Whitchurch High School PE LESSONS The value of sport in education

Were you the warrior, charging out into the field, hockey stick aloft, ruddy-faced and ready for battle? Or a worrier, who shivered nervously on the peripheries, just wishing the 90-minute PE ordeal to be over? Fortunately for the younger generations, sport in local schools have a more blended, imaginative and inclusive approach, while still teaming it with the core values of what physical education can offer. WHAT’S THE SCORE? Let’s kick off with why should physical education be part of the school curriculum? “Sport aims not only at physical development but is also concerned with the whole person through appropriately challenged activities,” says Rachel Thomas, head of girls PE at Whitchurch High School, a state school and the largest school in Wales (turn to page 60 for our interview with its former PE Steve Williams). “It is the predominant subject for promotion of team work, character, work ethic and resilience – all necessary skills for the pressures of working life.”

Colin Laity, deputy head (pastoral) and head of physical education at Westbourne, the independent school in Penarth, agrees, “Sport is so important as it gives qualities that cannot always be learned in a classroom. The benefits include a healthy lifestyle, encouraging good physical health, and understanding the advantages of regular exercise and eating well. Also for mental wellbeing, PE can help cope with stress, it is good for self-confidence and developing resilience, and it encourages interaction with others, to work with them, and be part of a team.” OLD SCHOOL For centuries, games such as cricket, football, rugby and netball have defined the physical education curriculum with huge success and popularity, but coming up on the inside are a lot more unusual sports options. Howell’s School, an independent school for girls in Llandaff, which excels at national level in many sports including tennis, hockey and gymnastics, also offers raving yoga. CeriCrawford, the school’s director of sport, explains, “Raving yoga is done in the dark, with glowstick headbands to a dance music soundtrack. We also have glowstick games where we black out the sports hall, put some music on, get a glow-in-the-dark ball and play football, handball or netball. You really would think there was some sort of festival going on, there’s such a din!”

While over at Whitchurch High School cheerleading and weightlifting are part of their ‘sport for all’ ethos. EVERYONE’S A WINNER But what about those who think they aren’t so keen to get active? “Our sessions are structured to ensure pupils of all abilities make progress with a focus on performance, rather than results,” says Mark Barrington, director of sport at Cathedral School, the coeducational independent day school located in Llandaff. “Early on every child is given the opportunity to play for the school to boost a sense of achievement and team spirit.” Howell’s Ceri Crawf ord believes it all comes down to options. “We have several pathways that students can follow, depending on where their interests and talents lie,” she explains. “For example,

the fitness for life pathway encourages girls to choose sessions in the fitness suite or play games like softball, volleyball and tennis with the emphasis firmly on having fun. From Year 9 onwards, timetabled PE lessons run on a carousel which has a change of focus every six weeks, so the girls know there always something new around the corner.” “Sport provides transferable lessons in determination and goal-setting which can be used in the classroom”

Westbourne encourages good physical health for their students

above: Netball is just one of the many sports on offer at Whitchurch High School; right: Getting fit through dance is just one option at Howell’s

GAME CHANGERS Evidently our local outstanding schools are committed to offering first class sports both within the curriculum and as extracurricular activities but is there proof what happens on the playing fields and in the sports halls, can make a difference inside the classroom? “In order to develop in sport and reach an elite level, it requires repetitive learning of skills, memorising actions and organisation,” says Rachel Thomas of Whitchurch High. “The production of such skill sets can carry over into academic work. Sport provides transferable lessons in determination and goal-setting which can be used in the classroom.” Westbourne’s Colin Laity sees the benefits also being that of “a healthy mind in a healthy body. Whilst we pride ourselves on academic success it is important that the pupils take some time out from the classroom to be active and recharge their batteries.”

OWN GOALS And what about the child as a person – what are the winning factors relating to personal development when it comes to sport in school? Cathedral School’s Mark Barrington says, “The attraction of teamship is not the preserve of high performance: it is a universal benefit. Sport feeds fundamental needs, provides transferable skills such as competitiveness, perseverance and team work and offers balance in our busy world.”

Howell’s CeriCrawfordechoes these sentiments saying, “Active children who engage in sport are driven, goal focused and good at time management. In my experience, the children who take part in sports are the ones who never hand in their homework late, who are able to organise themselves with the right equipment and turn up on time for lessons.” n