Case Study

Health at the heart of the curriculum

Objective:

Health at the heart of the curriculum

The Challenge

Our children face a myriad of challenges. In Newham, almost 50% leave Primary school classed as obese. We have the highest rates of child homelessness and overcrowding in the country. There is limited access to outdoor space.

Our Approach

We have reviewed our entire curriculum and developed, ‘Curriculum K: A curriculum for the 21st century. This places health firmly at the heart of children’s day-to-day experience. Not only is this a moral imperative, but it also leads to better learning across the curriculum. Teach Active is a fundamental part of this.

The Impact

Teach Active has allowed our children to get outside. The approaches have supported our staff in planning and resourcing quality learning. When children get outside to learn, we see better levels of engagement and retention of content. Even better, this isn’t just during the lesson, it continues when they get back to class. Children who have been involved in a Teach Active lesson are more focused and continue to learn more effectively when they are back in class.

The Legacy

We started with Active Maths and have recently begun with Active English. We’ve already seen a significant impact on children’s physical health, their emotional health, and their overall learning as a result of implementing the Teach Active approaches. We know there is so much more to do if we are going to truly change our children’s lives but we’re really excited about where we are going. Teach Active will continue to be a fundamental part of our approach as we move forward.

"Health is fundamental to children’s development. Teach Active gives children an extra hour or two of physical activity and is a brilliant way to support teachers too. With the scale of the challenge, every bit helps and this is a win-win for learning and health."

Ben Levinson, Headteacher

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