EDUCATION
“We’re very much of the mind that sport can be a medium to help teach life skills, and can have benefits that stretch beyond the playing field.” Of course, wonderful facilities help. And here, too, our area has plenty to shout about – from the swimming pool, second sports hall and new climbing wall currently under construction at The Perse School, to the state-of-the-art Astroturf pitch for hockey and refurbished gym at Gresham’s. Various aspects of the sporting curriculum can be designed to achieve distinct goals. At The Perse School, for example, PE focuses more on developing pupils’ understanding of health, fitness and the importance of remaining physically active. Games sessions
develop social and personal qualities – communications, commitment and teamwork – while a packed extracurricular programme gives pupils the chance to try something completely different. “We try to encompass everything that sport should give to us,” explains director of sport Glenn Kirkham. That includes the now well-proven link between exercise and good mental health. As Gresham’s School points out, it’s not just the sport itself that matters but
all the social interaction that comes with it, like making friends on the long bus journeys to fixtures. And because academic staff are also encouraged to be involved in sport, it can add an extra dimension to pastoral care. “Knowing a pupil and understanding what might make them tick will only be useful, and can be brought to the classroom with good effect. Pastoral conversations are often triggered by pupils feeling much more at ease in the sports team set-up,” says the school. “Most people understand the link between sport and physical health, but the social and mental health benefits are oftentimes more prominent when it comes to an educational setting,” agrees Louise Powell. At The Perse School, Glenn Kirkham describes wellbeing as ‘a huge part of our PE programme’. During exam season, for example, pupils are encouraged not to devote all their lives to study but to achieve a healthy balance. “Clearly, work and revision are very important, but at the same time it’s about maintaining the importance of putting your books away and being able to clear the mind – whether it’s a case of going for a run, cycle or row, or working alongside a teammate and having social interaction.” Hand in hand with this focus on wellbeing has been a far greater emphasis on inclusivity. Unlike the old days, when most of the effort went into coaching top players, every pupil is now encouraged to take part, and success – whatever form it takes – is celebrated. For some pupils, it’s all about the excitement of competing in a traditional team sport – cricket, hockey, football and rugby still feature prominently – a priority for schools like Stoke College, where the goal is to ensure that just about every pupil has the chance to compete in
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