The importance of swimming proficiency and water safety for children can’t be overstated. But did you know that the current state of swimming in primary schools might be holding our young learners back? Recent statistics have revealed a shocking reality – one in four children in England is leaving primary school unable to swim the National Curriculum recommended distance of …
The shrill sound of the bell rings, signalling the end of another school day at Timberley Primary Academy. A group of ten children file out of the classroom, clutching their bags and excited about the day’s adventures. Their chatter, filled with anticipation, echoes down the corridor as they head towards the school’s unique new addition – a pop-up swimming pool. …
Putney High School commissioned a 9 month study into the impact of biophilic design within classrooms as part of their ‘Breathe’ campaign. Biophilic design is the increase in occupant connectivity to the natural environment through the use of direct nature, indirect nature, space and place conditions. The study began with the transformation of three otherwise similar Sixth Form classrooms. The …
Firstly, what is PESSPA? PESSPA stands for PE, School Sport and Physical Activity. This relates not only to the PE lessons taught in school but also to any school games events, competitions, sports clubs (before, lunch and after school), break and lunchtime physical activities, enrichment, the daily or active mile and all other opportunities that you as a school provide for …
Maths is essential for everyday life. From shopping to cooking to budgeting to commuting to DIY to time management to driving to holiday planning to problem solving to exercising; maths crops up everywhere and is often a required skill in the workplace. But maths gets a bad rap. In fact, being negative about maths seems to be culturally acceptable in …
How can you get children engaged in learning, improve their concentration, increase their confidence, make concepts easier to understand and raise attainment? Get them up and on the move. The last two years have seen teachers work tirelessly to ensure pupils remain engaged in their learning. Impressive methods of keeping children interested and inspired were used, supporting children with their …
Indoor break is no fun for teachers. This is partly because it’s harder to set up the classroom for the next lesson or get some marking done, but mainly because teachers instinctively understand that children need the time to move around and prepare their brains for learning. A growing body of research by cognitive neurologists backs this up, showing that …
Learning maths whilst being physically active. It definitely sounds like fun, but does it really work? The short answer is yes, it does. A six-week study conducted by academics at Leeds Beckett University has concluded that the Maths on the Move (MOTM) programme both improves maths attainment and increases physical activity levels. The study, conducted prior to lockdown at the …
Busy mornings, nursery, school runs, and no matter how well planned, how early it starts it always seems to end in a frantic rush out the door, hopefully with everything and everyone on board. The average 9 to 5 day also conflicts with school pick-ups leaving parents searching for other childcare solutions. There has been over a 10% rise in mothers of school-aged children working …