Fun and Fitness programme

What is the programme?
The Wandsworth Fun amd Fitness Programme is aimed at encouraging young people to be physically active in schools and at home. The Wandsworth SSCO Programme, Sports Development and Healthy Schools have joined together to devise a fun programme that schools can use to increase the activity levels in young children and develop positive physical and nutrition habits for a lifetime of good health.

Central to the programme is a six-week unit of work that will be delivered by teachers with the support of School Sport Co-ordinator's and coaches from the Sports Development Team. It is proposed that the SSCO and SDT staff will lead sessions on alternate weeks with the teachers delivering three of the six sessions. This will ensure that the programme is sustainable.

Aims of the programme?
There is overwhelming evidence that physical activity is beneficial to children's health and that schools play a hugely important role in promoting healthy and active lifestyles to their pupils. The aim of our programme is to:

• Increase the activity levels of primary children in the borough.
• Improve pupils fitness by creating more active young people.
• Teach pupils to understand the effect that exercise has on their bodies.
• To improve pupils' knowledge of what makes a healthy lifestyle, including the benefits of exercise and eating healthily.
• To provide teachers with practical ideas to help improve physical activities for their pupils.
• To provide lesson plans, resources & table for teachers to deliver lessons and record results.
• To create more active schools in the borough.

How does the programme work?
Central to the programme is a six-week unit of work that will be delivered by teachers with the support of School Sport Co-ordinator's and coaches from the Sports Development Team. It is proposed that the SSCO and SDT staff will lead sessions on alternate weeks with the teachers delivering three of the six sessions. This will ensure that the programme is sustainable.

Resource pack
We have designed an easy to use resource pack containing practical ideas and resources to support teachers promoting and providing healthy living through physical activities to their children. The idea is that the SSCO, SDT staff and teachers work through the pack provided.

Passports
Each child will receive a personal 'Passport to Fitness' to record their scores and ideas surrounding the Fun and Fitness programme.

Our message
"Keeping fit is fun and helps you to stay healthy. Children should be active for 30-60 minutes everyday. Walking to school, running, cycling, skipping, dancing and swimming are all great ways to keep fit. So is taking part in PE lessons and playing their favourite sports like football, tennis & netball"

Which schools are involved?
Over 20 schools took part in a borough wide pilot of the programme. Since the programme was properly launched in September 2006 we have had the following schools sign up to the programme.

• Christ Church
• High view
• Holy Ghost
• St Josephs 
• Swaffield

How can my school become involved in the programme?
There are a number of ways in which your school can get involved with the programme:

• The school can book a Sports Development coach for £12 per hour to come and deliver the programme in curricular time (as PPA cover) or as an extra curricular activity. 

 Fun Fitness coach booking form (4 kb)

• The school can liaise with your clusters School Sport Co-ordinator to deliver the programme within curriculum time.
• The school can contact either Wandsworth Sports Development or Wandsworth School Sport Co-ordinator to sign up to the programme, receive the resources and deliver the programme independently.

How can I become involved in delivering the programme?
Sports development is looking for coaches/ fitness instructors who are qualified or experienced in different sports or physical activity to deliver the programme in our Schools.

For more information please see the attached coach advert and if you are interested please fill in the coach interest form and send back to Lucy Howcroft at Wandsworth Sport Development:
lhowcroft@wandsworth.gov.uk

Schools Health Events

School health events are organised by schools in Wandsworth and supported by Wandsworth Sports Development. These events normally include topics such as physical activity, healthy eating, personal- safety (sun awareness in the summer). School nurses, dental specialists and primary care advisors in wandsworth can support health events in schools.

Why should my school have a health week?

Providing a health week at your school will help promote the following:

• Healthy eating
• Physical activity
• Sun awareness in the summer months
• Personal safety in the winter months
• That the whole school think health is important
• Positive role models
• Counts towards the school achieving healthy school status under national healthy school scheme.

Wandsworth Sports Development has previously supported a number of schools in delivering their health week. In particular Wandsworth Sports development have delivered a Whole School Workout in a couple of schools. The events were a great success and the Sports Development schools team hope to do more workouts in 2007!