One size does not fit all when it comes to PE

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One size does not fit all when it comes to PE
(Representational image)

Many children in the Middle East have a real passion for football, but PE gives them opportunity to develop a love for other sports.

By Neil Patrick Bunting, Head of School (Secondary), Greenfield Community School

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Published: Sun 29 May 2016, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Sun 29 May 2016, 2:00 AM

As a school leader, I have long admired the work of the Physical Education (PE) department in the schools I have worked in. They have consistently been a credit to the school and given us, as a school community, a great sense of pride.
Having previously travelled to work with a PE teacher, I have gained an appreciation of the hours put in by PE departments beyond the regular working hours of teachers.
Why are so many PE staff prepared to go the extra mile?
I think it is because they believe, as I do, that exercise plays a crucial role in the holistic development of young people.
Recently, I visited Lithuania, where the children still walk to school, school meals are carefully monitored, and many adults cycle to work. The result is a healthy and forward looking nation, where exercise is highly valued.
As a child, I spent countless hours after school playing football - jumpers for goalposts - and cricket. I also walked to school. However, transportation trends and different diets mean young learners need more exercise, and the right kind of exercise, than ever before.
PE teachers often build excellent rapport with their students. PE lessons often are a joy to watch, for the strong routines, structures, expectations, collaborative work and differentiation that is applied by the teachers.
I have also grown to realise the important role of tactics and how PE teachers can help students, who are not naturally sporty, work to the best of their ability, through listening and thinking, and working as part of a team.
Many children in the Middle East have a real passion for football, but PE gives them opportunity to develop a love for other sports, and perhaps to find they have a flair for a game they have never tried before. There are new fun sports being invented all the time. PE is not: one size fits all.
Learners who exercise are usually more alert in class and more likely to succeed academically as well as socially. They develop self-worth and esteem from sport.
It is also vital to nurture good sportsmanship as a life skill and an understanding that playing sport is about competing keenly and fairly, and being gracious in success and defeat.
PE is undoubtedly changing, and a former PE colleague of mine, Kevin Peake, who is the Founding Director at PESA - PE and Sports Assessment APP -recently wrote about the future of PE - how technology will come into play more and more, as it does in professional sport: devices, smart watches and heart monitors will all become prevalent as we strive for accurate data on individual performance. Equipment is changing too. The use of drones is being developed in tennis, for example, for assessing and giving the player feedback on spin and power.
The gadgetry is great, but we must never lose sight of the importance of sport competitions between schools. A strong PE program in a school helps students to build a sense of belonging and identity with their school. If they are taking part in competitions representing their school team, they remember those occasions as stand out moments from their school days.
PE lessons encourage team work, collaboration and the development of leadership skills, along with coordination, dexterity and spatial awareness. Sport encourages ambidextrous habits.
In an age of processed food and convenience living, it has never been more vital for young and old people, alike, to exercise, and as educators, and school leaders we have a duty to model our expectations by eating healthily and getting plenty of exercise ourselves.
Inter-staff fun runs, football and sports activities set a good example to learners and give them a laugh at the same time. They grow to realise sport is vital to keep us healthy, and is part of lifelong learning, and not just a school age activity.


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