitment from the Government to provide safe, well managed, accessible facilities and leadership for children's play.
As physical educationists, we are horrified that so many young children have limited opportunities for movement and physical activity, and for enjoyable practice and exercise of skills and sociability. Too many children are physically restricted by parents' understandable concerns about safety, but it is essential that they are able to learn and practice the skills they need for participation in everyday activities with their friends.
afPE is concerned, too, that nursery and early years schools experience can include the opportunities for physical play and physical activity which young children need so much. It is high time that all provision for children is both child-friendly and activity-friendly.
We welcome the intention to match new and improved play facilities, with appropriately trained play leaders and facilitators, although we are concerned that the budgets announced are very modest, once allocated across local authorities. It is essential that local authorities receive the resources they need to deliver recreational opportunity, their new duty under the Children Act 2004, as recommended by the United Nations Statement on the Rights of the Child.
Call for Posters for the afPE National PESS Conference
07/04/08
As part of the research strand of this year's national conference, the organising committee is looking to include a number of poster presentations at the conference.
The intention is that these will provide an ideal forum for both experienced and/or new researchers to share and discuss their research with colleagues in a relatively informal and relaxed setting. Other key strands running through the conference include: leadership, health and pedagogy and posters should ideally relate to one of these areas.
Anyone interested in presenting a poster at the conference is invited to submit a short abstract for consideration by Wednesday 21st May 2008.
The abstract should:
• be a maximum 500 words
• include details of the title, author(s) and affiliation(s)
• provide a brief overview of the research aims, methodology, findings and conclusion(s).
Please e-mail abstracts to Lorraine Cale (l.a.cale@lboro.ac.uk) by the deadline date indicating which conference strand (leadership, health or pedagogy) the poster will relate to. Please also encourage any of your colleagues and or students, as applicable, to make submissions.
All abstracts will be acknowledged as soon as possible upon receipt and decisions will be made by Wednesday 4th June. At this time presenters will then be provided with further information about the requirements and organisation of the poster presentations. Lorraine looks forward to receiving your submissions soon!
Hey, ministers: leave those governors alone
07/04/08
The British are a nation of volunteers. It has defined us more than egg sandwiches, queueing, warm beer or Marmite. Like good sportsmanship or tolerance, it is one of the characteristics foreigners tend to admire even while they are slating us for our rampaging teenagers or dire cooking.
Click HERE to view the full article courtesy of the Telegraph.co.uk.
New National Physical Education and School Sport Professional Development Programme website launched
04/04/08
The National Physical Education and School Sport Professional Development Programme is managed by the Consortium Management Group which consists of Youth Sport Trust, Association for Physical Education (afPE) and sports coach UK (scUK).
To view the new website visit: www.nationalpesscpd.com
Report that 25% children are not allowed to play out
04/04/08
Local councils will be told to end the "no ball games" culture today when ministers announce a £225 million plan to provide more play areas for children.
Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, will pave the wave for new planning guidance to ensure that those running parks and other public spaces do more to encourage children's play and sport.
Click HERE for the full article courtesy of Telegraph.co.uk.
25per cent of ten-year-olds are never allowed to play on their own... but that didn't stop Ed Balls taking to the swings
Rarely are government ministers glimpsed larking around in the playgrounds of inner-city Brixton.
And when Ed Balls and Andy Burnham took to the swings yesterday they sparked a row over the future of such play areas.
Click HERE for the full article courtesy of the Daily Mail.
Train your brain: Can jogging make you smarter?
04/04/08
Exercise won't just get you fit – it can also make you more intelligent.
We don't need to be told that exercise is good for us. We know that it combats cholesterol, we know boosts our hearts and we know it stops the pounds from piling on. But, beyond the obvious physical benefits of a good cycle, run or swim, a growing body of evidence suggests that getting breathless can also build the brain.
Click HERE for the full article courtesy of the Independent.
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