Physical Activity
The Chief Medical Officer's physical activity guidelines factsheet for 5 to 18 year olds. Infographics are also available which explain the physical activity needed for health benefits across the life stages.
What Works in Schools and Colleges to Increase Physical Activity?
A briefing for head teachers, college principals, staff working in education settings, directors of public health and wider partners 2015.
This briefing sets out the emerging evidence of an association between being physical activity and its links to academic attainment and emotional wellbeing. It also provides an overview from the evidence about what works in schools and colleges to increase levels of physical activity among children and young people. It aims to inspire the reader through practice examples. It also highlights links to Ofsted inspection criteria and signposts to useful sources of support.
What works in schools and colleges to increase physical activity?
Public Health England
In their school zone Public Health England provide resources for school staff to promote physical activity for young people throughout the school day. There are also resources to engage families at home.
Being active | Overview | PHE School Zone
Active Mile Briefings
Guidance documents around the evidence on active mile initiatives, ideas for how to implement them and examples of practice.
Active mile briefings - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
The Daily Mile
A simple and free initiative to encourage children to run/walk/jog for 15 minutes every day.
School Games
School Games provides young people with the opportunity to take part in appropriate competitive school sport.
Your School Games - What is the School Games?
Somerset School Games information can be found here
Healthy Futures
Healthy Futures is a SASP curriculum-based resource.
The multi component project contains a total of 8 sessions and encourages children to develop their understanding of how to lead a healthier lifestyle. The lesson plans are fully interactive and provide opportunities for children to discuss their current lifestyle and come up with solutions that will help them in the future. While the project includes 8 different lessons, schools are able to choose as many sessions as they wish, allowing them the chance to tailor the project to make it most relevant to their children’s needs.
Healthy Futures - Somerset Activity & Sports Partnership (sasp.co.uk)
Better Health
Better Health aims to help families improve their diet and increase their levels of exercise.
Healthier Families - Home - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Let's Get Moving Programme
It is a movement programme giving advice and strategies on the importance of physical activity and how to engage children in movement skills/games.
Aims
- To provide an early intervention tool that supports development of a child’s motor coordination skills.
- To provide school staff/adults with resources and strategies to support development of children’s motor coordination.
- To provide outcome measures (use of SMART goals and progress tables) to monitor base line ability and development of skills.
- To ensure children have participated in appropriate activities, regularly for one school term, prior to referral to the Children and Young People’s Therapy Service (CYPTS)
