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Orford Park Project awarded the Inspire Mark
Orford Park Project awarded the Inspire Mark
Orford Park has been awarded the Inspire mark by the London 2012 Inspire programme.
The London 2012 Inspire programme recognises innovative and exceptional projects that are directly inspired by the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
Orford Park has received the Inspire mark because it is the key London 2012 legacy project outside of London and is a development which has been identified as a national blueprint for the future delivery of community leisure provision.
The Orford Park project has already been taking inspiration from the Olympic and Paralympic values in many of its community events and projects.
Seb Coe, Chair of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games said:
’We want to use the power of the Games to inspire change. The Inspire programme is recognising the work our partners all round the UK are doing to help us achieve this vision now – less than a year away from the start of the Games. I congratulate everyone involved in the Orford Park project for securing the Inspire mark and wish you every success with your work.’
Cllr Mike Hannon (Lab, Orford), deputy leader of Warrington Borough Council, said:
‘It’s fantastic news that Orford Park has been awarded the Inspire mark which will strengthen the project’s links with the London 2012 Games. It makes perfect sense for Orford Park to be awarded the Inspire mark. Not only is it the key London 2012 legacy project outside of the capital, but its community projects and events are already being inspired by the Olympic and Paralympic values.’
School and Youth Sport Announcements
The Culture Secretary, Jeremy Hunt, of the Department for Culture Media and Sport was at the centre of a new set of announcements about funding for school, youth and community sport. The announcements, which came with 200 days to go to the opening of the Olympic Games, centre on the government’s pledge to create a lasting legacy from the Olympic and Paralympic Games – especially in relation to young people.
Read the DCMS publication Creating a Sporting Habit for Life
The following links provide wider reading about these announcements:
Sport England – School Games Funding
Guardian Report on Defence of Olympic Legacy
Labour – School Sport coordinators should be Retained
Funding for School Sports Clubs
Who is responsible for school sport?
Which Government department is responsible for improvements in school sport?
How will improvements in participation and engagement for young people aged 5-19 be measured?
Are there any targets?
What could be the impact of reductions to the capacity of School Sport Partnerships.
Such issues were debated recently in the house of commons. For any analysis and to see videos of aspects of the debate click here
Young Ambassador Event
Warrington School Sport Partnership is hosting a training and celebration event linked to the Young Ambassadors programme on 26th January, 6-8pm at the University of Chester. New Young Ambassadors, School Sport Organising Committee Members and their parents are invited to attend, along with any individuals or representatives from organisations who would like to know more about what activities and events are being planned in Warrington during 2012.
YA 2012 evening poster – individuals and organisations
YA evening students poster – information for new YAs , Adistars and SSOC members
Map of Warrington Campus showing Lance Dobson Lecture Theatre
The event will start with a welcome address and speech from Barney Storey, MBE (2 x Paralympic Gold Medallist in track cycling) who will share his experiences as a top athlete with us and explain what it takes to ‘be your best’.
The Young Ambassadors will take part in short workshops at which they will take part in training supporting them to undertake their Young Ambassador or School Sport Organising Committee roles. During this time, the adults (parents, organisation representatives) will enjoy performances from Penketh High School and Warrington Gym Club before working with Barney and supporters of the Young Ambassador programme to discuss how the ambitions of these young people can be supported.
For further information or to request a space at this free event as an organisational representative, please contact Paula Pearson on 07572419478
Grappenhall Hall joins Focus Gymnastics
Grappenhall Hall joins together with Focus Gymnastics, a local Gym club to improve in performance and knowledge for a group of talented boys.
A group of boys from Grappenhall Hall School have been working with a local Men’s Gymnastics Coach to improve in their talent for free running and the new discipline freestyle Gymnastics.
The Boys along with their teacher are attending the sessions, held at Focus Gym Club, for 10 weeks, thanks to funding from the Big Lottery Fund.
The boys, who all range from 11 to 16 years of age, show a real interest or talent for the sport. They attend the sessions once a week for a two hour block as part of their school day. Giving them the opportunity to work within a purpose built facility and with outside coach has really improved their overall behaviour and social skills. They have responded to the programme really well, with all the boys learning new skills including backward somersaults on the trampoline, back flips on the floor and they have also been introduced to the 6 pieces that all high level gymnasts have to take part in during competitions.
The boys have been given the opportunity to attend classes outside of the school; this will give them the opportunity to be part of a club setting and work towards club grades and competitions.
The Boys’ teacher Graham Chatterley describes how well the sessions are going; “It gives the boys the opportunity to push on from the starting point they have from school. They can use the specialist equipment and coaching to try things they have not been able to before. It also allows me as the teacher to learn new coaching techniques for skills the boys are asking for but I have not had the knowledge for.”
Below are a few quotes from the boys themselves:
“The Coach is great he helps us with our moves and tells us were we need to improve.”
“I have learnt so many new things, it’s been great”
“It’s hard work and the coach really works us hard, but I have learnt loads.”
Government Axes Entire Budget for School Sport
“The government has been accused of betraying the promises made to secure the London 2012 Games by scrapping the school sport programme with less than two years to go until the Olympics.
Baroness Sue Campbell, the chair of the Youth Sports Trust, said the decision to incorporate the £162m ringfenced for a network of 450 school sport co-ordinators and other specialist programmes into the general education budget would “decimate” the gains made in the past decade.
“This is in direct contradiction of the promises Seb [Coe] made,” Campbell said. “The biggest promise we made in Singapore was to bring sport to life for children at home and around the world. We are doing that abroad through the International Inspiration programme while we are decimating it at home a year before the Games. It’s incomprehensible.”
Governing bodies, who must also deal with a severe reduction in the funding reserved for capital projects through Sport England, are understood to be concerned that cuts to the network will hurt their grassroots programmes.
Campbell said: “This doesn’t just affect sport in schools. Over the last 10 years this has become a very important route through which governing bodies deliver their grassroots strategies. That’s particularly true of Olympic sport. The school sports partnerships have become an integral part of sports provision.”
The decision to reallocate the funding and concentrate on encouraging competitive sport in schools through a new national Olympic-style competition was also criticised abroad.
Campbell said the scheme had become the model for others in New Zealand and Australia. Wenda Donaldson, director of community sport at the Australian Sports Commission, said: “I am absolutely devastated to hear of the cuts to the school sport partnership models. I am astounded that such an amazing and world-leading initiative has been lost to the communities it serviced.”
Youth Sport Trust response to School Sport Funding Cuts
Following the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review on Wednesday 20th October 2010 and the Education Secretary, Michael Gove’s correspondance to the Youth Sport Trust, Baroness Sue Campbell has written a letter in response, highlighting the successes of School Sport Partnerships in raising the quantity and quality of sport for young people.
Baroness Campbell’s letter can be read here.
You may like to express your own views about the total cuts to School Sport Partnership Funding. A Facebook Group has been established and will be used as the basis for a National petition.
You can also find, and email your thoughts to your MP by using the link provided here.
If you would like to find out more, please contact us via this website.
Sport England Announce Olympic Style Competition
Sport England have published information about the ‘Olympic Style Sports Competition’ which will be rolled out over the next 3 years in collaboration with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Department for Education, British Olympic Association, the British Paralympic Association and the Youth Sport Trust. Read the announcement here
Level 1 – Intra-school competition
There will be more competition in every school. From the school year 2010/11, every primary and secondary school will be encouraged to hold an annual Olympic/Paralympic style day every summer.
This will be the culmination within every school of an enlarged programme of intra school competition (for example class or form matches). The first Olympic/Paralympic style days will take place during the summer school term in 2011; with every school being able to take part by the summer school term in 2012.
Level 2 – Inter-school competition
Next there will be more competitions between schools through a rolling programme of leagues and tournaments. The first tournaments and leagues will be trialled in a selection of areas from the autumn 2010; with rolling competitions across the whole country from January 2011.
Level 3 – County festivals of sport
Children and young people will progress from the inter school tournaments/leagues to one of up to 60 new county festivals of sport. These will incorporate the finals of inter school competition in every area, and showcase the best of local competitive sport. There will be nine pilot festivals – one in each of the Government Office regions – during the summer 2011, with England wide coverage in summer 2012.
Each area will establish an organising committee which will be chaired by a head teacher and bring together the local schools, school sport partnerships, the county sports partnerships and other local partners. Whilst we would expect these core groups to be part of every local organising committee we anticipate variations and difference in terms of their overall make up and the other partners. What will be key is that the committees are locally owned and driven.
Level 4 – National event
The country’s most talented young sports people will have the opportunity to take part in a high profile national event to showcase their talents within school sport. The first national event will take place in summer 2012. The schools of the competing athletes will be recognised and rewarded for their participation.
NGBs have an important role to play across all levels of the new competition.
The School Olympics will be open to all children. However, particular attention will be paid to widening participation through the new competitions across the groups who traditionally have under participated in sport – girls, youngsters with special needs or disabilities, those from deprived background or BME heritage.
At present however, thanks to the removal of ring-fenced funding for School Sport Partnerships, it is unclear how these competitions will be organised and delivered on the ground, should the network cease to exist.
Recent News on School Sport
Five Live report, in which Victoria Derbyshire speaks to Jeremy Hunt (DCMS) and some School Sport Partnership staff, about school sport. Move the slider to the question posed by an SSCO (26 minutes in) and further discussion on the subject with a Competition Manager and PDM (1hr07min).
Take part in a survey regarding the future of School Sport here
Martyn Allison, national adviser culture & sport at Local Government Improvement & Development, offers his advice to the Leisure Inductry, following the Comprehensive Spending Review here.
The College of Education and Human Development in Minnesota share findings to explain why it is important to get girls active early in a video presentation
Sir Steve supports School Sport
Steve Redgrave, speaking from the launch of the Matalan ‘Sporting Promise’ programme at Sport City on 12th November (an event at which children from Warrington School Sport Partnership – Grappenhall Hall – were present) said that there ‘had never been a more important time to be increasing sporting opportunities for young people’. Read the full report here.
Other coverage on School Sport:
Gove criticised for ‘vandalism’ of school sport – The Guardian
Crunch Time for School Sport – Yorkshire Post
Campaign to Save School Sports – Journal Live
Save school Sport Campaign – Warrington Worldwide
Cuts to School Sport will Harm Kids – Jarrow and Hebburn Gazette
School Olympics to be Launched Next Month
The Government is planning to add meat to the bones of its ‘Schools’ Olympics’ concept next month. The competition structure, which will give elite school athletes a high profile competition.
Sainsbury’s – already sponsors of the UK School Games and Top Activity, programmes which they roll out via the Youth Sport Trust, remain committed to a ‘healthy, active lifestyle strategy’. are waiting to see what the details will be before making a final commitment to being involved, reports ‘Inside the Games’
Uncertainty also persists around the ‘level 1 and 2′ teirs of the Government’s proposals, as these would be delivered by schools, who may find their capacity to do so diminished should the cuts to school sport funding nationally result in the reduction or loss of the ‘School Sport Partnerships’ infrastructure.
TV shows discuss cuts to school sport
Tessa Jowell, Shadow Olympics Minister, gives her reaction to the coalition government withdrawing the funding for schools sports partnerships that were to have been a key part of Labour’s legacy after the 2012 Olympics. Star sportsmen and women and sport leaders across the UK are now campaigning against the cuts that they believe will damage the fitness of the future generation.
Politics Show North East and Cumbria discusses school sport cuts (35 minutes)
Guardian – School Sport will be hard hit by cuts
The move to slash £162m annual school sports funding will harm children’s health and bring new job losses, and breaks pledges made to the Olympics Committee, says the Guardian newspaper on 16th November
Government cuts hit 2012 Olympic legacy as free swimming is axed
Government cuts hit 2012 Olympic legacy as free swimming is axed
Free swimming for children and pensioners is to be scrapped as part of cost-saving measures.
The scheme for the under-16s and over-60s was launched by the Labour government two years ago amid much fanfare as a London 2012 Olympic legacy initiative. But the Sports and Olympics minister, Hugh Robertson, said that the scheme was “a luxury” that could no longer be afforded and has been axed as part of £73m savings made by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
“This is not a decision that gives me any pleasure,” Robertson said. “However, the research shows that the great majority of free swimmers were swimming already, and would have paid to swim anyway. With a crippling deficit to tackle and tough decisions to take, this has become a luxury we can no longer afford.”
Labour launched the scheme in 2008 as part of a bid to get more people involved in sport by 2012 and claimed their aim was to get England’s swimming pools free to use by the time of the London 2012 Games.
Robertson said new research showed the scheme has not delivered value for money nor significantly increased physical activity.
He added: “Delivering a legacy from 2012 is one of my top priorities. I want people of all ages and abilities to have opportunities to take part in all kinds of sport, and under our plans to reform the Lottery shares we should see an extra £50m a year going on sports facilities by 2012.
“Our plans to deliver a community sports legacy, in partnership with Sport England, are progressing well and we expect to make a full announcement in July.”
PM Rethinks Cuts to School Sports – Nov 2010
David Cameron may be forced to backtrack on ConDem plans to slash school sports funding by £162million amid growing outrage over the cuts.
The Prime Minister has held crisis talks at No 10 with school sports co-ordinators from his own constituency of Witney, Oxon, to brief him about the full impact of the proposed cuts at local level.
He could now be poised to order a U-turn on the decision to axe the money for school sports partnerships.
These partnerships pay co-ordinators to organise clubs, fixtures and competitions.
It follows growing opposition about the proposed cuts from Labour MPs, schools, sports stars and also from within the coalition itself.
Sources said Mr Cameron was not aware “of the full consequences” of the decision and wanted to be brought up to date. He was also said to be “unaware” of it being a major blow to England’s hopes of hosting the 2018 World Cup – a vote on where the tournament will take place is being held on December 2. The Prime Minister’s decision to rethink the huge funding cut is a deep embarrassment to Education Secretary Michael Gove.
Mr Gove – whose mother said he hated sport at school because he wanted to spend his spare time “reading encyclopaedias” – made the decision without consultation.
Read more: here
Cuts to School Sport – 27/11/10
Follow the link to read Des Kelly’s report on cuts to funding for School Sport Partnerships
Radio Shropshire 2.04 mins in and 2.47 mins - here
School Sport to be debated in Parliament on Tuesday 30th November
National Young Ambassador Talking to Radio 4 on the ‘You and Yours’ show
The NUT adds its online petition to the ‘Save School Sport Partnerships‘ campaign
Channel 4 coverage of the statistics behind the Government’s decision to cut SSP funding
Article from the Press Association
BBC South Today Television Coverage
Some SSP facts
There has been much written, reported and said on the subject of School Sport Partnerships subject since the Comprehensive Spending Review and Michael Gove’s decision to remove all ringfenced funding, and repeated use has been made of statistics to either demonstrate the efficacy or the inadequacy of the SSP networks.
Unfortunately, many of the statistics used have been taken out of context or misquoted. WaSSP would therefore like to take this opportunity to share with you the progress made by the William Beamont School Sport Partnership in recent years. These statistics are taken from the results of the annual survey we complete, which includes every young person (c. 12,000 from 6 high schools and 35 primary / special schools) in the partnership.
Please note that the questions on this survey (which was first rolled out in 2003-4) developed over time, becoming more demanding as the DCMS / DCFS’s PESSCL / PESSYP strategies evolved. Therefore the results for each question included here refer only to the period in which it was asked for the same age range and in the same wording.
1. Curriculum time for PE has increased from an average of 104 minutes in 2004, to an average of 119 minutes per week for all pupils in 2010. This is testament to the higher profile that PE now has.
2. The percentage of young people taking part in 2 hours PE per week increased from 51% in 2004 to 95% in 2008 (the last time this question was specifically asked in the annual PESSYP survey)
3. The percentage of young people taking part in 3 hours School Sport per week (which can include after school activity, competition, sports leadership etc, as well as curriculum PE lessons) rose from 44% in 2009 (the first time the this question was posed) to 62% in 2010 – an 18% increase in one year
4. The percentage of young people competing against others from their own school (not including sports days) rose from 70% in 2006 to 90% in 2010
5. The percentage of young people in Y3-Y13 regularly (3 times per year for primary, 12 times for secondary pupils) competing against others from their own school (not including sports days) rose from 27% in 2009 (the first time the ‘regularity’ question was posed) to 55% in 2010 – a 28% increase in one year
6. The percentage of young people Y1-11 competing against peers from OTHER schools rose from 47% in 2007 to 62% in 2010
7. The percentage of young people in Y3-Y13 regularly (3 times per year for primary, 9 times for secondary pupils) competing against peers from OTHER schools rose from 17% in 2009 (the first time the regularity question was posed) to 26% in 2010 – a 9% increase in one year
8. The number of different activities on offer rose from an average of 13.6 in 2004 to 20.3 in 2010, showing the increasing breadth of opportunity available to young people.
9. The average number of community sports clubs with links to schools rose from 3.7 in 2004 to 9.1 in 2010
10. The percentage of young people (Y2-11) attending community sports clubs with links to the school rose from 11% in 2004 to 24% in 2010
11. The percentage of young people involved in leadership and volunteering (Y10-13) rose from 24% (2004) to 31.25% (2010)
12. The percentage of young people involved in leadership and volunteering (Y1-13) rose from 16% (2007) to 38% (2010)
Readers can draw their own conclusions as to whether these results can be considered successful, however colleagues and partners in Warrington remain convinced that SSPs are effective mechanisms for raising participation in any aspect of school and school to community sport, that they offer value for money and that they are not a ‘centralised government blueprint’, but rather an effective mechanism for reaching every child and every community through their contribution to:
· Giving every child the best start in life
· Enabling Children and Young People to maximise their capabilities
· Supporting healthy standards of living and healthy behaviours
· Creating sustainable and healthy communities
· Strengthening prevention measures to ill health
As well as maximising the power of sport to inspire young people.
Cuts to School Sport – 30/11/10
Public Health Plans to Empower Communities – Independent
Healthy Lives, Healthy People – the future of public health outlined
Hugh Robertson insists School Sport funding s now the responsibility of headteachers – Telegraph
Gove Defends cuts Amidst Athletes’ Anger - BBC News Politics
Sir Michael Parkinson on Sport – BBC News
Pooled resources often offer better services for schools – Guardian
School Sport Scandal: MPS should give Gove short shrift – Guardian
The role of sport in the health and well being of young people – Parliamentary debate 9th December
Michael Gove Accused of ‘Senseless Vandalism’ in axing funding for School Sport Partnerships – Telegraph
Pupils Protest Against School Sport Cuts
Below are some links from the national media on the recent pupil protest and delivery of 620,000 signatures for the ‘Save School Sport’ petition.
Sky Sports – Young Ambassador Debbie Foote
Sky Sports News Special Report
More Than The Games 8th December
London 2012 Olympics Blog (Unofficial)
Warrington SSP Goes to Westminster
PRESS RELEASE – 7th December 2010
Warrington School Sport Partnership in Funding Cuts Protest
A petition with over 620 thousand signatures was handed in at Downing Street today in an attempt to reverse the Coalition Governments decision to cut funding for school sport.
The national campaign to ‘save our school sport’ has been supported locally by William Beamont and Lymm School Sport Partnerships (SSPs) who gathered over 3000 signatures from Warrington residents in just a two week period. Paula Pearson, Partnership Development Manager for William Beamont SSP, travelled to London and joined hundreds of young people, school sport partnership staff and British Olympic Champions including Denise Lewis and Darren Campbell, as they gathered outside the Houses of Parliament to highlight their opposition to the cuts. During the day several MPs, including Andy Burnham, took time out to meet with the young people protesting, and state their support. A contingency of young people led by Debbie Foote, the National Young Ambassador, then delivered the 620,000+ signatures to Downing Street.
Since the government announced the funding cut to SSPs as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review there has been an outcry across the country from all kinds of people, but particularly from young people themselves. The ‘save our school sport’ campaign started in November by the Young Ambassadors, but momentum has continued to gather and in the last 10 days an Opposition Debate was held in the Commons, following which Prime Minister David Cameron instructed Education Secretary Michael Gove to look again at the school sport decision.
Paula Pearson commented “It is fantastic that the government has acknowledged the importance of school sport and there is now some hope that there may be some funding available to support this infrastructure and the work it does. However, this decision needs to be made quickly so that SSPs can begin working with schools to plan programmes, and before the amazing staff currently in place are lost to redundancy.”
She went on to add, “It is gratifying to know that the impact of the School Sport Partnerships has not gone unnoticed in Warrington, and that head teachers, young people, parents, councillors and partner agencies from across the town have all voiced their support.
Whatever the outcome of the Government’s review of the wholesale cuts to School Sport Partnership funding, which has allowed us to provide so many additional participation and competitive sport opportunities across the town, we need to work collectively to find a way forward so that Warrington’s children and young people do not lose out.”
Cheshire and Warrington Plea to Save SSPs
Early Christmas Present for School Sport!
December 20th
School Sport Partnerships have today been given a small lifeline by the Government in its decision to continue to fund the national programme to the end of the academic year, and then to provide a reduced rate of funding until 2013.
This decision, which comes after 2 months of campaigning following the decision to remove the £162 million annual grant, just 1 1/2 years before the Olympics and Paralympic Games, should enable the SSPs some breathing space; time in which to work in a more considered (rather than reactionary) way in conjunction with their local partners in an effort to create a sustainable infrastructure.
Below are some links to national reportage on the subject.
Gove in school sports u-turn
Some of the funding for the School Sports Partnership will be spared from cuts, Education Secretary Michael Gove has announced.
Ministers had previously branded the programme, which co-ordinates action at different levels of the schools system, to encourage more participation in sport, wasteful and a “complete failure”.
But a concerted campaign on behalf of the partnership from athletes and local groups appears to have moved the government to back down – at least partially.
Mr Gove announced that £47 million of the £162 million central government funding for school sports partnerships will in fact be spared from cuts, to the relief of several thousand employees of the partnership.
The money will be found from the existing education budget, but will only keep the scheme in operation until the summer.
A further £65 million of funding will be provided until 2013 to give one PE teacher per school one day a week to encourage competitive sport.
Mr Gove said: “It’s time to ensure what was best in school sport partnerships around the country is fully embedded and move forward to a system where schools and parents are delivering on sports with competition at the heart.
“This will take some time and I’m pleased to be able to confirm some funding for school sports partnerships during this transition. But I’m looking to PE teachers to embed sport and put more emphasis on competitions for more pupils in their own schools, and to continue to help the teachers in local primary schools do the same.”
The funding will be phased out after the Schools Olympics, prompting Labour to claim the ‘u-turn’ was more “about saving face and will not go far enough”.
Shadow education secretary Andy Burnham added: “This package from the Conservative-led Government, after weeks of scrabbling round for funding to save something it branded a ‘complete failure’, only raises one cheer at best.
“So today, in conceding the success of Labour’s School Sports Partnerships, the Government has nevertheless failed to put in place a proper funding package that will allow us to capitalise on the excitement of the 2012 Games.
“We are still looking at the prospect of fewer children playing sport in the run up to the Olympics, and no answer on what will happen to school sport following the Games.”
The original plans would have seen the scheme scrapped entirely. Today’s about face has raised suggestions that Cabinet ministers including sports secretary Jeremy Hunt had exerted their influence on behalf of the programme.
The issue has been the subject of heated clashes between Ed Miliband and David Cameron, with the Prime Minister insisting that participation in school sports hadn’t been affected nearly enough to justify the expense of the partnership.
Prominent athletes had pleaded with Mr Cameron in a letter to reverse the government’s position, arguing that the plans threatened the legacy of the 2012 Olympic Games.
January 11th – Recent News on School Sport
Below are links to some of the most recent updates on the government’s decision to reduce school sport funding.
There are still concerns that a valuable and successful National infrastructure will be dismantled, leaving PE and School Sport back where it was 10 years ago. With even the Queen’s Christmas message focusing on the power of sport to change lives, it is no wonder that this situation is still being debated across the country.
In Warrington, the various posts making up the School Sport Partnership network are at risk of redundancy, and despite much support from schools, it is still unclear whether a solution which will maintain the current posts or capacity will be found.
Warrington School Sport Partnership would like to thank the many schools and organisations who have shown their support at this difficult time and would like to assure them that we are still fully committed to ensuring Warrington has a solution which will continue to impact on children and young people across the town, both IN and THROUGH PE and School Sport.
Inside the Games – Steve Grainger of the YST
Youth Sport Trust – Review of the Year
Warrington Guardian – Scrapping Sports Funding will Risk Children’s Future
Government Spending Review settlement – Q181-Q185
Australian World News – School Sport and the Queen’s Christmas Speech
School Sport Vital To The Olympic Legacy
Eleanor Oldroyd presenter of Thursday night’s 5 live sports, will be focusing on London’s 2012 Olympic Games both on air and on her blog. She is hoping that the Summer Olympics will inspire children to make sport a part of their lives, for the rest of their lives. Eleanor says that although not everyone is going to have a particular talent or dedication for sport, it is still important that there is somewhere for them to go and for someone to teach them if they so wish.
How do we deliver the legacy of inspiration? At the moment, no-one seems entirely sure, but it does seems logical to assume that schools should play a central part in helping our children to get active.
This week for 5 Live Sport, Eleanor is visiting a school in Worcestershire to find out how a thriving SSP actually works.
Caroline Siddell who was named PE teacher of the year in 2009 by the Sunday Times newspaper, said that the outcry created by the threat to disband the SSP’s was a clear indication of how highly valued they actually are.
In December, the Department for Education announced that the SSP programme will continue unchanged until the end of this school year, then on a reduced scale until the summer of 2013.
New Funding Announced for ‘School Games Organisers’
Wednesday 9 February 2011
Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, has today confirmed the Government’s commitment to a new strand of school sport funding to support the delivery of the nationwide School Games initiative. This announcement formed part of a keynote speech in which the Secretary of State outlined the government’s vision for school sport to delegates including headteachers, directors of specialism and other education and sport professionals at the Youth Sport Trust Sports Colleges Conference in Telford.
As previously announced in June 2010, funding from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and the National Lottery has been allocated to establish a nationwide School Games tournament to boost the numbers of young people taking part in competitive sport across the country. In today’s fresh announcement, the Secretary of State pledged further funding support from his Department and the Department of Health to pay for 450 new roles to work three days a week as School Games Organisers.
Schools will have the option to add to this funding and potentially increase the days worked by the School Games Organisers. The role of the new School Games Organisers will be to establish the School Games in their areas, supporting as many schools as possible to set up intra- and inter-school competitions and link schools to clubs.
It is hoped that many existing Competition Managers and Partnership Development Managers will apply for or transition into these roles, building on already established work. The Secretary of State recognised that recent months have been challenging and paid tribute to the ‘extraordinary commitment and dedication’ of those working within school sport.
Mr Hunt has pledged to provide further information as soon as possible on today’s announcement.
New Government Website – Your School Games
Today sees the launch of the government’s new website; Your School Games! In the run up to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games, log onto their website for more information on how to register your school and so creating a year round calendar of competitions for all your students.
The School Games will officially start in September 2011, where a number of competitive sports will involve young children from year 3 to 13 taking part.
It will consist of 4 levels:
- Intra school competitions
- Regular local interschool competitions
- Annual area/county multi sports school games festivals
- National multi sport events.
SSP Future Uncertain
Since the removal of funding for School Sport Partnerships during the October spending review, there has been continued uncertainty for School Sport Partnerships across the country. In February, Jeremy Hunt announced an amount of new funding to support the Government’s School Games Strategy, but although funding for 450 School Games Organisers has been offered to Sports Colleges (3/5 of current funding), there is still no word on the amount or requirements linked to the ’1 day a week’ release funding for PE Teachers of secondary aged students (an expected 50% reduction on current funding).
Time is now running out to secure the retention of the excellent SSP staff currently supporting schools and community partners across Warrington, as they are due to receive their notices of redundancy on 31st May. These staff include 2 Partnership Development Managers, a School-Club Links Officer, Sports Coordination for Inclusion (Disability and Health), Leadership Activity Coordinator and a number of School Sport Coaches.
Clearly there is not enough funding to maintain the network in its current format, even with the support of schools, council and community partners to source additional funding. Finding a way forward, which preserves the best of current practice, is becoming increasingly difficult due to a lack of clarity from government regarding funding, and the depth of discussions needed locally to decide how best to employ and where to host the School Games Organisers for which funding has been confirmed.
Warrington’s situation is replicated across the country, as Gareth Davies explains in the Telegraph this week (13th May).
We hope that the next month will provide some clarity, but with the capacity of school sport dwindling with its infrastructure there are genuine concerns that ultimately, it will be the children that miss out.
Observer Comments on School Games
http://m.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/sep/24/school-games-olympics-legacy-2012?cat=education&type=article
Toby Helm, the Observer’s Political Editor, comments on the Government’s School Games
Project Ability Success!!
Warrington SSP and William Beamont Community High School have been successful in their bid to become a ‘Project Ability’ school.
Project Ability aims to establish a national network of 50 of the most successful mainstream and special schools at providing opportunities for young disabled pupils to take part in sport. These schools will receive funding and resources to:
- Help other schools improve their offer to young disabled pupils
- Work with School Games Organisers to establish and lead new leagues and competitions for young disabled pupils
- Find innovative and practical ways to signpost and support young disabled pupils into wider sporting pathways.
Project Ability is a bespoke project within the School Games to help drive and increase opportunities for young disabled people to take part in competitive sport. Project Ability is focused on building capacity within the school workforce to ensure opportunities for young people are progressive, competitive and shared across groups of local schools.
Schools delivering Project Ability will use the School Games as a vehicle to increase the depth and breadth of PE and school sport opportunities for all young disabled people.
The Project Ability Schools will:
Increase the quality and quantity of competitions for young people with a disability by working with a minimum of 10 local schools to commit to, adopt and promote the School Games and its values:
- Support partner schools to develop inclusive or discrete Intra School (L1) competitive opportunities for their SEN pupils that feed inter school competitions (L2).
- Support the School Games L3 Local Organising Committee (LOC) chair to identify suitable disability experts to sit on the LOC.
Build capacity in the workforce to support this focus on inclusion:
- Deliver sessions across the year (one per half term) for local secondary and primary school specialists to improve knowledge, skills and understanding around the inclusion of young disabled people in sport.
- Work with local sport networks to ensure any coach education programmes address inclusion requirements needed to deliver schools games.
Share effective practice and collaboration at a local level to maximise opportunities:
- Deliver a local County / SGO conference on the development and delivery of disability sport.
- Host an annual leadership conference which is either disability specific or inclusion focused.
This is an exciting opportunity to build on some already great work being done in developing inclusive sport opportunities for young people, and we are excited to get started!
Telegraph Comments on School Sport
Follow the link to read the telegraph article outlining a feared reduction in school sport opportunities across the country following the Comprehensive Spending Review:
International Inspiration
Megan Hopkins, Volleyball Development Coach for Warrington School Sport Partnership and Volleyball England, received fantastic news today when she heard she had been selected on merit as one of only 2 VDCs across the country to take part in the fantastic ‘International Inspiration’ programme as part of the London 2012 legacy.
International Inspiration aims to deliver on the Games’ bid promise to ‘reach young people all over the world and connect them to the inspirational power of the Games, so they are inspired to choose sport’. Working in countries all over the world, International Inspiration aims to use sport as a positive force to enrich the lives of over 12 million young people.
Megan will be travelling to Tanzania in 3 weeks time to spend time in training local people so that they have the skills and knowledge necessary to run volleyball programmes in their own communities and to inspire people to do something positive through sport.
No doubt Megan will have an amazing time and is sure to get as many people loving the sport in Africa as she has already in Warrington! We wish her all the best and hope she’ll come back with plenty of pictures and information to share with us.
Read more about the International Inspiration project here
William Beamont Community High School -Year 11 Football Team – Double Win
William Beamont Community High School -Year 11 Football Team – Double Win
“The Year 11 pupils have worked really hard this year. This year group reached the final of the League Cup last year (2010-2011) having their schools name put on the trophy after beating the league winners which was a great achievement.
They have gone on to better that this year with hard work and dedication, representing their school with the best behaviour making them a credit to their school and their families. Winning the cup made the day special for the pupils in more ways than one.
They have this year (2011-2012) gone on to become League winners, unbeaten throughout the year, only just getting beat on penalties in the late stages of the Flood Cup, but bouncing back to reach and win the League Cup 3-1 against Birchwood High School at Tetley Walkers.
They have worked very hard to win both the league and cup double, now they are stepping in to College. I wish them the best of luck in the future with no doubt that they will all succeed in what ever area they choose to follow”.
Andy Bramhall
Manager
Step into Sport 2012
There’s been so much going on in terms of Sports leadership this year that it’s just not been possible to keep up to date with newsposts! Have a look at the ‘winter newsletter’ on our home page to get a bit more of a flavour.
Our Leadership Academy Members and Young Ambassadors have been integral to the competitions and events which have happened this year so far, and will continue to happen through the Torch Relay and level 3 School Games. They’ve given their time freely, and taken part i training and meetings, and are hopefully proud of their accomplishments.
Two Leaders were privileged to go to the National Step into Sport Camp held at Loughborough University during the easter break. Here’s a link to a film about their experiences – can anyone sport Wil or Amelia?! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVVftKO-vRY
North Cheshire Clarion Kids Club
North Cheshire Clarion Kids Club
Please click onto the website to find out more details.
http://northcheshireclarion.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/kids-club-2012-starting-soon.html
Olympic Legacy for Youth?
Tessa Jowell, Member of Parliament for Dulwich and West Norwood and Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office and the Olympics, gives her thoughts on whether there will be an Olympic Legacy which inspires young people to choose sport
Read full Article here