As Sport England is investing even more resources in supporting schools, practising teachers will continue to be involved in this consultation process. The result is a practical support programme that will inspire more children to take part in sport. Active Schools will evolve over time to meet the changing needs and aspirations of teachers and their students.
Sport is an essential part of a child's physical and social development. Active Schools is based on the principle that every child should develop a love of movement, physical activity and sport, and enjoy the lifelong benefits of sports participation.
Sport England will measure the programme's success against a set of challenging targets that are in line with the long-term, national targets set out in the Government's strategy document, England: the Sporting Nation. They are:
- 20% more young people taking part in out-of-school-hours sport
- 20% more girls showing a strong interest in leisure-time sport
- 10% more boys showing a strong interest in leisure-time sport.
Sport England also operates many different programmes within Active Schools. All of which provide funding to schools across England in order to improve facilities within the school itself and the overall standard of play in P.E today:
Space for Sports and Arts is a two-year programme (2000-02) providing funding to primary schools in the most deprived areas to improve their sports and arts facilities for dual school and community use.
Invitations have been extended to 65 local education authorities to apply for the funding to support up to 300 projects.
Playing fields and Community Green spaces Programme identifies and funds projects that help communities gain access to playing fields, green spaces, school playgrounds and community play areas. Sport England will distribute £31.5 million on behalf of the New Opportunities Fund (NOF), with £22.3 million allocated for playing fields and £9.2 million for school playgrounds and community play areas. The programme, which runs for four years from May 2001 to April 2005, covers the whole of England but will focus 50% of the funding on areas of deprivation.
NOF PE and Sport in Schools programme will commit £581.25 million by 2005 to projects designed to bring about a step-change in the provision of sporting facilities for young people and the community generally by:
- refurbishing existing and building more indoor and outdoor facilities for school and community use.
- Providing initial revenue funding to support the development and promotion of these sporting facilities for community use
- building or refurbishing outdoor adventure facilities where this would benefit young people who do not currently have access to these facilities.
Active schools have many aims they wish to meet within the next 20years and so have presented a small list of points in which they wish to achieve:
Active Schools will:
- help schools and teachers deliver the best possible physical education and sport
- encourage children to take part in sport - inside and outside school
- ensure all children and their teachers enjoy the benefits of sport
- forge links between schools, sports clubs and the community
- increase training opportunities
- Keep PE staff abreast of new developments
- enhance delivery of the National Curriculum 2000
- Improve the quality of out-of-school-hours learning
- help schools determine their strengths and identify areas for development
- help schools promote and market themselves effectively
- help schools improve their sports facilities for community use
Sport is an essential part of a child's physical and social development. Active Schools is based on the principle that every child should develop love of movement. physical activity and sport, and enjoy the lifelong benefits of sport participation.
Sport England will measure the programme's success against a set of challenging targets that are in line with the long term, national targets set out in the Government's strategy document, England: the Sporting nation. They are:
- 20% more young people taking part in out-of-school-hours sport
- 20% more girls showing a strong interest in leisure-time sport
-
10% more boys showing a strong interest in leisure-time sport.