The foundations of our physical activity behaviours start in the earliest of years.

Children who develop physical literacy in the Early Years are more likely to enjoy being physically active, and they have lower morbidity and mortality across their life course.

Physical activity helps young children meet key physical development milestones, improve body control and strengthen bones and muscles. 

And it’s not just physical development, there’s a growing body of research linking physical activity to cognition and future academic performance.

But the Early Intervention Foundation’s parent polling suggests that less than 1 in 5 under 6s are getting the recommended amount of daily physical activity. 

Time, cost, and access are all barriers to children’s physical activity outside of a learning environment.

And so, it is crucial that children have an abundance of opportunity to be physically active within the learning environment.

Physically active...

Whole school improvement is no small matter. As a teacher, SLT member, or school governor, it is your responsibility to plan for and make changes that will have a positive impact on not only assessment data but also the wellbeing of all members of the school community.

As an experienced school governor, Andy Heald  is no stranger to school improvement and he believes that physical activity is key to success.

Listen to this week’s episode of The PE Huddle: Physical Activity for Whole School Improvement to find out more.

In the podcast, we discuss

• The importance of asking “What is the bigger picture?” when looking at the PE curriculum
• Why you should focus on the WHY, before the How and the What
• Andy’s belief that Activity + Achievement = Fun
• The need to create great physical activity experiences for children
  
  

Available to listen NOW wherever you get your podcasts

Traditionally, CPD looks something like this:

You sign up to go on a course.

The day before the course, you spend hours putting together everything for a cover teacher.

On the morning of the course you travel to the specified location, do the course (sometimes broken up by some coffee and custard creams) and then you travel home.

Courses can be great. You get a day away from the hustle and bustle of the classroom, you might get a free pen, and theoretically, you come away with some new learning about a particular topic.

But what if the course you want to go on clashes with a parents’ evening?

What if the trainer you really want to meet works at the other end of the country?

What if, on the day of the course, you are tired and just not feeling it?

 Well, you might have to provide your own beverage and biscuit of choice, but in Aspire:ED we think we have the solution to all your CPD problems, and it’s so much more than just a one-day course.

Aspire:ED is an...

Nationally and internationally known Education Consultant, Crichton Casbon MA (Curriculum Studies), is your course designer and leader.

A lifetime’s experience within the world of PE and the physical curriculum lends Crichton a unique expertise and wealth of knowledge that he shares within every module of this course.

What is this lifetime of experience?

• 17 years as a secondary school PE teacher – 15 of those as head of department and 2 as Head of PSHE
• 8 years as a PE adviser in East Sussex, teaching in 220+ schools and designing and leading ‘legendary’ training in all aspects of the physical curriculum
• 11 years at QCA writing the national curriculum programmes of study and schemes of work
• As Subject Officer and Adviser at QCA, he led the research and impact arm of the PESS project for 7 years
• Manager of the review of the secondary national curriculum 2007-2008
• Joint author with Dr Lynne Spackman of Assessment in PE
• Author of several...