Keep on movingThe availability of junk food combined with a general trend for young people to be relatively inactive is a recipe for disaster. Diminished life expectancy and reduced quality of life for the unfit young have been predicted by experts and it could affect the future health of our nation. With the launch this autumn of the Government's Healthy Living Blueprint for Schools — detailed guidance on eating, working, playing, travel and leisure habits — comes renewed support for schools to encourage their communities to focus specifically on health and wellbeing. Many secondary schools are already focusing on the healthy living message, and John Spence Community High School is taking it very seriously. The North Tyneside school is taking part in a research project with Northumbria University, that is looking at the benefits of increased levels of movement in PE lessons. "We randomly picked a group of 45 boys in Year 8 and are teaching them using 'The New PE' approach," explains the director of sport, Bobby Graham. "The remainder of Year 8 have traditional PE lessons." The aim is to compare fitness levels under the National Curriculum with those created by the new approach. New PE is an American concept developed by Phil Lawler from Naperville, Illinois. Each activity is designed for cardiovascular benefit, helping children to stay in their 'zone' — the optimum cardiovascular range of exercise. When the school recently became a sports college, TriFIT fitness testing equipment was installed and, at present, John Spence Community High is the only school in the country to have it. "The focus of these lessons is to improve the boys' levels of fitness," says Graham. "They wear heart-rate monitors and pedometers, and even if it's a gymnastics or a dance or football lesson, the aim is to get their hearts beating within their aerobic training zone for more than 70 per cent of the lesson." A typical New PE lesson involves far more movement than in usual PE lessons. As Graham explains: "If they're playing football, we set up challenges for them such as whoever travels the furthest in the game wins a prize." To coincide with this trial, the school has made other changes, too. Gone are the fatty foods from the dining hall, and an alternative healthy menu has replaced the chips, pizzas and pies. "We had very few objections," says headteacher Brian Davison. "I thought that our ban on fizzy drinks and sugary and fatty foods would be difficult to police but I've been delighted by the response from the kids." Also helpful are the workshops for the parents of the study-group boys. These focus on the importance of exercise and diet with the aim of ensuring that the boys get the same messages at home as at school. There have been other benefits of this regime - Graham and Davison report that behaviour has improved. Previously, there would regularly be 40 people on detention each day, but now there is nothing like this number on detention, and numbers are down on all sanction systems. Part of this success can be attributed to the meticulous preparation. "I spoke to the students in assemblies and explained in great detail why we were making the changes," Graham says. "I told them it was to benefit their health and to help them academically. Ninety-nine per cent have taken this in their stride." Healthy living seems to be a truly attainable goal at John Spence school.
Words: Elizabeth Holmes FOR MORE INFORMATIONwww.polarusa.com/education/teachercorner
This content was published in November 2004 and may not reflect current policy |