PULSE Sports Crew
Tonbridge & West Kent SSP’s School Sports Organising Crew training is a real hit!
What exactly is a School Sports Organising Crew? What is involved? What are the benefits?
These are questions that Pulse has often pondered over. We have heard the term mentioned on many
occasions but none of us really knew what one looked like or what a School Sports Organising Crew actually did.
Luckily for us, Tonbridge & West Kent SSP’s Jo Heath and her team invited us along to a session to witness first-hand how the children
are trained and also an insight into the reasons why all schools should consider developing a ‘School Sports Organising Crew’.
Here is Charlotte to explain more…..
noticeboard or announce them during assembly.
Raise the profile of school sport by promoting success stories of their school teams and reporting back on events.
How long has the Tonbridge & West Kent SSP been delivering this training?
CHARLOTTE
TWYDELL School Sports Organising Crew Trainer
What exactly is a School Sports Organising Crew?
A School Sports Organising Crew is a group of primary school pupils (usually Year 5/6) who work to raise the profile of school sport in their school. A Crew usually comprises about 10 pupils and they are tasked with the following;
Be the voice of pupils in their school; find out which activities they would like to take part in
Plan and deliver Level 1 of the Sainsbury’s School Games using the challenge and competition cards designed by NGBs at lunchtimes or after school.
Gather results from competitions and publicise them on the school
4 The Kent & Medway School Sports Magazine
The Partnership have been delivering sports leaders training for many years but the current School Sports Organising Crew format was introduced in 2011/12 when the School Games was launched nationally. Each year we change the content of the training slightly in an attempt to improve the programme and ensure the sports leaders are in a position to make a big impact when they get back to their own school.
Is there a certain type of pupil who is eligible?
We asked primary schools to select pupils who would make good role models and who would have the
ability to influence others. They could be talented within PE, demonstrate strong leadership skills or excel in a different subject at school. The School Sports Organising Crew programme also incorporates cross-curricular roles with Young Reporters, Young Statisticians, Young Designers, Young Coaches and Young Ambassadors provided with specific tasks.
What are the benefits to the pupils?
Many different skills are required to be a sports leader and it can be
very rewarding for them to feel a sense of accomplishment after setting up a brand new activity. The leaders don’t have to be the most talented sporting individuals or be the most confident ones in class; if they have a passion for what they would like to achieve then leading by example can come naturally. Leaders will learn to be confident in their own ability and be able to speak in front of others to share their ideas and opinions. They will also learn to compromise and respect other people’s views as they must work together as a team to achieve their goal.
How will this benefit the school?
The primary schools can use their trained School Sports Organising Crew to enhance the delivery of Level 1 (intra- school) sport. Not only does this increase the sporting opportunities available for the whole
school, it increases physical activity and promotes a healthier lifestyle. The programme also enables school staff to see which sports are popular with their pupils so that potentially these activities can be incorporated into both their curricular and extra- curricular provision.
All schools can apply for their Sainsbury’s School Games Mark which assesses them against a set criteria on their overall PE and sport provision. Primary schools that have a School Sports Organising Crew find that they are able to fulfil much of the set criteria needed to gain an award through the work that they do.
Is there a cost involved?
No, central training sessions like today can be accessed by all schools in our Partnership and through the national School Games programme, every school in the country should be offered training by their School Games Organiser.
If a school were to ask you why their school should take part, what would you say?
This is a fantastic opportunity to begin to change the way that young people view sport and physical activity in your school. Crews develop the workforce available in schools and increase provision of physical activity.
The sports leaders become role models within the school and younger pupils are inspired to take part in new competitions and challenges. Through being given some responsibility and ownership of the programme, leaders gain new confidence, develop their self-belief and improve their teamwork skills which are all essential skills they will need in later life.
Is there anything you would like to add?
Training days like this are only successful when you have a strong team working alongside you so I would like to thank all of the Tonbridge & West Kent School Sports Partnership’s Young Ambassadors who led some of the sessions and supported the primary schools throughout. Thank you also to Jo Heath (School Games Organiser) and to our team of interns; Colin Castle, Jess Flisher and Beth Kemp for their support.
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