National School Sports Week kicks off in style
By Laura Howard
Pupils at a primary school in Sunderland showed the impact of an active uniform as the Youth Sport Trust's National School Sports Week kicked off in style in Sunderland on Monday.
Dame Dorothy Primary School wore their active uniforms to get involved in a range of activities as they launched the campaign promoting daily physical activity by encouraging schools, families, and communities to engage in 60 minutes of PE, sport, and play.
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The school hosted a Girls Active session where pupils took on leadership roles to coach the younger years in sports including badminton and hockey, while British boxing champion Rachael Mackenzie was also in attendance to deliver a Q&A.
'It's a real joy to be here at Dame Dorothy for the start of National School Sports Week,' she said.
'The opportunities for the children here are absolutely outstanding but what I have loved more than anything is the energy and the enthusiasm of the young people themselves.
'The way that they have taken the model of sport and physical activity and become leaders is brilliant. It's those young people leading themselves that will truly transform the world.'
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In a sport-packed morning pupils also enjoyed PE lessons using National School Sports Week resources and Year Six took a trip off-campus to participate in paddle boarding at the local marina.
It represented the perfect start to a week aimed at raising awareness of the importance of activity for children across the country.
The demand for such a campaign is greater than ever as research has shown that less than a third of teachers and parents are currently aware that children and young people should be active for 60 minutes a day.
It means that fewer than half (47%) of children are meeting the Chief Medical Officers' guidelines of reaching that target goal of activity a day.
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'It's so important that when children are at school, they're encouraged to be always active, not just in physical education, not just in after school sport, but at break times, in between lessons,' said Youth Sport Trust CEO Ali Oliver MBE.
'One of the things we see here at Dame Dorothy Primary School is that the children come out every day and they do some laps of the playground at a time when the classroom teacher thinks they are getting a bit restless, and they need to refocus.
'That is really important, not just for their health and wellbeing, but for their concentration and their engagement in learning.'
The Sunderland primary school presented the perfect setting to launch National School Sports Week having adopted an active uniform in 2024.
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The Youth Sport Trust are calling on all schools to adopt an 'Always Active uniform' for National School Sports Week to enable pupils to feel comfier and get active at school.
'[The active uniform] has reduced the number of children who miss out on PE sessions because you can dress for activity and there's no reason why you can't take part,' said Dame Dorothy headteacher Iain Williamson.
'You can see children are more attentive. The fact that we have an active uniform allows teachers to take the children outside for a quick run around the field for five minutes to make them refocus for the next lesson.
'Even during PE lessons, where you might spend 10 to 15 minutes, getting changed for PE and getting changed back at the end of the session. The whole session now is just available to be active.
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'It also sends out the statement that this is what we are an active school. It is part of our identity and we are immensely proud of it. It has been a real success.'
Activities will continue throughout the week, culminating on Friday with Sports Star Friday as schools come dressed as their favourite sports star as a celebration of sport, movement, and the athletes that inspire us.
'[The Youth Sport Trust] have a wonderful vision, which is a future where every child enjoys the life-changing benefits of PE and sport,' added Oliver.
'The whole campaign is about shining a light on why it's, so important children are active every day, not just for their health and wellbeing, but for their engagement in their learning and their overall happiness.'
National School Sports Week is an annual campaign by the Youth Sport Trust, dedicated to celebrating the power of PE, sport, and play to build brighter futures. This year, powered by Sports Direct x Under Armour, marks the 30th anniversary of the Youth Sport Trust, who is a UK leading children's charity for improving young people's wellbeing through sport and play. Visit www.youthsporttrust.org.
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