SPORTS DEVELOPMENT SERVICE Annual Report 2018/19 Introduction On behalf of the Sports Development Team, can I welcome you to the annual report or 2018/19. This year’s report gives concise details of the number of projects and campaigns the Sports Development Team deliver, further details on these projects can be obtained from the lead officer whose detail are at the end of relevant section. It continues to be challenging times for local authority Sports Development Teams, sporting clubs and organisations given the ongoing economic and financial difficulties, however, together with our many partners including the YMCA, Citizens Advice, Football Foundation, Youth Sport Trust, Sport England and Saints Community Development Foundation we have been able to secure various grants to enable the delivery of sports projects in the borough which are outlined within this report. Without doubt a considerable amount has been achieved and developed with over 66,000 attendances within the programmes this year and the strength of partnership work should not go unnoticed in this fact, should you require any further information on any of this report’s contents please do not hesitate to contact any member of the team. Councillor Anthony Burns Community Based and Focussed Services St. Helens Council Table of Contents School Sport Programme 3 Youth Sports Programme 6 ‘Y’ Sports Programme 8 Schools Couch to 5k Programme 11 Fit Forever Programme 13 St Helens Community Sport 15 Inactivity Fund St Helens Community Sport 17 What we also deliver 18 2 School Sport Programme Background The school sports programme is delivered by St Helens Council’s Sports Development Team on behalf of the St Helens Association for Physical Education & Sport (SHAPES). The programme works alongside a number of external partners including Everton FC, Liverpool FC, Lancashire Cricket Foundation, Liverpool County FA, Edge Hill University and local sports clubs to deliver a variety of opportunities to engage pupils in school sport. The programme is inclusive of the national School Games programme, funded by Sport England/ Department of Culture, Media & Sport. All schools are able to access the School Games aspects of the school sport programme through their Standard SHAPES membership. However, due to the financial constraints that the programme has faced, additional content is provided for schools of the borough through a Service Level Agreement enabling them to access further competitions, training and support through the Enhanced SHAPES membership that is offered. Competitions/Activities The competition calendar continues to evolve due to the rise in popularity of some sports, work with National Governing Bodies and local clubs and in consultation with the borough’s schools. Alongside long standing competitions such as boccia, cricket, high5 netball and athletics, new sports have been introduced including seated volleyball, handball and dodgeball. Furthermore, a number of development competitions and festivals have been established to provide opportunities for more pupils to represent their school in an environment that is relevant to them. This has been particularly well received by schools in the borough in relation to girl’s football, where school have appreciated the focus on learning how to play the sport and skill development, rather than focusing just on results. As part of the national School Games programme, winners of the School Games competitions held in St Helens progressed to the Merseyside School Games Finals where the schools compete against the winning schools from Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton and the Wirral. The Summer Schools Games Finals are held across two days, giving pupils the opportunity to experience a large scale sporting event and for many pupils; this is the first time that they will have experienced an event of that size. The Winter School Games Finals are held as a series of standalone Finals; however this does not take anything away from the experience of the pupils involved. St Helens schools achieved a great deal of success: • St Aidans Primary School won Gold in KS2 New Age Kurling and Gold in KS2 Tri-Golf • Legh Vale Primary School won Gold in the Y5/6 Sportshall Athletics, Silver in Y5/6 Quadkids • Rainford High School won Gold in KS3 Girls Badminton and Silver in Y8 Girls Netball • Cowley High School won Gold in in Y8 Boys Sportshall Athletics and Bronze in KS4 Boys Badminton • Eccleston Lane Ends Primary School won Gold in KS2 Boccia • Rainhill High School won Silver in Y8 Boys Sportshall Athletics, Silver in KS3 Girls Badminton and Bronze in Y8 Girls Sportshall Athletics • Bleak Hill Primary School won Bronze in Y5/6 Quadkids 3 • Allanson Street Primary School (KS2 Tri-Golf), Cowley High School (Y9 Boys Basketball), Rainhill High School (Y8 Girls Sportshall Athletics) and Wargrave Primary School (Y3/4 Gymnastics) also received the Spirit of the Games Award to recognise their demonstrations of the School Games values Leadership Leadership plays a vital role in the school sport programme in a variety of different ways. Undertaking leadership roles enables young people to develop their confidence, communication, teamwork and decision making skills in a supportive environment. It also demonstrates to the young people involved that there are numerous ways of getting involved in sport other than competing such as coaching, officiating, time keeping or scoring. The competition programme that is delivered by Sports Development is underpinned by the support of the borough’s secondary schools in allowing their pupils to take on leadership roles. Secondary schools are also involved in a new Youth Sport Trust led leadership programme, Competition Organiser Training, where they receive training to enable them to deliver competitions within their own school. Edge Hill Student Placement The partnership with Edge Hill University has continued to go from strength to strength. The partnership provides practical, work-based learning opportunities for students studying the Physical Education and School Sport degree through their involvement in the school sport programmes delivered by Sports Development. The main experience that students gain is during their third year where they can gain school based experience in primary schools across the borough. The students, as part of their studies, must complete 40 placement hours, delivering lunchtime and after school clubs and can gain additional experience through supporting the delivery of curriculum Physical Education. The placement has been mutually beneficial for students and schools as it provides hands on experience to the students involved whilst schools have also benefited from the delivery of additional extra-curricular activities, enabling them to engage more of their pupils. Students have primarily delivered Change4Life Clubs which schools have used to engage pupils that do not traditionally take part in sport or physical activity for numerous reasons such as their health, having a disability or lacking confidence. Girls Football Hub Partnership St Helens has worked with colleagues from Halton & Knowsley to bid, and be successful, as a hub site for the FA’s Girls Football Partnerships. The programme aims to develop girl’s football through football in schools and involved the FA and Youth Sport Trust working in partnership with local partnerships to enhance their girl’s football offer. 4 Impact of the School Sport Programme • 84% of the borough’s primary schools have taken the enhanced offer enabling them to access the additional content. • During 2018/19, 143 competitions were delivered as part of the school sport programme, engaging 10,501 pupils from the borough’s schools. • This represents an annual 37.5% increase in the number of competitions and a 53% increase in the number of pupils taking part. • Highest number of successful applications for the National School Games Mark across the borough, with 37 schools achieving the award at one of the four levels. • Bleak Hill Primary School and St Aidan’s Primary School were the first two schools in the borough to achieve the Platinum School Games Mark and were two of only 352 schools nationally to receive the award. • 404 leaders from the majority of our high schools have undertaken leadership roles to support the successful delivery of competition. • 88 students from Edge Hill University have gained work based experience through placement opportunities in primary schools across the borough. • A total of 12 schools and 214 pupils have been involved in Playground Leaders training where Year 5 and 6 pupils undertake training to become Playground Leaders. Once fully trained, the pupils are able to deliver games and activities to younger pupils within their school helping to ensure that break and lunch times are active. • 10 girls from Longton Lane, St Austin’s and Thatto Heath were the first girls in the borough to take part in Liverpool County FA’s Mini-Whistler Course earn the basics of refereeing. • The Girls Football Hub activities started to emerge through their attendance at more girls football festivals delivered as part of the school sport programme. Further details can obtained from Danny Bacon [email protected] 5 Youth Sports Programme Background The Youth Sports Programmes aim is to increase participation of young people aged 10 to 24 in sports and physical activities. The programme works alongside external partners including the Steve Prescott Foundation, YMCA, Youth Federation, Sport England and Street Games, these partnerships assist in providing diverse activities in areas of greatest need, address issues of obesity amongst young people and to engage young people who would not normally join sports clubs. The continued financial pressure on both local authorities and our partners has led to a number of strategic changes and challenges to ensure Sports Development have the opportunity to a vibrant and varied Youth Sport Programme. Despite this, attendance at sessions and the number of sessions delivered remains above target. Youth Sports Activities The programme has been involved in the delivery of 9 sessions during the year that run on a weekly basis.