Young People - Publications

NEW! Let's Get Active Participation award

Kids' and Schools' catalogue, British Heart Foundation (G66)

Couch Kids, British Heart Foundation (G243)

Get Kids On The Go, British Heart Foundation (G80)

Be Active - Newsletter for teenagers, British Heart Foundation

Other useful publications produced by external agencies

NEW! Let's Get Active Participation Award

BHFNC have produced a NEW Let's Get Active Participation Award, a simple and fun way to encourage children and young people to become more physically active. The award has been designed to be used in conjunction with the Active Club pack to help children log up valuable minutes of activity and work towards the 60 minutes a day target to achieve the Let's Get Active Award.

There are three elements of the award;

1 Let's Get Active Leader Information Booklet (G418)

A booklet, designed for anyone wanting to introduce the award to children and young people within their setting, summarising the award and its elements as well as a step by step guide to implementing it.

Download the Leader Information Booklet here (pdf)

2 Get Kids on the Go (G80)

As part of the Let's Get Active award, BHFNC has produced a new version of Get Kids on the Go. This information booklet for parents, has useful tips, hints and activity ideas to involve parents so they understand the importance of physical activity and encourage and support their children to be more active.

Download 'Get Kids on the Go!' here (pdf)

3 Let's Get Active Pocket Planner (G417)

This popular resource for young people has now been re-developed by BHFNC to encourage children to record how much activity they do each day in working towards the 60 minutes activity target. After 6 weeks, they can send off for a free certificate of achievement in order to recognise and reward those regularly taking part in physical activity.

Download the Pocket Planner here (pdf)

Kids' and Schools' catalogue, British Heart Foundation (G66)

The Kids' and Schools' catalogue contains BHF publications designed to encourage young people to adopt heart-friendly habits that will last a lifetime. The catalogue offers materials that contribute to health promotion and science in schools, and helps parents who wish to enhance their children's lifestyles in positive and heart-healthy ways that young people will find creative and fun. The BHFNC resources can also be ordered from this catalogue.

To order the catalogue online, visit
www.bhf.org.uk/publications/description.asp?secondlevel=731&artID=3087

Couch Kids, British Heart Foundation (G243)

Couch Kids, a report outlining current statistics and research on physical activity and young people in the UK, written by the BHFNC for the BHF. It contains evidence of the benefits of physical activity, current activity recommendations, prevalance data on current activity levels, factors associated with physical activity in children and young people, motivation and barriers to activity, information on diet and obesity, sedentary levels and opportunities for children and young people to be active. It also includes policy recommendations to the various agencies that have a part to play in promoting more health-enhancing physical activity for young people.

To download Couch Kids as a pdf. file click on the link below
www.bhf.org.uk/publications/uploaded/4734%20couch%20kids%20final.pdf

Be Active - Newsletter for teenagers, British Heart Foundation

Be Active outlines the importance of regular physical activity for keeping fit and healthy and suggests ways to keep active.

Other useful publications produced by external agencies

Why Your Child's Weight Matters, DoH

The booklet "Why your child's weight matters", has been developed to inform parents/carers on why a healthy weight is important for their child's physical and mental health. Information is provided on the National Child Measurement Programme and the steps that parents can take to help their family develop a healthy lifestyle. Healthy eating habits and an active lifestyle are the focus of this booklet.

To download a copy, please visit

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_073655

Alternatively, call the DH Publications Orderline on 08701 555 455 quoting code 277810.

Know the Score, Youth Sport Trust

The Youth Sport Trust have published 'Know the Score', an extensive research document which chronicles the role of Sports Colleges over the last ten years. This publication was released to coincide with the Youth Sport Trust annual Sports Colleges conference in Telford on the 1st and 2nd of February. The paper sets out to answer the question 'What impact does a Specialist Sports College really have?' The paper explores both the evidence to support the case that sports colleges are widening opportunities for young people in PE and sport, and the evidence to support the wider benefits of PE and sport, such as improvements to behaviour. The research document details that:

•  All cohorts of sports colleges have seen improvements in their GCSE performance since becoming designated as a specialist sports college.

•  Compared to non specialist and other Specialist Schools, Sports Colleges offer a wider range of PE qualifications other than GCSE PE . These include: Level 1 Sports Leadership Award, BTEC First Diploma in Sports Science and BTEC First certificate in Sports Leadership.

•  High quality Physical Education is being used to raise achievement in other core subjects, for example, English departments are increasing the use of sport-related non-fiction books.

This paper also presents a basic outline of the role of a School Sport College and the challenges they have overcome in the past and will encounter in the future.

To download a copy of 'Know the Score,' visit

: http://www.youthsporttrust.org/downloads/cms/KNOW_THE_SCORE.pdf

School Sport Survey 2005/6, DfES

The DfES annual School Sport Survey 2005/06, of over 16,800 schools in school sport partnerships, shows that 80% of pupils now take part in two hours or more of high quality PE and school sport each week - a 29% increase over the past 2 years. This means that the 2006 school sport Public Service Agreement target- to ensure that at least 75% of 15-16yr olds are spending at least 2hrs each week on PE and sport – has been exceeded by 5 percentage points. The Government is now well on track to deliver its target of 85% of all school children doing 2 hours of PE and sport by 2008, and 100% by 2010.

Other key findings include:

1. The number of pupils identified as gifted and talented and receiving extra coaching in PE and Sport hasincreased to 189,000 compared to 44,400 in 2003/04

2. 13% of 14-18yr olds in partnership schools are actively involved in sports volunteering and leadership.

To download the survey report, visit http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/docbank/index.cfm?id=10442  

Growing Adventure, Forestry Commision

The Forestry Commission has published a new report Growing Adventure. The report sets out the activities, lessons learned, recommendations and outputs of Growing Adventure, which was a year-long project that aimed to develop the Forestry Commission’s activity around children and young people’s play and leisure. Central to the project are two connected ideas:

1. that nature, adventure, challenge and even a little danger are part of the essence of woodland site and make them ideal places for children to play,
2. that free play is a valuable developmental and learning process for children of all ages.

The project looked at current policies and practice within the Forestry Commission estate and at the wider policy and funding context. It has led to the production of guidance materials for managers at different levels of the Forestry Commission, and has helped staff across England to develop their thinking and practice.

To access the report please visit:
www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/fce-growing-adventure-report.pdf/$FILE/fce-growing-adventure-report.pdf 

More School Less Play? Barnardo's

The charity Barnardo’s has published a study More School Less Play? which takes a look at the issue of play and extended schools. It is a comparative study which examines extended schools in three settings: urban; rural and the inner city in the UK and in Denmark. This small-scale study considers approaches after school care in Denmark and England and raises questions about what we can learn from the comparison.

To access the document please visit:
www.barnardos.org.uk/more_school_less_play.pdf

Physical Activity within the Health Promoting School: a Partnership Approach

'Physical Activity within the Health Promoting School: a Partnership Approach' gives an overview of a series of regional seminars, organised by NHS Scotland, Scottish Health Promoting Schools Unit, sportscotland and the Child and Adolescent Health Research Unit. The primary aims of the seminars were to share current practice, to examine research evidence and to gain a better understanding of how physical activity and the health promoting school approach fits into wider policy and practice in Scotland. Each seminar featured presentations, practice examples and workshops on the key topics around the development of physical activity in schools.

To access the report, visit
www.healthpromotingschools.co.uk/images/Physicalactivitywithinthehealthpromotingschool_tcm4-332214.pdf

Measuring childhood obesity: Guidance to primary care trusts on data handling, Department of Health

The Department of Health (DoH) has produced guidance on measuring childhood obesity. It follows on from the DoH publication 'Measuring childhood obesity: Guidance to primary care trusts' which contains guidance for Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) on how to measure the height and weight of children aged between 4 and 11 years. This new document covers issues of data transfer, handling, analysis and feedback to PCTs.

To access the guidance document, click on www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/13/44/72/04134472.pdf

To access Measuring childhood obesity: Guidance to primary care trusts, click on
www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/12/64/06/04126406.pdf

Strategic Framework for Safeguarding Children and Young People in Sport 2006- 2012

Sport England and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) have launched the Strategic Framework for Safeguarding Children and Young People in Sport 2006-2012. The two organisations established the Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU) in 2001, along with SportScotland, Sports Council for Northern Ireland and The Sports Council for Wales, in response to an increasing body of evidence that sport provides easy access to someone who wants to harm children. This framework aims to consolidate the progress made by sport over the last five years to ensure the safety of all children and young people involved in sport. National Standards for Safeguarding and Protecting Children in Sport, developed by the CPSU, endorsed by the sports minister and introduced by Sport England as a funding requirement, have made a significant impact on sports organisations. A total of 51 national governing bodies and 37 County Sport Partnerships have achieved the Preliminary Standard. This framework has been developed by the Child Protection in Sport Steering Group and is intended to inform the work and strategic planning of sports organisations in England.

The strategic plan focuses on five key areas:

• awareness and communication
• evidence
• framework
• skills and knowledge
• integration.

For more information about the CPSU or to obtain a copy of the framework,  visit www.thecpsu.org.uk

Youth Matters: Next Steps

The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) has published 'Youth Matters: Next Steps', the response to the consultation on the Youth Green Paper. The response from over 19, 000 young people was the largest ever to a Government consultation, and over 1000 organisations, professionals and parents also submitted responses. Youth Matters has set out a vision to transform the lives of every young person through a reshaping of provision. This document sets out the Government's plan for implementing the vision it set out in Youth Matters for making improvements to services for young people, and its commitment to empower young people to make choices and influence decisions about facilities and services locally. The results from the consultation show that the proposals in Youth Matters have been welcomed overall. The vast majority of people strongly supported its main theme – the engagement of young people in shaping local services. The responses have, however, highlighted the need to ensure access and opportunity for all young people.

To access the Executive Summary, visit
www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/_files/B8670D386E5C5A0B48FAD58EDD548555.pdf

To access the full document, click on
www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/_files/3804D7C4B4D206C8325EA1371B3C5F81.pdf

Tackling Obesity – First Steps

The National Audit Office, the Healthcare Commission and the Audit Commission have produced a document entitled Tackling Obesity – First Steps, which claims that without clearer leadership from Government Departments, there is a risk that the Government’s Public Service Agreement (PSA) target to halt the rise in obesity in children under 11 by 2010 will not be met. The target is jointly owned by Department of Health, Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and Department for Education and Skills. This report investigates the strength and efficiency of the part of the delivery chain that aims to reduce obesity in children between the ages of 5 and 10. The report is the third in a series which examines the effectiveness of the mechanisms to deliver Government (PSA) targets. The child obesity PSA target was set in July 2004, but the key ingredients of the delivery plan will not be published until May 2006. Tackling Childhood Obesity–First Steps warns that a lack of timely guidance has meant that the various organisations that will need to work together to deliver the target have been unclear about their roles. The report claims that without greater clarity, organisations further down the delivery chain may be wasting resources on ineffective or inappropriate interventions that fail to target those children most at risk. Obesity now costs the NHS around £1 billion a year and the UK economy a further £2.3 billion of indirect costs. If this trend continues, the annual cost to the economy could be £3.6 billion a year by 2010.

Tackling Childhood Obesity–First Steps recommends:

• greater clarity and direction from central Government: it is essential that the three Departments work closely together to provide strong leadership
• better definition of regional roles and responsibilities: Government Offices for the Regions could play a greater role in bringing together the various elements of the delivery chain
• the strengthening local partnerships: local structures and mechanisms, such as local strategic partnerships and children’s trusts, exist to promote joint working and have the potential to reduce the risk of duplication of activities by bringing together funding around agreed priorities
• more support should be available for front line staff: better information and training on roles and responsibilities and improved dissemination of advice and guidance.

To access the Executive Summary, visit
www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/05-06/0506801es.pdf

To access the full document, click on www.nao.org.uk/publications/nao_reports/05-06/0506801.pdf

Evaluation of the School Sports Partnership Programme 2005

An evaluation of all schools in the School Sports Partnership Programme is now available. It was commissioned by the Department for Education and Skills (DFES) and conducted by TNS Social Research. Following an initial evaluation in 2003/04, the research examined a number of topics, including what proportion of pupils in schools undertake at least two hours of high-quality sport within and beyond the curriculum, the average curriculum time pupils in partnership schools spend undertaking sport, and how many pupils are involved in interschool competitions. The results showed that 69% of pupils in partnership schools participated in at least two hours a week of high quality Physical Education (PE) and out of school sport each week. Across all year groups, pupils spent an average of 107 minutes each week on curriculum PE. In a typical week, 25% of pupils were involved in intra-school competitive activities and during the academic year, 35% of pupils were involved in some form of inter-school competition. Schools provided an average of 15 different sports, the most popular being football, dance, gymnastics and athletics.

To access the document, visit www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/RR705.pdf

Sure Start local programmes

An overview of the first four years of Sure Start local programmes (SSLPs) has been published by the Department for Education and Skills (DFES). Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs) form a key part of the Government's drive to tackle child poverty and social exclusion. They aim to improve the health and well-being of families and children, and are designed to be comprehensive, community-based projects adapted to local needs, and making maximum use of local expertise and enthusiasms. There are currently 524 local programmes in operation in England, reaching up to 400,000 children living in disadvantaged areas. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also have their own Sure Start programmes. This overview provides the main interim conclusions about both the implementation process and the outputs of SSLPs. It is based around 3 main themes:

 - The importance of facilitating access and engaging the community;
 - The experience of working together in a way that transcends organisational and professional boundaries;
 - Designing and implementing a new approach to service delivery for children and families.

To access the report, click on www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/NESS2005FR010.pdf

A report on the early impacts of SSLPs on children and families has also been published by the DFES. As a first step in assessing the impact of SSLPs on child and family functioning, the cross-sectional phase of the Impact Study of the National Evaluation of Sure Start (NESS) gathered extensive information on 9- and 36-month old children and their families living in SSLP areas and in comparison communities (areas designated to become SSLP later). These data were obtained after SSLPs had been in existence for at least three years. In general, results suggest that within the NESS sample of children from deprived families living in deprived communities, those from relatively less disadvantaged households (i.e. non-teen mothers) residing in SSLP areas benefit somewhat from living in these areas, perhaps due to the beneficial effects of SSLPs on the parenting of nonteen mothers. In contrast, within these same deprived communities, children from relatively more disadvantaged families (i.e. teen mother, lone parent, workless household) appear to be adversely affected by living in a SSLP community.

To access the report, click on www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/NESS2005FR013.pdf

Travelling to school initiative: Findings of the initial evaluation

The Travelling to School Initiative is a joint Department for Transport (DfT) and Department for Education and Skills (DfES) initiative covering a series of measures to reduce congestion and increase the use of sustainable modes of transport for pupils' travel to and from school. The Department for Transport's Operational Research Unit (ORU) was commissioned to carry out an initial evaluation of the Travelling to School Initiative, after its first year in operation. The findings were inconclusive; it is not possible to say whether or not the initiative is meeting its aims of reducing the proportion of children travelling to school by car, and increasing walking, cycling or use of public transport. There is little empirical evidence to suggest that a modal shift, above that which may have happened anyway, has occurred in schools with School Travel Plans (STPs). There are examples from schools and local authorities where a considerable amount of good work is being carried out, and modal shift away from car use and towards walking, cycling or public transport has been achieved. However, from the analysis carried out in this initial evaluation, this does not appear to be a pattern that holds true in the majority of schools included in the analysis.

Download the evaluation report

Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) guidance

The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) has launched teaching and learning materials and assessment guidance for PSHE. The guidance is designed to help schools to deliver the non-statutory PSHE framework. It sets out key stage statements of what pupils are expected to achieve at the end of each key stage, including a unit on healthy lifestyles. There are also examples of teaching and learning activities on aspects of the framework to help teachers to plan and deliver interesting and challenging lessons. The guidance, published on the QCA website, is the result of an extensive consultation with teachers, pupils, parents, faith groups, Department for Education and Skills, Department of Health, Personal Finance Education Group and other relevant organisations.

To access the guidance, visit http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_10094.aspx

Younger children's views on 'Every Child Matters'

This report, by the Commission for Social Care Inspection, examines the views of 700 children who were invited to an event to discuss Every Child Matters, the government's report that outlines what it thinks are the five most important things for children:

 - Being healthy
 - Staying safe
 - Enjoying and achieving
 - Making a positive contribution
 - Achieving economic well-being.

The document can be accessed at
www.csci.org.uk/publications/childrens_rights_director_reports/young_views_on_everychildmatters.pdf

The physical education, school sport and club links strategy, Ofsted

The report evaluates the impact of the national strategy for Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL) which is run by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). The overall strategy is based on eight programmes of work, however, this report focuses on two aspects: School Sport Partnerships and Support for Gifted and Talented Young Athletes in Specialist Sports Colleges. The School Sport Partnerships Programme (originally called the School Sport Coordinator Programme) was launched in September 2000. The report also includes Ofsted’s evaluation of provision for gifted and talented pupils.

The report concludes that schools involvement in the PESSCL strategy has made a positive difference to PE and sport. It suggests that more detailed collection and analysis of data by schools are needed to quantify the gains in terms of pupils’ achievements.

To access the document please click on the following link
www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/index.cfm?fuseaction=pubs.displayfile&id=3947&type=pdf

Youth Matters, Department of Health

On 18 July 2005 the Government published the Green Paper, Youth Matters, which offers a consultation strategy which aims to radically re-shape services for young people aged between 13 and 19 years. The paper seeks to build on the ambitions of Every Child Matters (2003), which promotes the idea that all young people should achieve to the greatest possible extent five key outcomes:

• Being healthy
• Staying safe
• Enjoying and achieving
• Making a positive contribution
• Achieving economic well-being

For further information about the Green Paper please visit
www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations/conDocument.cfm?consultationId=1325

Guide to Preparing Play Strategies, Mayor of London

This new resource, Guide to Preparing Play Strategies, is a practical tool to assist local boroughs in meeting the play and leisure needs of children and young people living in London. The guide was developed by London Play on behalf of the Mayor of London.  It sets out the basis for providing children with accessible spaces offering free, high quality, inclusive play opportunities throughout their environment.

For further information please visit www.london.gov.uk/mayor/strategies/play/index.jsp 

To download the document please click on the following link
www.london.gov.uk/mayor/strategies/play/docs/play_strategy.pdf

Preventing Childhood Obesity, British Medical Association

This report is a guide for general practitioners and other healthcare professionals on issues relating to childhood obesity.  The report highlights the main aspects of childhood nutrition and exercise, draws attention to the role of the clinician, and provides links to sources of further information. It also makes recommendations for tackling the obesity epidemic in the UK. The report identifies that one million children in Britain are now obese.  Furthermore the report predicts that if current trends continue, one in five boys and one in three girls will be obese by 2020.

For further information please visit www.bma.org.uk/ap.nsf/content/ChildhoodObesity

Download Preventing Childhood Obesity

Making a difference, reducing burdens in school and community sport, DCMS

Making a difference, reducing burdens in school and community sport documents a joint project between the Better Regulation Executive (BRE) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).  The project aims to identify and reduce unnecessary bureaucratic burdens on staff who manage, develop and deliver school and community sport. This can mean unnecessary paperwork or processes for staff in schools, local authorities, community and other publicly-funded organisations providing sports for all age groups. The project is steered by a Project Board including BRE, DCMS, Department for Education and Skills and the Regional Co-ordination Unit in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.  Also, a Project Advisory Panel includes representatives from the major stakeholders, including front line staff.  The report is intended to deliver practical changes in the short to medium term with respect to the processes and procedures related to specific government funding for school and community sport.  It also includes changes for non-funding issues related to school and community sport.  The outcomes described in the report also support the Government’s policy on public health which are set out in Choosing health.

For further information please visit
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/regulation/public_sector_team/projects/mad/sport.asp

To download the document please click on the following link
www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/regulation/documents/pst/pdf/sportmain.pdf