Archive news - August 2008:

afPE responds to the Chief Medical Officer's Annual Report
04/08/2008

The Chief Medical Officer's Annual Report compares BMI data and participants' views about their weight from two household surveys, over an eight year period of time. 

The results suggest that, as overweightness becomes more prevalent, overweight people see it less as a problem.  In addition, it is considered that images of extremely obese people in the media tend to present a false impression of obesity.  

The paper concludes that increasing numbers of overweight people are failing to recognise that their weight is a cause for concern, or that messages about healthy eating and exercise are aimed at them.  It is proposed that the key to addressing misconceptions about weight is to treat obesity as a multi-level societal issue.  This involves educating the entire population on the importance of a healthy lifestyle, rather than just focusing on overweight individuals, which would help reduce weight related stigma.

The full report can be found HERE.

Key Stage 2 SATs 'misrepresent children's abilities'
06/08/2008
 
An article from the Children & Young People Now website claims that Ninety per cent of secondary schools find Key Stage 2 SATs results do not reflect pupils' true abilities, a report has found.
 
Fast Track to Slow Progress was published by think tank Civitas to coincide with the publishing of Key Stage 2 SATs results.
 
The study was based on a nationwide survey of 107 secondary schools and revealed that nine out of 10 secondary school teachers felt they could not rely on SATs results.
 
The report showed that 79 per cent of secondary school teachers found that up to a third of their Year 7 year-group's abilities were lower than their Key Stage 2 SATs results, this last school year.
 
It stated that teaching to the test or "coaching" is seen to be the number-one reason for inflated Key Stage 2 results.
 
Anastasia de Waal, head of family and education at Civitas and the report's author, said: "The Key Stage 2 SATs have become little more than vanity testing: proof for the government of rising standards in primary schools, which the consumers of these results - secondary schools - aren't buying."

Children deterred from adventurous play
06/08/2008
 
An article from the Children & Young People Now website today claims that more than half of young people are not allowed to climb a tree without adult supervision, a study has found.
 
An ICM survey commissioned by Play England found that 51 per cent of children aged seven to 12 years are supervised by adults when climbing trees.
 
Forty nine per cent of children also report that they have been stopped from climbing trees because it was considered to be too dangerous.
 
The research also found a change in the places where children and young people experience adventurous and challenging play. Seventy per cent of adults enjoyed most of their adventures in natural outdoor environments when they were younger, according to the survey. This compares with only 29 per cent of children today as both the space and the freedom to roam has dramatically declined in recent years.
 
Adrian Voce, director of Play England, said that play was an essential part of growing up. Adventurous play that both challenges and excites children helps instil critical life skills, he said. Constantly wrapping children in cotton wool can leave them ill equipped to deal with stressful or challenging situations they might encounter later in life.
 
More than 1,000 children and young people aged seven to 16 were quizzed for the poll.

Half of schools in poor areas are failing
08/08/2008
 
More than half of all secondary schools in the poorest areas of the country are officially classed as "failing", according to new government figures.
 
Fifty-five per cent of secondary schools in the most deprived parts of England do not achieve thirty per cent of children getting five good GCSEs including English and maths - the government's official benchmark for a failing school.
 
In the 10 per cent richest areas only three per cent of secondary schools are officially "failing".
 
The statistics come from A Failed Generation - Educational Inequality under Labour, which was published today (Friday) by the Conservative Party. The document aims to outline the divide in achievement between the most well-off children and their less well-off peers.
 
Shadow children's secretary Michael Gove said: "The government's attempts to close the widening gap between rich and poor have failed. These figures highlight yet again that children from less well-off backgrounds do not get the same opportunities as others.
 
"We urgently need to address the widening gap between rich and poor. We want to allow good new schools to set up in poor areas - based on the successful Swedish model - so that every parent gets the opportunity for their child that is currently only open to the rich."

afPE Chief Executive to lead ICSSPE
18/08/08

afPE is delighted to announce that Margaret Talbot will become President of the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE), starting in 2009.  ICSSPE currently has a membership of 350 organisations and is the biggest network for physical education and sport science in the world and therefore Margaret's election is a great achievement.

Official ICSSPE press release:
International Physical Education Expert to Lead ICSSPE
On the occasion of the 23rd General Assembly of the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Education (ICSSPE) in Guangzhou, China, Prof. Dr. Margaret Talbot was elected President, to succeed Prof. Dr. Gudrun Doll-Tepper beginning in 2009.

Talbot is the Chief Executive Officer of the Association for Physical Education, UK, and has served as ICSSPE Vice-President since 1998. She jointly led with Gudrun Doll-Tepper the concluding plenary discussions at the 1st and 2nd World Summits on Physical Education in Berlin in 1999 and Magglingen in 2005, and has made presentations and has run workshops on physical education policy and on women and sport in more than 30 countries.

Talbot will become the 7th President of the Council that is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2008.
President-elect Talbot commented, "It will be an enormous challenge to follow the distinguished leadership of President Doll-Tepper, which has helped to position ICSSPE as a significant player in international physical education and sport science. I look forward to ensuring that ICSSPE's potential influence on sport science and physical education is fully realised."

Poor co-ordination linked to obesity
20/08/08

Bad co-ordination and physical control in childhood are linked to obesity later in life, a new study has found.

Research from the ongoing National Child Development Study in Great Britain looked at the hand control, co-ordination and clumsiness of children aged seven and 11.

The study then measured the body mass index of the subjects once they reached the age of 33.
Those that had poor co-ordination and hand control in childhood were more likely to have a body mass index of 30, where a person is defined as obese, or over.

The report's authors, writing in the British Medical Journal, said: "Some early life exposures, such as maternal smoking during pregnancy, or personal characteristics may impair the development of physical control and co-ordination, as well as increasing the risk of obesity later in life."

The National Child Development Study in Great Britain began in 1958 and follows more than 11,000 individuals.

Article courtesy of the Children & Young People's Daily Bulletin.

New 2008 standards for swim schools
21/08/08

A new edition the BSi's publicly accessible standard for the operation and management of swimming schools, PAS 81: 2008 has now been published.

As part of the BSi's quality assessment programme, the PAS 81: 2005 document was reviewed earlier this year by the industry to gauge its performance and identify whether any improvements were needed. The consultation process involved over ninety organisations across the leisure sector, and all the responses were assessed and, while most said the document remained fit for purpose, a number of comments were taken on board as part of the review. The original author of the specification, Steve Franks from the Swimming Teachers' Association (STA) says: "Most of the suggested amendments referred to legislation and changes to qualifications that have occurred since the original document was published in 2005. This feedback has helped to ensure that the 2008 document is better focused and more pertinent to operational standards, making it a more effective guidance tool for the swim school sector."

But what of the future? "The creation of PAS 81: 2005 has already paved the way for positive change within the swim school market, both in the UK and internationally," confirmed Steve.  "It currently provides guidance and recommendations but will evolve to offer a common platform for regulation and registration."

"To achieve this there needs to be greater awareness across the industry sector, more sustainable partnerships and more 'joined up thinking' across all those organisations and professional bodies involved in the development and delivery of swimming tuition. Once a consensus has been reached, the industry can control its destiny and deliver continuous improvement, reviewing its achievements and its future direction. Regulation of swim school businesses can only benefit the public and the sector as a whole. It will drive up standards, improve operational performance and broaden swimming programme provision. It will encourage expansion within the sector, new business ventures and the promotion of new employment opportunities."

Steve adds: "The next period of development is likely to be even more significant. Education has embraced the standard, and with the support of the Association for Physical Education, PAS 81 is set to become a significant good practice guidance document within school sport. Where there had once been no barrier to any operator wanting to enter the swim school market, PAS 81 has set standards and will continue to raise them as the market becomes even more competitive. As well as improving business performance and compliance with good industry standards, PAS 81 is helping to save lives."

Details of PAS 81: 2008 are now available via the websites of the STA – www.sta.co.uk - and the British Standards Institution - http://www.bsi-global.com/en/  

afPE applauds physical activity being used as an incentive for school attendance
21/08/08

A local authority is offering free ice skating tickets to students who record 100 per cent attendance next school year.

Isle of Wight council will give a free family ticket and a certificate to pupils in Ryde who complete a full term without missing a day of school.

The council hopes the project will help improve attendance and also encourage parents to make sure their children don't miss school.

Alan Wells, cabinet member for children and young people at the council, said: "Ice skating is a very popular activity with young people and students knowing they can access free skating is a great incentive. This is all about rewarding those who make the effort in the classroom every day of term."

The council is working with Planet Ice, which owns the Ryde ice arena, to run the scheme.

Study shows dependence of some children on physical education for physical activity
22/08/08

Young people do not participate in enough physical activity to be healthy, research has revealed.
A survey of 1,083 youngsters aged seven to 18 said 89% of those polled spend far less time engaged in physical activity than is recommended by the Department of Health.

Taken as a representative sample for the whole of the country, this means eight million young people are not getting enough exercise, said KidsOutdoors a campaign led by The Scout Association.

The survey also found that 7% of the sample, which would equal more than 600,000 young people if extrapolated nationally, also spend no time at all participating in outdoor physical activities which are not arranged by school.

Department of Health guidelines state that children, even those of a healthy weight, should aim to be active for at least one hour a day.

With the bank holiday weekend approaching KidOutdoors said it would like to see more youngsters taking part in outdoor events such as the Notting Hill Carnival, Brighton Festival and a bog snorkelling competition in Llanwrtyd Wells.

Peter Duncan, Chief Scout, said: "It's great that there are so many events happening this weekend and that people are going to be having these adventures. The KidsOutdoors campaign would like to see more people outside experiencing adventure throughout the year, not just on public holidays.
"As families are forced to tighten their spending, more people are looking to their local communities for outdoor activities and with a large variety of activities on it's easier than ever for everyone to get outdoors and get active.

"Outdoor adventure and activities have numerous benefits - including helping to tackle obesity and providing opportunities for young people from all walks of life to enjoy new experiences."

£4.5 Million for positive youth activities and to improve community relations
21/08/08

Young people across the country are to experience adventure, arts, media projects and residential summer camps, thanks to a £4.5 million cash injection, outlined today by the Children's Minister Beverley Hughes.

Some of the extra funding will give young people particularly those in deprived areas, the chance to attend community cohesion themed camps which start this autumn as well as mainstream summer camps. These camps will encourage young people to develop their social and emotional skills and build understanding and appreciation of others from different backgrounds.

The funding will also provide activities and projects young people want, at the times they need them, all year round. These will bring together young people from different backgrounds, gender, race, ethnicity and religion and will aim to help promote positive community relations. The projects will help to occupy vulnerable young people who may otherwise get involved in antisocial behaviour.

Some of the themes that will be included at these camps include:

• Gang activity and its impact on the community
• Managing rivalry and conflict between two areas
• Community issues and celebrating diversity; anti-racism
• Reducing isolation and improving self-worth

Click HERE for the full article courtesy of the DCSF.

Olympics stimulates interest in policies about physical education and school sport - afPE continues its campaign to improve physical education for all
27/08/08

A children's delegation helped win the bid for the 2012 Games, but ministers are failing to give them the backing to realise their dreams.

Shaunna Thompson will run the most important race of her life at the UK School Games in Bath this Saturday. Last year she was beaten in the 100m final of the multi-sport event by Ashlee Nelson, now the youngest member of Britain's athletics squad at the Beijing Olympics. It's important because Shaunna, who goes to an inner-city school in Manchester, is determined to run for Britain at the 2012 Games in London. Over the past four years she has changed from being a 'girly girl' who didn't like sport at primary school to a medal-winning athlete.

It is a story that will gladden the hearts of those counting on 2012 to inspire young people and rejuvenate sport, but one of the most talented young runners in the country could easily have slipped through the net. 'I preferred playing with make-up to PE at primary school,' she says. 'I found it boring and gave up football after the first attempt, when I kicked the ball into my own goal.'

Shaunna discovered her talent at the age of 12 when Paula Dunn, the former British international sprinter, visited her comprehensive. 'I didn't know at the time, but she told the PE teacher to keep an eye on me. The teacher put me in for some inter-school competitions and I kept winning. She phoned Sale Harriers, the local club, and my mum took me down there.

'My absolute dream is to run for Britain,' says Shaunna, now 16, who has just collected her GCSE results and plans to do a nursing cadet course at a local college. Yet if Dunn had not chosen to visit the school as an ambassador, if her teacher at North Manchester High School for Girls had not helped her to travel to events - her mother does not drive - if there had not been a local club, she might never have made it.

Despite the cash pumped into schools through the government and lottery funding in the three years since 30 schoolchildren helped to win the Olympic bid for London in Singapore, little has changed. PE at school remains a dispiriting experience for many pupils.

The egalitarian 'all must be winners' assault on competitive sport by the education establishment since the Sixties has left a legacy of empty places at county athletics championships around the country, which regularly cancel heats through lack of contestants. The School Sport Survey last year found that 98 per cent of schools were running at least one sports day a year, but at more than four in 10 of those children did not take part in inter-school games or competitions.

Unless parents take them to clubs, children's first experience of sport comes from primary teachers, who have 13 other subjects to cover. 'It's a national scandal that around 40 per cent of newly qualified primary teachers receive only six hours' training to teach PE,' says Professor Margaret Talbot, chief executive of the Association for Physical Education. 'There needs to be much more emphasis on sport in all teacher training courses and sustained investment in continued professional development.'

Playing fields are still being sold off, albeit at a slower rate. Since 1997, 192 school fields have been sold. Last year alone 19 sales were approved. All were surplus to requirement, according to the Department for Children, Schools and Families, which says that 91 belonged to schools that were closing and 83 to schools which used the proceeds to improve their sports facilities; the remaining 18 were at schools which improved their educational facilities.

Recent surveys give little cause for cheer. In England, 70 per cent of teenage girls do not engage in any form of sporting activity after leaving school, whereas in France the same proportion carry on with at least one sport. Results published earlier this year showed that one in three children in the final year of primary school was overweight or obese.

In the aftermath of the successful bid to host the Olympics, ministers set a target of at least 85 per cent of pupils being offered at least two hours of PE and sport a week. By 2011, it wants that figure to be five hours for all children, with the extra three hours provided through schools, colleges and clubs.

The Central Council of Physical Recreation says the five-hour target is welcome but unrealistic. 'The offer is really ambitious, especially considering 16 per cent of schools are reportedly still not reaching the more modest two-hour target,' says Tim Lamb, its chief executive. 'We've got to get more children more active, but if sports provision is extended only outside of school hours it will only be the most enthusiastic who are taking it up. The ones who are difficult to engage now aren't the type of children who will stay behind after school to participate. Sports clubs run by volunteers are eager to help, but you can't just flick a switch and expect trained coaches and good facilities to appear.'

The council has repeatedly complained that lottery money which should be going to community sport is being diverted to fund the Olympic building programme. 'The Olympics are first and foremost a festival of sport, not a festival of urban regeneration. Significant sums have been diverted away from grass-roots sport and into Olympic construction. That will come at a serious cost to community sports clubs at exactly the time when they need investment to build capacity,' Lamb says. 'It's simply perverse to take money away from the organisations which will help make these Games a lasting national success.'

Money has been going into schools to help modernise facilities which in many cases have changed little since the Fifties. Ed Balls, the Schools Secretary, has announced a £30m investment to help sports colleges build new pitches, install floodlights and provide better drainage so that facilities can be used all year round. Every school is part of a sports partnership, which should enable them to share facilities, but the time and cost involved in transporting pupils, especially in sparsely populated areas, has left many PE teachers continuing to negotiate the use of the school hall with the catering staff.

More than 200 full-time competition managers are in place whose job is to organise events and competitions within and between schools, a task that was once done voluntarily by teachers. The relaxation of constraints on the secondary school curriculum has made it easier for schools to provide a range of sports. The average number of activities provided has risen from 14.5 in 2003-04 to 17 last year, with the biggest increases in golf, cycling, archery, canoeing, orienteering, tennis, fitness and rowing.

There is far more support for those identified as good at sport, says Charlotte Bowen, 14, a medal-winning gymnast from Ivybridge Community College in Devon. 'There was a huge surge of interest in athletics after Dame Kelly Holmes visited and lots more people have taken up sport at school,' she says. 'The best students in their field are selected to join academies representing different activities within the school and work for bronze, silver and gold medals.

'I'm part of the gifted and talented initiative, but it's much wider than that at our school. It's not seen as elitist. When people see others do well and see their picture on the board, it encourages them to join in.'

Steve Grainger, chief executive of the Youth Sport Trust, says resources have been put into elite sport - the identification and support of talented youngsters - and into building up school sport, which he describes as 'one of the pillars of a bridge'. Over the next year there is likely to be significant extra investment in building up the second pillar, local sports clubs, improving their links with schools and offering many more opportunities for children, he says.

Sport England is expected to announce within the next few weeks that extra funds will be channelled into up to 40 of the 150 sporting associations to help provide more coaching and support for pupils. More children should be able to try out new activities, it says, such as skateboarding, rowing, archery and the latest craze, beach volleyball.
As so often in education, things are turning full circle. 'When I came into teaching 34 years ago, there was a lot of money around for youngsters to take part in a range of local activities. You could take them roller-skating in the summer or ice-skating in the winter, but all that stopped with the national curriculum,' says Dave Thomas, an assistant head teacher at Woodside high school in Haringey, north London, who is also manager of one of the new sports partnerships between local schools.

'When I came into PE, competition was seen as a good thing which taught the importance of striving to win and learning to lose with good grace; of losing and improving and coming back stronger. Then, with huge hypocrisy, MPs and high-ranking education officials, who got where they were by competitive exams and interview, decided competition was a bad thing for others.

'Now competitive sport is back, and after all these years in the wilderness it looks as if the run-up to 2012 will be the most exciting time to be a PE teacher in Britain - if the government lives up to its promises.'

Article Courtesy of The Observer.

afPE responds to Health Shadow Minister's announcements on obesity
28/08/08

The shadow health secretary has said there can be "no excuse" for being fat.
Andrew Lansley delivered a speech to the Reform think-tank on Wednesday in which he argued that environmental factors are not to blame.

The Conservative spokesman suggested that personal responsibility was the best cure for obesity and tapped into the new trend of thinking around social norms.

"Tell people that biology and the environment causes obesity and they are offered the one thing we have to avoid: an excuse," he said.

"As it is, people who see more fat people around them may themselves be more likely to gain weight."

"We can and want to remove the excuses by providing an improved environment but it is no substitute for discipline and self-esteem," Lansley added.

"People need to know that the buck stops with them," he said.

Lansley also pledged that a Conservative government would not impose extra regulation to tackle the obesity crisis.
The Tories will instead seek voluntary agreements with industry on public health measures.

The plans will be drawn up by a working group to be chaired by Dave Lewis, the head of the consumer goods group Unilever.

Click HERE to view the afPE response to Health Shadow Minister's announcements on obesity.

Great to see further funding for extended schools, but why is dance excluded?

afPE has written to the Secretary of State to remind him of the value of dance as well as sport in out of hours learning.  See the DCSF press release HERE and afPE letter to Ed Balls HERE. 

Don Foster MP, Liberal Democrat spokesperson said:

"It's disappointing that the government failed to highlight the ever important role that dance plays in improving the fitness and well-being amongst children all over the country. Not only does dance play a vital role in tackling obesity amongst children, who may not be interested in other sports, but it also helps improve many children's social skills and confidence. I hope the government will provide reassurance to those organisations who have expressed concern by this apparent oversight."

Thanks to Sue Trotman for bringing this issue to afPE's attention.

afPE takes the Government to task for lack of action on inadequate primary initial teacher training for physical education

Following the strong support from the membership regarding the need to address the chronic issue of inadequate preparation for physical education by many providers of primary ITT, the Chief Executive wrote to the Prime Minister last month, to request action (see the letter HERE). 

A response, sent from Minister of State Jim Knight, has defended the current situation, demonstrating little political commitment to address it.  In response, afPE's CEO has responded to the Minister, but afPE has also issued a press release about the "scandal" of inadequate ITT provision, and the fact that a huge majority of parents of children of primary age are concerned about it. 

Members and other readers of the website are invited to make their contributions to this debate, by emailing enquiries@afpe.org.uk.

afPE will be continuing efforts to raise awareness of this issue, and will be securing statements from concerned parents.  A full exposition of the issue will be part of the next issue of "Physical Education Matters".  ePolitix is posting the issue on its website, with afPE as "Stakeholder of the Week" and an interview about afPE's major policy concerns.

Click HERE to view the afPE press release.

The era of gentle exercise is over. It's official: you've got to work up a sweat

Official advice that 30 minutes of gentle exercise a day is enough to improve your health has been revised by the scientists who first developed the international fitness guidelines.

Until now, government recommendations have suggested that people can achieve a minimum level of fitness through their normal daily routines. But amid fears that the lightest of activities such as dusting and the stroll to the car are being counted as exercise, a new study by the public health experts behind the formula concludes adults need to add jogging and twice-weekly weight training sessions if they want to cut their risk of heart disease and obesity.

Click HERE to view the full article courtesy of the Guardian.

ISRM Launch Register of Pool Plant Professionals

For over eighty five years the Institute of Sports and Recreation Management (ISRM) has led the way in management and technical training for the Sport and Recreation Industry. More than 40,000 people have gone through the ISRM's most popular qualification, the National Pool Plant Operators certificate since it's inception in the 1970's.

In recognition of achievement upon success in ISRM qualifications all candidates now receive two certificates to reflect both academic and their professional attainment, and these are valid for life.  Up to now candidates who qualify in the ISRM's national pool plant operators (NPPO) certificate have been required to 'revalidate' every three years to keep their NPPO certificates up to date. The Institute will continue to provide specific training update days to keep candidates 'in date' and from now on they will be formally recognised by having their names added to its new Register of Pool Plant Professionals (or RoPPPs for short). 

Click HERE for to view the full press release courtesy of the ISRM.

Standards and Achievement Poster

The following poster has been constructed by afPE, DfES, QCA, Youth Sport Trust and supported by Jenny Newman and the National Strategy team to demonstrate the relationship between Physical Education and School Sport and the National Strategies.

 Standards and Achievement Poster

Activity levels among primary school children in Wales are on the increase and so too is the importance of parent power.

Click HERE to view the full article courtesy of icWales.

The era of gentle exercise is over. It's official: you've got to work up a sweat

Official advice that 30 minutes of gentle exercise a day is enough to improve your health has been revised by the scientists who first developed the international fitness guidelines.

Until now, government recommendations have suggested that people can achieve a minimum level of fitness through their normal daily routines. But amid fears that the lightest of activities such as dusting and the stroll to the car are being counted as exercise, a new study by the public health experts behind the formula concludes adults need to add jogging and twice-weekly weight training sessions if they want to cut their risk of heart disease and obesity.

Click HERE for the full article courtesy of the Guardian.