Objective:
To increase the number of children doing the recommended 60 minutes of daily activity
Scenario
St. Mary’s Headteacher, Ben Lavin is a member of Greater Manchester’s Headteacher Alliance and Teach Active was introduced in response to an ongoing commitment for schools to achieve more active lessons, with just 40% of children in Greater Manchester doing the recommended 60 minutes of daily activity. The headteachers and staff also wanted to ensure that the Primary PE and Sport Premium funding was used on something that would have a sustainable and real impact with regards to physical activity and whole school improvement. Using an approach like Teach Active would also support pupils who were facing challenges and becoming frustrated when they were unable to solve problems they were faced with. Having heard about the impact Teach Active was having in other schools, St Mary’s was keen to experience the benefits.
"The ease of planning for teachers has enabled Teach Active to be implemented into our curriculum smoothly, as all resources and plans are there ready to go on the easy-to-use website. Furthermore, this means that bringing Teach Active into school has not added to teacher's workload."
Charlotte Dovey, Maths Coordinator
Impact
The teachers were impressed by how engaging and fun they found Teach Active, quickly realising its potential. The programme was rolled out across the whole school and not only did the children love the lessons and activities, it also supported children with their problem solving, reasoning and fluency.
The website saved teachers hours of planning time and ensured that this was a new resource which could easily be introduced to an already busy workforce.
"Teach Active has been a great addition to the children's learning. They love getting involved in maths lessons and it is so simple for the teachers to pick a topic to match lesson plans and complement the curriculum."
St Mary's teacher
The school has seen a fantastic response to Teach Active. Pupils in Year 2 who found maths a difficult subject are being encouraged to challenge themselves. The learning is disguised through the addition of the physical aspect and they are more willing to solve problems that they would otherwise struggle with. This has had a significant impact on their overall mathematical skills.
Teach Active has changed the whole mindset of the school and encouraged teachers and pupils to become more mindful of their daily activity alongside improving the children's mathematical abilities.
"I really look forward to maths lessons now because I like moving around to learn and it's helping me understand what I am learning better."
Charlotte Dovey, Maths Coordinator