SPECIALIST STATUS UPDATE

By Peter Brennan (Director of Sport/Specialism) – 18 March 2009

Spring Term 2009

Best practice in PE

Having attracted interest both locally and regionally, Hinchingbrooke’s approach to delivering PE has been recognised nationally after being selected as an example of best practice in the planning and delivery of the new secondary curriculum. Filming took place in December and the result is available to view at: http://www.newsecondarycurriculum.org/Content/library/pe_other.aspx

Sports Colleges Conference (11-12th Feb)

This year’s sports colleges conference coincided with the opening of the Artificial Grass Pitch  (12th Feb). With a remit to focus on internationalism, student voice and extending the role of leadership across school, our three delegates (K Nancekievill, PBrennan & M L Trewin) found the extensive range of workshops, keynote sessions and quality of the exhibition informative, inspiring and challenging. At this year’s conference we received confirmation of our successful bid to improve the playing fields with a grant of £110,000 to be spent by August 2010. This welcome additional funding will be used to reinstate the long jump pit, shot and discus circles, reseed the playing fields and renew the drainage to the four main pitches.

Student Leadership

The development of the leadership ladder for students at HBK articulates the progression opportunities available to active and aspiring leaders in sport. The extension of leadership opportunities to the field of languages and shortly to include the arts, literacy and maths demands a rethink of the nature of leadership training across school. Inspired by the work of Penryn Sports College we are currently developing our own version of a generic leadership training programme at HBK in order to meet the needs of aspiring leaders with interests that lie outside sport. Training for the new extended intake of group of lunchtime leaders will take place early in the summer term.

Students as Learning Partners (SaLP)

A group of year 9 students have been identified as the first cohort to train as learning partners. This programme is designed to engage students in planning and evaluating the teaching and learning process and thereby contribute to the partnership between students and teachers in improving achievement.

As we enter the exam preparation period all year of our 11 students will participate in a workshop led by renowned motivational speaker, Jamie Edwards. Jamie’s experience of working with elite performers and his engaging presentation style is designed to spur students on to approach an Easter revision programme with vigour.

Working in Partnership

Hunts School Sport Partnership (HSSP) has successfully bid for £23,596 from Sport England to run activities targeted at the ‘semi-sporty’ across the SSP for this academic year. This funding is directed at the following activity programmes at Hinchingbrooke and at other local sites:

•          Autumn Term 08 - martial arts, OAA (Outdoor Adventurous Activities),

                                        KS4 dance

•          Spring 09             - martial arts, boxercise, OAA, table tennis, Springboard

•          Summer 09          - tennis at Sawtry CC, OAA,

                                        SEN (Special Educational Needs) Polybat

As a sign of improving provision within the SSP, Active Mark and Sports Mark awards have been achieved by 84% of SSP primary schools.

The MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do it) programme, focussing on a family approach to improving activity rates and nutritional planning, funded by NHS Cambridgeshire, will continue into May if we achieve full recruitment. An extensive marketing campaign, funded by the Primary Care Trust, has helped recruitment to the current programme.

A Further Education Sport Co-ordinator (FESCO) has been appointed to work with Huntingdon Regional College to develop the activity programme for 16 – 19 year old students in Huntingdon. Work with Huntingdon District Council has proved fruitful in developing a programme of heavily subsidised opportunities in golf, shooting, climbing and scuba diving and have made a tutor available to deliver activities in schools.

Addressing the activity interests of SEN students the ‘Playground to Podium’ (P2P) scheme has been launched successfully with the introduction of multi sports clubs at Spring Common and Samuel Pepys. These clubs target students with identified ability in P.E. and Sport. Community coaches are delivering a wide range of activities; football, boccia, cricket, tennis, wheel chair basket ball and multi skills.

Through a link with the Golf Foundation, free coaching is being made available during the summer at HBK and other secondary schools across the SSP.

To find out more about any of these initiatives your first port of call should be the Sport Administration Office.  From here you will be able to pick up information, share with us what you think about our new developments and hopefully be inspired to try something new.

Contact:  Dawn Smith – Specialist Status Administrator

Tel:          01480 375700 Ext.5765

E-mail:   dls@hinchbk.cambs.sch.uk