Sports Funding Report 2015 – 2016

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Overview

Children from New Mills Primary School have competed in 20 external sports events this year ranging from Basketball to Cyclocross. We have participated in events run by both the New Mills Area Cluster through John Worsley from New Mills School and those run by the High Peak School Sports Partnership run by Dawn Richardson and Anna Flannagan.
Silver School Games 2015/16

Key targets have included:

  • Increasing the overall number of children who have the chance to compete in an external sports event
  • Increasing the range of sports which we attend
  • Increasing the number of teams which we take to each event

Progress to targets

Increasing the overall number of children who have the chance to compete in an external sports events

This year’s Parent Questionnaire indicated that many parents wanted to see more opportunities for their children to participate in PE and sport at school.

Percentage participation has been monitored throughout the year and considerable effort has been made to ensure that as many children as possible get the chance to compete for their school at least once during the year. This has been done through selecting certain children for certain events and also through attending new events to engage children who may not respond to traditional competitive ball sports.

Headline results:

  • 72% of children across the school have participated in an external sports event
  • 48% of children in KS1 have competed in at least one external sports event
  • 89% of children in KS2 have competed in at least one external sports event
  • 73% of girls have competed in at least one external sports event
  • 70% of boys have competed in at least one external sports event

The percentage participation in KS1 has been severely affected by the cancellation of both the KS1 Strike and Field Festival as well as the KS1 Area sports. Both events were cancelled due to bad weather and a waterlogged pitch at NMS.

KS2 Area Sports was also cancelled due to a waterlogged pitch. Every effort was made to find an alternative venue for this event but it was not possible for schools to transport children to this venue.

Increasing the range of sports which we attend

This year the school have given children the opportunity to compete in a much wider range of sports and activities than ever before. We have attended the traditional sports events such as cross country, football and netball but we have also attended three Key Steps Gymnastics events, Cyclocross, Mapquest Orienteering and girls Kick Cricket. The aim has been to engage children who do not respond to traditional ball or team sports. The Gymnastics and Cyclocross events were particularly successful in achieving this aim.

Increasing the number of teams which we take to each event

Some progress has been made towards this aim but further work is required next year. The main restraints this year have been transport and staff costs. Taking more children to an event requires a higher level of staffing and often the hire of minibus transport. In general, we have taken the maximum number of children possible to each event – for the majority of the main events we have taken two teams (rounder’s, football). We have also taken steps towards reducing the cost of transport to events by making better use of the Sustainable Hayfield Community Minibuses.

Successes this year

  • New Mills Primary School have won or been runner up in 8 events (swimming still to come)
  • The School have won through to 4 High Peak Area finals (Netball, Basketball, Boys Kwik Cricket, Cross Country)
  • The Yr. 5/6 Key Steps Gym Team won the New Mills Area event despite it being the first time which we have competed in gymnastics competition
  • There were some impressive performances in the Area Cross Country event with boys from New Mills taking 1st and 2nd in the Yr5 and 6 race.
  • 3rd Place in the Area Mini Tennis event
  • 3rd Place in the Area Mapquest event

Targets for 2016 – 17

  • 95% participation rate in external sports events for whole school
  • 75% participation rate in external sports events for KS1
  • Increase number of teams we take to each event (Target 2 teams per event where possible)
  • Increase understanding of sportsmanship, leadership and teamwork amongst all children competing in external events
  • Evaluate impact of Daily Mile on health and well-being of children
  • Find strategies for inclusion of SEN children in Daily Mile
  • Promote sports reporting to parents through newsletter, website and local press
  • Improve skills in Cricket, Netball and Rounder’s to enable teams to compete at Area level
  • Establish Sports Leaders in Year 5 and 6

Wider Health and Well Being

Daily Mile

Alongside the aim to increase participation amongst children in external sports events, the school has also made significant steps towards increasing the overall health and wellbeing of children in the school through starting the ‘Daily Mile’ initiative. This involves the children running or walking at least a mile first thing every morning. Children arrive at school, put their bags in their classrooms and then head out onto the playground where they run laps of the grounds at their own pace. Children are incentivised by collecting a straw after each lap – this enables us to calculate how far we have run as a group every week. The number of miles is displayed on a blackboard in the School Foyer.

We have tried a variety of different routes round the playground and combinations of which classes run on which days. We have decided that running KS2 on Monday, Wednesday and Friday with KS1 on Tuesday and Thursday works the best from a logistical and safety point of view.

After only 4 weeks of the Daily Mile, children are starting to show better stamina and fitness. Over the first 4 weeks we have run a total of 1223 miles which is the same as running from New Mills to Rome!

Change for Life

A group of Year 5 children took part in the Derbyshire ‘Change for Life’ Conference in Matlock. This event taught the children about healthy eating, exercise and included an inspirational talk from a young Derbyshire swimmer who was competing for a place in this year’s Olympics.

School Sports Uniforms

The school PTA have invested in new sports kit for Children who participate in external sports events (black top with school logo and red shorts). This has not only meant that the children look smarter when they attend events but has also made them feel like more of a team and also understand more about feeling pride for their school.