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For more information about any of the current projects on children and young people please contact the Young People Project Officer, Anna Chalkley on 01509 228263 or A.E.Chalkley@lboro.ac.uk
Children and young people projects the BHFNC are currently involved in:
New Healthy Schools Physical activity Toolkit
Schools on the Move
TOP Activity
Get Moving, Get Active Participation award
Evaluation of the Active Club Resource Pack
Childs Play’ Early Years Booklet
yheart
Physical Activity for Children and Young People with Long-Term Medical Conditions Course
New Healthy Schools Physical Activity Toolkit
The National Healthy Schools Programme (NHSP) is led by the Department of Health (DoH) and Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and is an important delivery vehicle for cross-government policy for children and young people.
To achieve National Healthy School Status, schools have to meet minimum criteria on four specific health themes; PSHE, Healthy Eating, Physical activity and Emotional Health and Wellbeing. Physical activity has only recently been introduced as one of the four core themes and is a significant development in the programme.
BHFNC have the responsibility for the National Healthy Schools Physical Activity Toolkit. This toolkit is designed to bring together all aspects of physical activity throughout the school day and help schools to improve physical activity levels and participation.
The toolkit includes 9 booklets providing information, practical ideas and links to existing resources and support that will help schools in meeting the National Healthy Schools physical activity criteria. The booklets are:
1. Physical activity toolkit: the essential guide
2. The whole school approach
3. Writing a physical activity policy
4. Meeting the needs of all pupils
5. Curriculum
6. Out of hours learning, community links and active breaktimes
7. Active travel
8. Involving staff and parents/carers
9. Monitoring and evaluation
The toolkit was disseminated via a series of regional training events relevant to PDMs, SSCos, Healthy Schools Co-ordinators, School Travel Advisors and anyone else involved in physical activity implementation within a school environment.
Training in the toolkit took place on :
14-Mar Birmingham
16-Mar Manchester
22-Mar Bournemouth
27-Mar London
18-Apr York
19-Apr Darlington
23-Apr Cambridge
24-Apr Nottingham
25-Apr London
26-Apr London
Schools on the Move
Schools on the Move (SOTM) is a Department of Health, Department for Culture Media and Sport funded project which is managed by the Youth Sport Trust. It is a web-based pedometer project designed to raise physical activity levels of pupils in years 6-9.
BHFNC has been involved in developing the resources for the cross curricular learning programme which uses pedometers to support the delivery for the curriculum whilst raising awareness of the role of physical activity in maintaining health and wellbeing.
The pilot project has been implemented in 54 schools from 10 school sport partnerships across the country since October 2005 and has recently been evaluated by the London Sport Institute at Middlesex University. The results were very positive and 51% of pupils perceived themselves to have increased their activity levels as a result of the project. Furthermore, there was also evidence to suggest that the project appealed to and increased the activity levels of the more sedentary pupils.
The second phase of Schools on the Move is expected to start in September 2007. The schools who participated in the first phase of the project will be given the opportunity to continue to participate in the second phase. In addition to the original 54 schools 5 schools in Russia have also been recruited to participate.
The Department of Health are investing £500,000 to roll the project out to over 250 schools and ensure that anyone working with schools e.g. School Nurses or Healthy Schools co-ordinators have a copy of the resource pack to promote the project in their area.
TOP Activity
TOP Activity is a targeted pilot programme of ‘alternative’ sport and physical activities designed for use in informal out of school clubs aimed at children aged 7-11 years developed by Youth Sport Trust. The resource is currently been piloted within 43 schools sport partnerships. BHF are partners in this project and BHFNC have had collaborated to produce some of the activity ideas and DVD which accompany this resource.
Get Moving, Get Active Participation award
Get Moving, Get Active is a Foundation Key Stage 1 participation award developed in partnership with the Youth Sport Trust which rewards children for participating in PE, school sport and other types of physical activity. It encourages pupils to keep a record of their participation, enables practitioners to measure levels of participation and by offering incremental rewards e.g. stickers and certificates, encourages pupils to become more active. The first phase of the pilot was very successful and the second phase has now been extended to 50 school sport partnerships.
Evaluation of the Active Club Resource Pack
A recent evaluation of the pack and its associated training has been completed, following its success since it was first produced in 2002. The objectives of the evaluation were to:
- Gain feedback on ACP and the associated training
- Establish the impact that the above had within clubs
- Identify any changes and developments needed in the ACP and/or training
- Explore additional ideas and support that play workers would like
- Map the geographical spread of clubs and tutors involved in Active Clubs
- Review current arrangements with tutors
Questionnaires were distributed to all those who attended a tutor training day from Phase 1 (20003/4) and Phase 2 (2004/5) as well as all play workers who attended a locally focussed workshop from phase 1. These were then followed up with telephone interviews to both groups. The results were very encouraging with nine out of ten tutors and eight out of ten play workers, reporting that the ACP met their needs and those of the group/club. A copy of the evaluation report can be downloaded here
‘Childs Play’ Early Years Booklet
In association with Birmingham PCT, BHFNC have produced an early years information booklet aimed at parents. It includes simple straightforward advice and guidance on physical activity and healthy eating. A key part of the booklet is encouraging parents to be active with their children through play by providing examples of some of the traditional games and activities of their generation. The intention is for the booklet to be distributed via training workshops for parents, to demonstrate how they can play simple, active games with their toddlers.
yheart.net
www.yheart.net is the British Heart Foundation’s dedicated website for young people (aged 11+) containing lots of information on issues effecting young people and their health e.g. smoking and healthy eating. The BHFNC continue to act as the physical activity ‘expert’ for this site answering any questions which young people post.
Physical Activity for Children and Young People with Long-Term Medical Conditions Course
The BHFNC has recently being working in collaboration with Loughborough College to develop a training course on physical activity for professionals working with children and young people with long-term medical conditions such as obesity, asthma and diabetes.
The aim of this course is to provide professionals with:
- An overview of the benefits of physical activity for children and young people with long-term medical conditions: obesity, asthma and diabetes;
- A range of ideas on how to encourage children and young people with obesity, asthma and diabetes to be physically active;
- Safe and effective physical activity guidelines &
- Resources to support professionals working with children and young people with obesity, asthma and diabetes.
The course is aimed at Exercise instructors, Nursery workers, Play/Youth workers, Sports/Physical Activity Development Officers, Physical Education Teachers, Teaching assistants, Students on Childcare/Early Years courses, Lunchtime supervisors, AOTTS and anyone else likely to come into contact with young people and children with these conditions.
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