FEATURE: SCHOOL TRIPS
people moving and leading healthier lives, and we can do this by giving them a love of sport. In my view, the best way to do this is through
fantastic quality sports trips which support the PE curriculum. I’ve been teaching and running these trips for five years, and they can vary hugely. Each year I run a trip to the PGL travel company’s Shropshire adventure park, with our netball and football teams. Further afield, in 2016 we ran a trip to Dublin, and last year we ran a trip to Spain. As there are so many options, when planning
trips, try and think about what will work best for your pupils, and what they are most interested in. If you are planning on using a company, do your research and always ask if you’re interested in any further excursions – it can usually be arranged! If you are taking your pupils along to a tournament, make sure you train well with them, go through any rules beforehand and prepare them thoroughly. Sports trips should inspire and kindle a love of sport, and if a pupil have a negative experience it may put them off for life. Sport among younger pupils enhances the
development of the whole child – our year 7 pupils in particular benefit from our sports trips, as they usually have had little experience of them in primary education. It is so important to get this right, as a trip for this age group could well be their first time away from home. Sports are ideal for this settling in period, as they help young pupils develop their social and teamwork skills, building their confidence in a way that it difficult to achieve in the classroom.
grants that are available in order to get the maximum number of pupils on the trip! The drop-off rates for girls are even more
significant. Recent research has found that not enough girls are meeting the recommended guidelines for exercise and physical activity, and we need to look to our PE provision to help improve this. Female pupils can often experience a lack of self-confidence and interest in sports, but now is the time to engage them. With the rising coverage of women’s sports
and some incredible sporting events on the horizon, a sports trip, if planned at the right time, could work wonders. With the Vitality Netball World Cup being hosted in July 2019, the chance to see sporting role models live in action is a fantastic opportunity for female pupils. Trips such as these give pupils the chance to experience and see first-hand what is achievable – after our recent visit to the England vs Uganda Series with England Netball, so many of my pupils expressed new career aspirations of professional netball playing! Live sporting events are also incredibly useful
We run our next big sports trip for the year
nine group. As pupils get older, they can become more self-conscious and begin to lack confidence in their abilities. We’ve found that there is a significant drop-off in sports participation for year nine pupils, which is why we target this age group with exciting trips abroad. These can be particularly beneficial, as pupils are beginning to think about their GCSE options and careers and a sports trip can give insight into media roles, for example. As pupils enter their teenage years, research
has shown that young people who play sport often benefit from improved concentration levels. For some young people sport can also be a great vehicle towards a positive attitude and outlook, which in turn can impact behaviour positively, especially in the classroom. Open up the trips to all pupils too – even if they don’t study PE as a GCSE or play for a sports team, for example. I especially encourage pupils who aren’t involved in sport but who want to be – a trip could be that turning point. Try looking into any funds and
January 2019
when it comes to looking at different areas of sport of physical education. Pupils get the chance to see what exactly is involved, think about the players’ training and nutrition, which ties in with curricular learnings. Pupils can also observe the role of other sporting officials too, such as coaches and referees, opening up a new world of possibilities for potential careers. The atmosphere of an event really captures the imagination of pupils, and they become talking points meaning that they stay motivated and interested when back at school. Another way in which we help to develop
pupils through sports trips, and which really helps in the build-up to a trip is through fundraising. This helps to improve people skills and communication, with those outside their peer group. Fundraising also gives pupils a focus to work towards, keeping them motivated and interested in the event beforehand. This may be obvious, but I would always say
plan well and be sure of exactly what you want your pupils to learn on the trip. They are brilliant
ways to embed knowledge, and the outcomes will be different for different age groups. For example, a GCSE class could focus on the use of muscle groups or nutrition. Not all trips have explicit links, but there is always usually a connection to the curriculum; a focus on the role of the media was part of our trip to the Uganda series with England Netball. Following a sports trip, I find that pupils tend to
return to school more committed to their PE lessons, and indeed across the board. Some of the pupils I have taken on our PGL trip have gone on to train and play for clubs both for the county and region. The opportunity to present yourself as an engaged, enthusiastic role model on a trip should not be underestimated either, as pupils are more likely to commit to their lessons or sport if they have a good relationship with their teacher. Looking back, I believe that my passion for
memorable sports trips stems from my school days. The lack of provision at my school motivated me and still inspires me to run the best trips I can for my pupils, as I believe that they are one of the best ways to engage young people in our education system. They are rewarding, educational and most of all – great fun! We need to make the most of the incredible sporting events we have here on home turf, to keep our young people invested in sport and help them to lead longer, healthier lives. I’m certainly counting down to taking my pupils to see the Vitality Netball World Cup in July!
uFind out more about school package offerings for the Vitality Netball World Cup 2019 here:
https://www.nwc2019.co.uk/schools
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