Physical Education in a global pandemic

Earlier this year, I was contacted by the Director of Sport at United Learning, Shaun Dowling (@ShaunD10), He was looking for contributors to a not-for-profit book titled Pivot, Flex, Adapt: Physical Education through the the 2020 Pandemic.

Shaun asked if I would write a short piece about how, as a Head of PE, I prepared for students returning to school after a 6 month break. Here it is…


Combining several of the above features, but with a clear focus in mind, Simon Scarborough and his team developed their own model. Using some best practice nationally, student voice and a clear vision for the outcomes they wanted for their students, they steered away from summer term activities and placed a high value on student wellbeing.

Case Study: Crispin School Academy, Somerset

Developing student character through warm ups in PE.

Having started at a new school in September, the Headteacher outlined the 5 key priorities in the school improvement plan. Point 3 stated:

“Ensure student character is developed to ensure students are independent, resilient and resourceful learners”

As the newly appointed Head of PE, I started to ponder how I might be able to contribute to this aim. So I developed this idea for a warm up…

The Call of Duty

Ensuring the safety and well-being of students is a fundamental duty of every school. Little or no learning will take place unless students feel safe and cared for in their learning environment. One aspect of school life that has a significant impact on students safety is that of supervision during unstructured times.

Schools adopt various models depending on the nature, size and age range of the cohort. Each school will have their own policies for duty; using directed time, incentivising staff with free lunches or simply relying on goodwill.

The impact of properly supervised areas can lead to a reduction in poor/unsafe behaviour, creating the right conditions for learning when the students return to the classroom. The passive supervision of a member of staff (just being present) can be enough to ensure appropriate behaviour is the default. However, there is an opportunity to achieve so much more than merely standing around for 20 minutes during your break.

Time to act – Addressing the root causes of childhood mental and physical health problems.

The frequency of reports in the media about increasing levels of mental health problems in children, the rising levels of childhood obesity and the looming diabetes timebomb is deeply concerning.
As a passionate school leader and physical education practitioner, my concern is matched with anger and frustration. These worrying reports are coupled with ongoing research with overwhelming evidence that physical activity not only has significant physical and mental health benefits but also improves academic performance. And yet we continue to see a steady flow of reports informing us that more and more children are being put off physical activity and sport from an early age.

Whilst some schools appear to be getting their PE and school sport strategy right, there continues to be far too many schools that are not; certainly not for every child. This, being the case, despite the extra finding being provided by the PE and school sport premium funding. Something needs to be done.

Assuming Complex Needs

In my role as Assistant Principal with responsibility for vulnerable and minority student achievement (including the role of SENCO), I wanted to remind staff on our return to school after the summer holidays, of our duty to strive towards an outstanding education provision for all students in our care. It sounds like an obvious thing to say (and risks being patronising), but results still demonstrate that children from disadvantaged backgrounds and those who have special educational needs continue to perform less well than their peers in many parts of the country. I acknowledge that some schools are getting this right and are producing great outcomes for these vulnerable groups.

Making your your students want to drink (learn).

Many years ago, as I was embarking on my teaching career, I spent a significant amount of my life emersed in the world of horses. My unexpected arrival into the horse world resulted from meeting my now wife, the proud owner of two horses. The early days were spent mainly sweeping up and mucking out (and observing from a safe distance!), before being promoted to Assistant Groom and then then finally being taught how to ride by my wife.

In a very short period of time, I fell in love with horses; connecting with such an amazing animal is a special experience.

I went to see a demonstration from a man called Monty Roberts (The man who listens to horses) on a wet winters night, sat in a cold barn in the south of England. This experience literally changed my life. A bold statement perhaps, but that night shaped my ethos in education and more broadly with how I approach relationships with humans and animals alike.

 

Shifting a culture of attainment to one of progress…in 5 minutes!

It was another fresh January day, the sun was shining, the temperature close to freezing and students were passing the time during their lunch break. 

As I approached a group of KS 3 students on my lunch time walkabout, they looked as though they could have done with some direction and purpose. As I engaged in conversation with the group, a student reminded me of a chat we had earlier in the year about Parkour. I hope to one day create a Parkour club, but need to ensure I have the capacity to consistently commit to the students each week.

I set down a couple of tokens (used to reward positive behaviours around the school) marking set distances from a low wall that we were standing next to. I demonstrated a simple precision jump  for them from the first level, landing on top of the brick work with control and balance on the balls of my feet. A few students then had a go with varying degrees of success, but there were many that were reluctant to make any attempt.

Cheers Drive – Leading (and Learning) on the Buses

It was a rainy afternoon during the last week of Term 2, when I found myself captivated by a gentlemen who I had only just met. He was talking to me about the importance of building a culture of respect when working with young people. He was driving a school bus, as he has done twice a day either side of his work as a civil engineer, for over 20 years. Little did I realise that I would learn so much on this single journey.

What is your Secret Sauce?

This image was sent to me courtesy of Gaping Void’s daily email service. Sign up for it for free here.

It is one of many images they have created that I have liked over the years. What I really enjoy is reading about the story behind the image. Most of them are written in the context of the business world, but leadership concepts can be applied across many areas. My natural instinct is to adapt them to the world of education.

How will I use this in school?

Building Confidence…Through Cups!?

During the summer holiday, I was taught by eldest niece how to do the cup song (somehow I’ve missed the phenomenon over recent years!?). I had to learn all of the moves/actions, I grappled with the timing, strained under the pressure of performing it in time with my niece (darn quick hands at the age of 10) and couldn’t resist challenging her to create a sequence / performance that involved us both. I became mentally exhausted after an intense 30 minute period.

I have taken great pride in recent years being part of a PE Department that has created a culture where children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have thrived. As part of my new role, which includes SENCo, I am spending considerable time within the SEND department. As I was thrown into the learning pit by my niece, I made a number of comparisons to PE lessons I have taught in recent years. My brain started to generate ideas about how the cup song could be used as a vehicle to develop learning confidence.