Report of the Assistant Director Education School Improvement to the Meeting of the Children’S Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee to Be Held on 15 April 2014
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Report of the Assistant Director Education School Improvement to the meeting of the Children’s Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee to be held on 15 April 2014. Subject: AY Sport in School Summary statement: This report outlines the national and local policy context for PE and Sport in schools over the last few years and how schools and the local Authority have responded collectively to these changes. Director: Paul Makin, Portfolio: Assistant Director Education and School Children and Young People Improvement Report Contact: Overview & Scrutiny Area: Phone: (01274) 385676 Children’s Services E-mail: [email protected] 1. SUMMARY 1.1 This report outlines the national and local policy context for PE and Sport in schools over the last few years and how schools and the local Authority have responded collectively to these changes. 2. BACKGROUND 2.1 In 2010 the Department for Education (DfE) announced that the National Strategy for PE and School Sport was to be discontinued and that any associated national funding would cease by July 2012. Some of this grant aid was later reinstated to fund a network of School Games Organisers although at a reduced level. For Bradford this reduced the grant aid from £1.5M per annum to £120,000 per annum. In Bradford, the nationally funded School Games Organiser network comprises five School Games Organisers, each providing three days per week of support to school games activity plus other related initiatives. The grant payable to each of the five local partners is circa £24,000 per year. The activity of three of the five School Games Organisers has been enhanced due to local initiatives with financial support from individual school budgets. 2.2 The discontinuation of the National Strategy also removed statutory targets for schools to provide a minimum of two hours per week of high quality PE and School Sport, in and out of the curriculum and also retracted guidance on how to improve the provision of sport in schools. 2.3 In April 2013 a new initiative was announced for all primary schools, funded by the Department for Education, Department of Health and Department for Culture, Media and Sport. From September 2013, the Primary PE and Sport Premium introduced additional money to primary schools, ring-fenced to PE and school sport. Each primary school receives an allocation based on a pupil formula. The range in the Bradford District is between £8,260 and £12,560 per year. The total for the Bradford District in 2013/14 is £1.4 million per year. The sport premium will be paid for three academic years 2013/14, 2014/15 and 2015/16 however recent announcements suggest an extension to 2020. 2.4 Individual schools are able to decide what is best for their children’s needs. This could include teacher training and development, enhanced delivery by teachers, specialist sports coaching, new additional sports programmes, Changes4Life sport clubs and support for after-school or weekend competitions. 2.5 In 2013 an Ofsted report, “Beyond 2012, outstanding physical education for all” concluded there was not enough strenuous, physical activity in many of England’s school PE lessons, with teachers tending to lack specialist training, and a minority of schools playing competitive sport at a high level. The report also recommends that all schools aim to provide a minimum of 2 hours of high quality PE and school sport. 3. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS The Olympic Legacy, Bradford 3.1 A number of District and individual school initiatives have been developed. 3.2 Secondary Schools; Bradford Secondary Schools Sports Association (BSSSA) 3.2.1 In 2012, driven by a desire to create a positive response to London 2012 and in response to the reduction in funding and the consequent reduction in personnel employed by the School Sports Partnerships, the Bradford Secondary Schools Sports Association was formed. This was initiated by the Council’s PE and School Sport Policy Officer. Thirty six schools subscribe to the association, including some schools outside the District (Appendix 1). The association aims to increase the number and range of quality opportunities for secondary school pupils to participate in school sport competitions and events as well as to support those with talent to progress through pathways of performance as players, leadership, coaching and officials. A Special Schools Section is included to provide an inter school sports competition programme for pupils with disability. In addition the School Games Organisers each arrange at least two programmes per year, minimum of ten in total, for disabled pupils. The Secretariat for the BSSSA is provided by School Organisation and Place Planning within Children’s Services. 3.2.2 The special schools section of BSSSA also works closely with Bradford Disability Sports Organisation, a charitable organisation and Bradford University to create opportunities for disabled pupils to take part in sports programmes throughout the year. A significant initiative is the Cycling Scheme based in Lister Park, delivered by a consortium co-ordinated by Bradford Sports with support from Bradford University, the Youth Service and the Special School sector. 3.2.3 Since its formation, the number of inter school sports competitions has increased by over 30%, new competitions have been added to increase the range of sports on offer and to broaden the ability range, meaning more pupils are taking part in regular inter school sports competitions when compared to the pre 2012 period Twenty three different sports are included in the programme, (Appendix 2) and collectively there is an estimated 150,000 individual visits to a secondary schools competitive event across 35 secondary schools. The biggest programmes are in netball, rounders and football. The smallest programmes are in speed climbing, dragon boat racing and tennis. 3.2.4 A District wide “High School Challenge” was introduced in 2012, 18 secondary schools took part in the initial programme and 22 schools now participate. The programme is a multi competition programme which culminates at a District event and is structured to encourage a wide range of pupils and varied abilities. 3.3 Bradford Gold was launched in the lead up to London 2012 (Appendix 3). A range of engagement programmes and school support has been introduced, including initiatives in aquatics, adventurous activity, junior sports leadership, inter school activity challenges, Olympic sports days which lead to improved school sports days and other cultural activities lined to the London 2012 themes, for example the Precious Cargo project. Part of the platform for this was established by the ‘Get Set for 2012’ initiative, which was supported by over 120 schools from across the Bradford District. A number of national awards were made to Bradford schools, including Oakbank School and Springwood Primary School. Bradford Gold also received a national recognition award. 3.4 In that period, the new sports facilities created via ‘The Building Schools for the Future programme’ have improved the facility stock substantially, enabling a greater range of sports to take place by accessing higher quality facilities. Other initiatives by individual schools in partnership with the Local Authority but outside of the BSF have also increased and improved the facility stock which means more school sport and greater community access to school facilities (Appendix 4). 3.5 Primary Schools 3.5.1 In the period July 2012 to September 2013, the amount of primary PE declined in some schools. However following the announcement of the additional resources for each primary school in April 2013 as part of the ‘Primary PE and Sport Premium’ and the new money being made available to schools form September 2013, there is evidence that activity is increasing and improving. 3.5.2 All primary schools are expected to produce a clear plan for the PE and Sport Premium and Ofsted will include PE judgements in future school inspections. 3.5.3 The PE curriculum and after school sports programme in many schools is being extended in scope and time via: Greater investment in training teachers and improving the skills and the school workforce to deliver PE and school sport Contracting “external providers” to provide curriculum and extra curriculum PE and sports activity, increasing the range of activities on offer following consultation with pupils Increasing the opportunities for pupils to take place in intra and inter school sport, facilitated by school staff, external partners and community sports organisations Increasing numbers of primary school sports leaders New or additional Change4Life sport clubs Providing places for pupils on after school sport clubs and holiday clubs. 3.5.4 A comprehensive programme of area and district inter school sports competitions comprising 14 sports is co-ordinated by the School Games Organisers and clusters of schools. The programme is divided into five areas within a District Framework. The percentage of primary schools registered with the programme in each area is: Hanson Partnership 37% registered Oakbank Partnership 93% registered Thornton Partnership 67% registered Tong (Accelerate) Partnership 95% registered Beckfoot Partnership 68% registered 3.5.5 In the geographical area covered by the Hanson Partnership, a number of schools have opted out of the national programme and have developed a partnership with a local commercial organisation. The national programme is monitored by the Youth Sport Trust and does not include the activities of partnerships that are not affiliated to the national programme. However this partnership does engage with high quality PE and school sport co-ordinated locally. 3.5.6 The District programme includes athletics, (sportshall, cross country and track and field), cheerleading, cricket, football, golf, gymnastics, netball, boccia, new age curling, rounders, tag rugby, swimming plus area competitions in other activities. These competition opportunities are delivered by school staff, Games Organisers and a range of sports providers including the LA Sport and Leisure Services, local sports organisations, commercial providers, social enterprise organisations, sports governing bodies and school sports partnerships.