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EAST SHROPSHIRE SCHOOL SPORT CO-ORDINATOR
PARTNERSHIP (SSCo)
 What are we?
Established in September 2003, we are a partnership of all the primary and secondary schools in the Bridgnorth District (location map). We are part of a national network of School Sport Partnerships; six partnerships have been established in Shropshire.
Our partnership is funded via a direct grant from the Department for Education and Skills. This maintains a structure of five staff:
- One Partnership Development Manager (PDM) – full time, based at Idsall Sports College, with overall management of the partnership (pictured here)
- Four School Sport Co-ordinators (SSCos) – two days a week, responsible for working with their secondary school and ‘family’ of primary schools
This funding also enables teaching staff at each school to work with us to meet the government’s drive to improve physical education, school sport and community links.
We are directly accountable to the government to achieve the following national Public Sector Agreements (PSA)
- 85% participation rate of pupils in high quality PE and school sport by 2008 (achieved)
- 80% of pupils accessing 3 hours of PE and school sport by 2011
What do we do?
All our work focuses on meeting the needs of the schools and their pupils in achieving the PSA target. This is expressed in our Partnership Development Plan, which is constantly updated according to progress made and family plans for each cluster of primary schools. The main areas of our work focus on:
- Leadership and volunteering
- School to community links
- Coaching in schools
- Top up swimming
- Provision for gifted and talented performers in PE and sport
- Disability sport
- Competitive opportunities in sport
For example:
The results of the 2008-2009 national survey indicated that approximately 50% of Year 1 and 2 pupils in our partnership were not involved in any intra-school competition (competition against other pupils in their school).
Therefore through the team of School Sports Coordinators we designed a ‘Multi-Skills’ competition to offer a fun competitive opportunity for Year 1 and 2 pupils. A series of ‘Multi-Skills’ challenges were designed by Mrs Massam from Idsall School and Mrs Smith from William Brookes School. Challenges focussed on fun activities based around the core fundamentals of movement, i.e. balance, agility, coordination. Challenges were delivered during PE lessons, lunchtimes and after-school. This ensured all pupils had the chance to take part compare their performance against others’ in their class and school. Pupils have been awarded certificates according to progress made during the summer term 2009.
 This programme also linked into the Leadership and Volunteering area of the partnership work through Sports Coordinators training Year 5 pupils as Playground Leaders able to deliver the Multi-Skills challenges during lunchtimes and after school.
All Sports Coordinators have worked with their family of primary schools to implement this programme throughout the partnership.
What has been the impact?
Although results from the national school sport survey will not be known until October 2009 it is anticipated that this programme will increase the number of Year 1 and 2 pupils across each family of primary schools involved in intra-school competition.
Feedback from primary staff has been overwhelmingly positive towards this initiative and the impact it has had, not only in providing a focus for Year 1 and 2 PE lessons, but also in providing a focus for lunchtime activities whilst also given meaning to the role of Year 5 Playground Leaders.
A similar programme for Year 3 and 4 pupils is being considered for next year.
A message from Idsall's partnership rep - Chris Jew:
"The East Shropshire School Sport Partnership has made excellent progress during the last 5 years and the dedication and hard work of the excellent team of School Sports Coordinators and Primary Link Teachers has ensured that far more young people are accessing more and better quality PE lessons and opportunities for after school sport, competition and community sport.
The next 3 years leading up to our nation hosting the Olympic Games in 2012 represent an excellent opportunity for us to continue to progress as a partnership and is a really exciting time for all concerned. There are many challenges for us to meet to ensure we provide ALL young people with high quality opportunities to access up to 5 hours of PE, school and community sport per week; however I am confident that with the will of the people involved and the positive attitude of our young people, we can meet these challenges head on and succeed in achieving our shared aims."
Latest News of the East Shropshire Schools Sport Partnership
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