The difference new technologies will make to children’s physical and mental wellbeing in schools Anthony Mcbride
Physical activity among pupils fell dramatically during the pandemic, with more than 31% of children undertaking less than 30 minutes of exercise a day (1). This is a worrying contrast to Ofsted’s recommendations that children should engage in exercise for an average of at least 60 minutes per day across the week (2). The immediate and long-term health benefits of physical activity are indisputable and there is a wealth of evidence to demonstrate that high quality physical education lessons reduce the symptoms of anxiety, depression and improve cognitive functioning in young people. Exercise has also been found to alleviate symptoms such as low self-esteem and social withdrawal. In her speech at the Youth Sport Trust Conference, OFSTED chief inspector, Amanda Spielman said: “Schools and colleges have a vital role to play in inspiring the next generation to lead healthy, active lives and to build resilience. A good PE education can take each child down different pathways to find what they’re really good at. And on a bigger scale, it can take the whole of humanity forward.” As a result, new technologies are emerging that will allow teachers to engage children in a more active curriculum and research has found that
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school closures in 2020, led to an explosive 71.5 per cent growth in the UK education technology sector (3). One of these new technologies is myphizz, a platform that myself and four colleagues (all qualified teachers and educational experts) have designed and built to help schools raise the quality and frequency of physical activity in a sustainable way. The app encourages children to engage in a more active, healthier and happier lifestyle, providing them with the opportunity to set exciting challenges for one another and take part in physical activities that they enjoy. Challenges, or ‘phizzes’ as they’re called, can range from a 100m sprint to completing as many star jumps as possible in 15 seconds.
Launched in schools nationwide in September 2021, the app utilises a live leaderboard that provides children with the ability to set ‘phizzes’ in the classroom and compare results across the school, as well as nationally.
