Objective:
To increase engagement and motivation across the curriculum
The challenge
Our children face a number of challenges. At Broadfield, a high percentage of our children have English as an Additional Language and we have over 30 different languages spoken, The number of disadvantaged pupils we have at our school is well above average, meaning that the majority of our pupils are socially and economically deprived. Our children don't have many opportunities to be outdoors and engage in activities outside of school for a number of reasons. The vast majority of our children don't have access to outdoor space when they are at home and due to high levels of deprivation, attending sporting activities outside of school is not a financial priority. We know that children who are inactive, lack motivation and engagement across the whole curriculum which is an additional barrier to them reaching their age-related outcomes. We want children to enjoy learning and achieve their full potential so that they can develop a lifelong love of learning.
Action
We are part of a pilot scheme to get children more active and to teach children that being active is a lifelong decision.
Research has shown that physical activity enhances the brain power, which in turn leads to more children being engaged in learning, and providing themselves with the capacity to be lifelong learners.
Using the active Maths and English lessons has really started to engage the children, they enjoy moving around whether it be in the hall, outside or in the classroom. Behaviour and attitudes in lessons is extremely positive when completing active activities.
Impact
We have many interventions running for children across the school, including lessons that take children beyond the four walls of their classroom like Forest School and outdoor learning experiences, so the Teach Active lessons are a wonderful opportunity for children to be active in the core subjects of Maths and English and transfer skills linked to being active through these subjects.
We are passionate about supporting children's mental health as well as their physical health and we are already seeing a massive improvement in both across the school through our use of Teach Active. Children's engagement levels in Teach Active lessons are positive and they tell us that they enjoy the lessons.
Teach Active lessons support one of our curriculum aims - to provide activities and experiences that enrich learning and broaden children's horizons allowing us to identify their talents and strengths in activities beyond the core timetable. We encourage children to transfer skills and knowledge and build in opportunities to support them in doing this. Teach Active lessons enable staff to build on prior learning and give children the opportunity to work in a different environment, in turn encouraging them to take risks, work in different ways and most importantly for our children - be active!
Mrs. Dardis, Headteacher