Here at Stanhope Barrington School we believe that sporting activities play a vital part in promoting social inclusion, healthy lifestyles and self confidence in our pupils. We want all children to enjoy sporting activities and continue to engage with these throughout their lives.
From September 2013 the government has provided additional funding of £150 million per annum for the academic years 2013-14 and 2014-15 to improve PE provision and sport in all primary schools. Following the General Election, the government has increased funding to allow the scheme to continue until 2020. This funding provided jointly by the Department for Education, Health and Culture, Media and Sport – is allocated to primary head teachers and is ring fenced and can only be spent on provision of PE and Sport in school.
At Stanhope Barrington Primary School PE and sport is high priority and we have a range of provisions in place throughout the school day and after school. Our Sports coordinator, Mrs Howes is an experienced teacher in a sporting environment and has the drive and dedication to seek the best opportunities for our children. Thanks to the recognition by senior members of the Physical Education team at EDS of the many strengths Mrs Howes has in the subject leadership of PE, from September 2016 she will become a member of a monitoring team who will operate in the Wear Valley and Teesdale to help evaluate the PE provision and use of the sport premium. The small group of experienced PE teachers will follow the guidance of senior inspectors to ensure schools in the area will be well placed to tackle any changes in policy and any future funding initiatives. This opportunity will ensure Stanhope Barrington is at the fore front of any change as well as giving our staff the chance to capitalise on excellent practice being carried out in other schools.
In Stanhope Barrington, our aim is to maintain the quality and quantity of sports events and after school clubs, continue to participate in intra and inter school competitions, as well as to raise the opportunities for pupils to try different activities whilst increasing participation in physical activities.
The additional funding has enabled us to invite a range of sporting activities into school to broaden pupil’s interests such as circus skills, martial arts, dance, climbing, outdoor adventure sports and cheerleading. Since the scheme started in 2013, we have seen massive improvements in sporting opportunities in our rural area with numbers of children participating in a sporting activity more than doubled. The introduction of Martial Arts at Frosterley, Street Dance at Tow Law, Ball Games at Wolsingham and Swimming at Stanhope along with many more have encouraged our children to be much more active. In addition, many more games, clubs and activities are planned and operating during school holidays. This is a real bonus as children can continue fitness levels and preparation for clubs that may be closed during holiday periods and school breaks.
Through sports and physical activities we aim to develop a greater awareness in pupils of health dangers such as obesity, smoking, poor diet and other factors which have a detrimental effect on health and well-being. In Stanhope Barrington we now offer children the opportunity to work during the week with teenagers, school nurses and other specialists to understand the importance of being healthy and looking after our body. In the winter months we used some of the sports fund to invite professional football coaches from Blackburn Rovers to our school. From a physical point of view, the coaches trained 135 of our children from nursery age to Y6 just as they would with the millionaires at Ewood Park. However, we felt one of the main objectives was to educate our older children regarding a healthy life style. The coaches made comparisons with food and drink a professional footballer would eat compared to the food and drink the children’s parents would be more likely to eat. Also discussed was the variety of food choice in football clubs today due to the influx of players from every part of the world. The example of this was the different kinds of rice players would eat. Players from China, Spain and South America would all have a different preference on what type of rice would be best for them. Staff also discussed stretching, warm ups, digestion times, sleep patterns and many more things to ensure firm messages got across to the children to make them realise if they wanted to do well in any kind of sport at any level they would need to look after themselves. This was a fantastic opportunity for the children and one they would not have benefitted from had we not had the sports fund in place to subsidise the cost of such events.
One day a week we buy in sport from Durham County. Our sports specialist runs additional PE events before school, through break times and after school including intra school tournaments as well as delivering a holistic PE and sports curriculum to all pupils. We are working to give our children a solid grounding in sports whilst raising their understanding of the crucial role sports activity has in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. To continue to provide the best opportunities possible, we anticipate from September 2016, all breakfast, lunchtime and after school supervisors from Stanhope Barrington will be given relevant CPD training so that games and activities during all breaks are delivered to the best standard possible. These members of staff will then get the opportunity to work with our sports specialist to ensure sporting cohesion runs throughout the school during as much of the day as possible. Taking this model even further, our whole team, including Governors have attended an outdoor adventure CPD day and I have suggested to members of our governing body that they should be involved in further sport CPD and this could lead to them promoting sport as well as helping children to enjoy and participate in many more sporting events both in school and at festivals.
Whilst the funding is a welcome contribution to the promotion of sports, PE and healthy lifestyles the school makes significant additional contributions to the promotion of this area of the curriculum. We have also gained sponsorship and donations for equipment through a number of different schemes and have identified future opportunities to raise money to enable our children to have fantastic experiences many schools are not able to offer.
Allocation of funding 2016-17 for Sports, PE and Promoting Healthy Lifestyles
Total number of pupils on roll as of September 2016 = 112
Amount of Government Funding received for 2016-17 = £8000.00
Total amount of funding to be received over four financial years 2013-17 = £32000.00
The Sports Funding has been allocated against:
- Part payment of salary for PE and sports coach to deliver a wide and varied sports curriculum and model good quality PE teaching to staff
- CPD for staff to enhance skills
- Coaches attendance at a conference to ensure the range of activities on offer is outstanding and of high quality. We have also sponsored a sports coach to complete their Level 3 football training certificate and continue to support two County Durham Sports Apprentices who use our school as a base.
- Provision of a range of one day events to broaden pupils experience of sports such as Circus Skills, Climbing and Curling.
- An increase in availability of the swimming facility to enable pupils in year 3 and 4 to visit more frequently
- PE and sports equipment
- CPD for sports coach and apprentices to train in swimming coaching to support pupils in swimming lessons
- Attendance of KS2 children at ROF 59 and Planet Leisure to introduce them to a wider range of sporting activities including, roller skating, laser tag, leap of faith and climbing.
Objectives for Initiatives:
- To develop an enjoyment of sport and physical activity and promote a healthy lifestyle in children from an early age;
- To Inspire children of all abilities to continue the sporting legacy of the London 2012 Olympic Games;
- To support all pupils to realise their ambitions and identify their skills and talents and embrace these;
- To educate all pupils in how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and use sports activities to maintain good health and develop social skills;
- To facilitate children in establishing and maintaining new friendships and team skills.
We are delighted that the Sport Premium will now be extended into the academic year 2016/2017, having originally only been guaranteed for two years. The funding, which has been available since the start of the current academic year, is allocated directly to primary schools, providing them with dedicated resource to increase PE and school sport provision in their schools, and was due to end in Summer 2016.
Breakdown of money to be spent during the academic year 2016 – 2017
- School Sports Partnership – £2,500
- Durham County Sports Coaches for curriculum and Holiday Club – £3, 000
- Olympic Gold Medallists to visit school & coach children – £485
- Playground Educational & games Signs – £200
- Circus Workshop – £545
- Sports and Playground Equipment – £1,000
- Sports Clothing – £300
- Subsidising Outdoor Adventure Educational Visit – £600
- Transport Costs – £250
- Professional Premiership Football Coaches (Blackburn Rovers) – £350
- Hire of Climbing Wall – £275
- Skipping workshops plus after school club -£200
- Hula Hooping workshop – £ 200
Impact on Children & Staff
Since September 2013 there has been a significant increase in the number of children in our school who are now participating in sports activities, either through curriculum time, breakfast club, afterschool clubs or holiday clubs. We have also seen a significant rise in children joining specialist clubs such as Shildon Athletics club, Taekwondo, Deerness Gymnastics Club, Tap and Ballet clubs. This represents an increase in interest children have in sporting activities and achievement. Children are now coming in to school sharing their successes with us through assemblies and our Sports Celebration Board in the hall.
During the last academic year, we had a number of children grade in Taekwondo with 2 reaching junior Black Belt, 1st Poom. We had 2 children reach grade 2 in Tap Dance and 3 children chosen to work at Conset Empire Theatre during Pantomime season as part of the dance team. Our children have had success at Deerness Tumbling, Willington Parkside Central Venue football league and the Key Stage 1 Mini Sports Day at Crook Primary. Charities have also benefitted by our children participating in several fund raising events this year with 10 children running and swimming for proceeds to go to good causes. On two occasions over 30 of our children have travelled to Ewood Park, home of Blackburn Rovers to take part in training at the Rovers Indoor Arena and then watch a Championship match. The highlight of these 2 events were that over 30 children on each occasion had the opportunity to lead the players onto the pitch before the game and take penalties at half time in front of 25,000 supporters. Money was used from our PE fund to contribute to the cost of events such as this as we felt it was an opportunity for all children, even those who may have found the trip a little expensive had it not been subsidised by the school.
Children are showing a greater understanding of the impact sport has on healthy lifestyles and are now making healthier lifestyle choices. 95% of our children now have a warm school meal which is set by qualified nutritionists from Taylor Shaw. School menu choices are now changed 3 times a year with much more information given to educate children of the make-up of the daily options, guarding against too much salt and sugar. Taylor Shaw are now providing individual menu choices for those children who have specific dietary requirements. For the small percentage of children who don’t want school meals, we are promoting healthy packed lunches, in line with County guidelines, both in school and when our children are out representing the school at sporting festivals and activities.
We are delighted to see an improvement in the self-esteem and confidence of our children who now have the opportunity to excel at new skills and explore sporting activities which they would not normally be exposed to. This confidence has led to our children having the ability to self-assess their own skills against those of their peers and recognise targets for improvement and development. With the involvement of specialists, Olympians & professional sporting role models, we have noticed an increase in motivation and commitment to physical activity by the children. A typical example of this was when an older child came in to school during A level free periods on a voluntary basis to support children who sometimes didn’t think they were as good as others. Not only did this have a positive impact on the children concerned but I recognised the older boy for his fantastic contribution. We decided he should be nominated for the Chairman’s Medal, Durham County’s highest honour for his work with children and I was delighted when he was selected as the winner. Thanks to his work he has now been recognised by Durham County Sport and has begun an apprenticeship and this success has led to him being invited to take part as a crew member on the tall ships.
Our sports coaches are extremely skilled and have introduced a range of new warm-ups, games and activities which our staff are now incorporating into their own practise. Our teachers work closely with the sports coaches as part of their own CPD through observation of the coaches and through the sports coaches observing the teachers. As a result of the development of our staff, the delivery of PE lessons has improved providing fun, dynamic lessons which stretch and challenge our children.
We are working closely with specialists from County who provide advice, support and guidance with regard to policy and practise who are very positive about our delivery of PE. As an ‘Outstanding’ school we believe we have a role to play in giving children as many positive experiences as possible whilst educating them at the same time that hard work and looking after themselves are essential if they are to succeed. Early intervention is paramount to set children up for a good sporting future and we think children should experience fun sporting activities that are varied and have the potential to continue to high levels of progress as the children get better and older. We constantly seek advice from County and the Physical Education team on how we can improve, offer new ideas and how to get best value for money and I’m delighted that support is available for all schools in our area to chip in to.
This year we intend to apply for the Sainsbury’s School Games Mark to ensure we as a school are recognised for the delivery of high quality PE.
Sporting Success 2015 – 2016
- 80% of Y6 Children passed 25 metres in swimming compared to National Average 53%
- Football Team placed 4th in Central Venue League.
- Competed in the Swimming Festival with 4 children placed in the top ten of individual events.
- Attended Tag Rugby Festival.
- Two teams have taken part in the High 5 competition.
- All 37 children took part in the KS1 activity day at Crook Primary
- One child invited for Under 12 training camp at Blackburn Rovers Ladies.
- 2 children gain junior black belt in Taekwondo.
- School now does the Morning Mile each day and we have had as many as 62 parents taking part in it too to support their children.
Individual Awards 2015 – 2016
- Sports Boy of the Year – Ben T.
- Sports Girl of the Year – Eleanor M.
- Commitment to Sport (Boy) – Sam E.
- Commitment to Sport (Girl) – Lauren D.
- Footballer of the Year – Ben T.
- Young Player of the Year – Hayden L.
- Most Improved Player – Dan C.
- Goal of the Season – Steven P.
- Save of the Season – Charlie P.
- Gymnast of the Year – Daisy G. A.
- Cricket Prospect – Alfie P.
- Confidence in Swimming – Katey U.
Continuing Success of our ex-pupils since Sports Premium was introduced
- One child is a member of the National Gymnastics Competition Squad.
- One child is running on behalf of Shildon Athletics.
- One child playing District level football.
- One child has attended the National trials for badminton.
