PE School Sports and Club Links update
It is recognised that sport can play a vital role by influencing people’s choice to lead a healthy lifestyle. Team GB’s magnanimous efforts in Beijing, producing the best results ever for over 100 years, will undoubtedly have a direct impact, as strong, positive role models to inspire and encourage more people to get involved in sport.
Policies change as do government ministers and we have seen many changes over the past few years. Sport England has also underdone radical changes in how they will operate in the future but their ultimate aim remains to get 1 million people doing more sport. A £755 million investment is planned over the next 3 years by the Government to support all sports in making this a reality, leaving a sustainable legacy for our sporting future.
PESSCL to PESSYP
In 2002, The Government launched the National PE, School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL) strategy, which has now evolved into the PE and Sports Strategy for Young People. PESSYP continues to build on from PESSCL ensuring sport becomes part of every young person’s life not only during their school years, but also into college and their working lives.
The ten work strands to the new strategy are:
• Club Links
• Coaching
• Competition
• Continuing Professional Development
• Disability
• Sport Unlimited formerly Extending Activities
• Gifted and Talented
• Infrastructure
• Leadership and Volunteering including Step into Sport.
• Swimming
The Paddlesport participation section of Canoe England will continue to focus upon School Club Links and Leadership and Volunteering with Sport Unlimited being a new focus area that can make a difference with increasing participation in our sport.
School Club Links continues to play an important part towards the 5 Hour Offer, made up of 2 hours of high quality PE within the curriculum and 3 hours of sport beyond the curriculum delivered through a range of school, community and club providers. Opportunities will also be created for all 16-19 year olds to participate in 3 hrs each week through Further Education colleges linking to local clubs. School Club Links aims to create and develop links between schools and community canoe clubs to support an increase in the number of children participating in clubs.
There are currently 53 accredited Paddlesport clubs in England that have made successful links with 161 School Sports Partnership. This has resulted in 4600 young people under 16yrs being involved in a programme of Paddlesport where a pathway into a high quality club environment is available.
Coaching.
Top up Coaching Grant money totalling £21,500 has been allocated to School Sports Partnerships to help deliver the 5 hour Offer. The School Sports Partnership will decide which coaches from clubs and centres are in a good position to help deliver over 1000 hours of sports coaching to school groups after hours but within term time as part of the ‘Sport Unlimited’ programme. If your club already has strong links with a school partnership then this may put you in a good position to get involved. The Paddlepower Passport and Discover schemes fit in well as an attractive package that can be offered to a school group.
Work Force Development and Coach Education programmes. County Sports Partnerships around the country are in a position to increase the number of coaches and help them become better qualified to work with young people. Many are offering bursaries to fund coaching courses and also offering a variety of training courses through runningsports and sports coach UK. An example of this is where Northumberland Sport has funded either 100% or 75% bursaries to 13 x level 1 and 8 level 2 UKCC endorsed training courses in Paddlesport. To find out what is happening in your area contact your Paddlesport Development Officer or local County Sports Partnership.
The purpose of the Step into Sport programme is to increase the quantity, quality and diversity of young people engaged in volunteering and leadership, with consequent benefits to schools, clubs, the community and the young people themselves. It is a tool which enables schools to grow young people as leaders and deploy them as active volunteers within the school and community settings. The pathway into leadership and volunteering leads from KS3 – KS5 (aged 11 – 19) that is delivered through the PE curriculum. It is now easier to register as a community volunteer through a dedicated Step into Sport Passport website. Volunteer hours can be recorded, and progress can be monitored on line while club Volunteer Coordinators can instantly validate volunteer’s work and keep in touch with the school. To find out more go to http://www.youthsporttrust.org/page/step-into-sport/index.html
For more information about School Club Links, Step into Sport or Canoe England’s accreditation scheme contact pesscl@bcu.org.uk