search.noResults

search.searching

dataCollection.invalidEmail
note.createNoteMessage

search.noResults

search.searching

orderForm.title

orderForm.productCode
orderForm.description
orderForm.quantity
orderForm.itemPrice
orderForm.price
orderForm.totalPrice
orderForm.deliveryDetails.billingAddress
orderForm.deliveryDetails.deliveryAddress
orderForm.noItems
PULSE


and yet we haven’t joined up the dots. As PE leaders, we don’t always realise the extent of the physical needs in our schools and our SENCos don’t always have sufficient knowledge of physical education and physical development to be able to recognise the potential of our subject. But what if we were to work together?


Many schools are already offering the popular BEAM and Fizzy programmes, both designed by NHS physiotherapists to develop co- ordination, balance and core strength for pupils with difficulties in these areas. Often these are delivered as interventions or to year R classes as part of the early years curriculum. But should we be using them more widely? What if all our teachers understood the purpose of these programmes and how to deliver them? They could be incorporated into lesson warm-ups for all pupils or form part of the differentiation for specific groups (no doubt there will be numerous other pupils in the class who would benefit from the exercises but would not have met the threshold for an intervention). They could be sent home for parents to do with children at home. Simply re-thinking the way that such programmes are utilised within the school could have a significant impact on large numbers of children, but there is also much more that we can do.


A PE curriculum which embeds a progressive approach to fundamental movement skills is key to ensuring synergy between physical and cognitive development. In her book, ‘The Well Balanced Child’, Sally Goddard Blythe states that ‘children who continue to reverse letters,


numbers and words after the age of eight years are often found to have immature balance’ and explains the link between the development of fine finger movements and speech, stating that ‘children who have undergone assessment at the Institute for Neuro- Physiological Psychology in Chester, who have had a history of speech difficulties but no hearing problems, have all demonstrated difficulty with thumb and finger opposition’. An effective fundamentals curriculum focuses on the development of agility, balance and co-ordination, all of which are key physical components for brain development.


So, what about the pupils with SEMH needs? Mental health is currently one of the highest profile needs in schools, with the National Association of Headteachers (NAHT) listing it as one of their biggest challenges after their research showed that one fifth of children experience a mental health problem before the age of 11. This is an area in which PE and physical activity can have a significant impact. Once again, there is a wealth of research demonstrating that ‘regular physical activity reduces the risk of depression and has positive benefits for mental health including reduced anxiety, and enhanced mood and self-esteem’ Chief Medical Office, Department of Health, 2005). All we need to do is to make sure that we are providing attractive and engaging opportunities for children to be active regularly and to provide some more targeted opportunities for those pupils who are less enthusiastic. Remember that this is about physical activity, not sport, so these pupils could be walking, running around in your forest school or digging holes at a gardening


club; just 10 minutes of activity, three times per week can be enough to make a difference.


Outdoor and Adventurous Activities (OAA) is one of my favourite elements of the PE curriculum, so I was very excited to see that it had been made statutory at key stage 2 within the new curriculum. As an activity area that is renowned for the impact that it can have on confidence, self-esteem, respect and belonging the potential to use this as a tool for supporting pupils with SEMH needs is huge. Many schools think of OAA as something done off-site, but there are many activities which can be delivered on site as part of day to day lessons. If this activity area makes up only a small part of your key stage 2 curriculum it may be time to give some serious thought as to how you could develop it further.


Children with poor social skills will benefit greatly from structured games opportunities at playtimes. These children are likely to be the ones that find playtime very uncomfortable, either struggling to engage with others or keeping the midday supervisors busy by engaging in ways that we would prefer they didn’t! Jenny Mosley has written some great books full of games to develop social skills that could be used with small groups of targeted children at playtimes. For more ideas on how you could tackle SEMH through


physical activity, you may like to look at the presentation that I delivered at this year’s County PE Conference in January. This is available to view at www.blueprintconsultancy.co.uk


I left my SENCo role in December 2016 to enable me to focus on my own children and my PE consultancy work, but I was keen to make use of all that I had learned. I wanted to develop a programme, rooted in physical activity, that specifically aimed to impact on classroom learning and could be delivered as part of the national curriculum or as a stand-alone intervention. Over the past year, I have been working closely with Rachel Hawkes, a friend of mine who is also a children’s yoga teacher with expertise in psychology and child development. Together, we have created the BBEd Yoga Programme, which uses yoga as a tool for addressing a range of needs and developing behaviour for learning in the classroom. Our first courses are now open for booking – please go to www.blueprintconsultancy.co.uk for full details.


My time as a SENCo certainly got me thinking about how PE could contribute more effectively to the support for vulnerable children in school – I hope this article has done the same for you. You have the funding, you have the tools, you just need to take the first step; go and have a chat with your SENCo!


The Kent & Medway School Sports Magazine 5


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16