Radcliffe Riverside School awarded the prestigious Sportsmark Award by Sport England.
This is awarded to secondary schools that have comprehensive policies and practices for the provision of a broad and balanced Physical Education programme, for developing an out-of-hours learning programme that offers a range of opportunities to students, and for enabling young people to move from school sport to sport in the community.
To qualify for the Sportsmark award, schools must comply with the following criteria:
- An average of 100 minutes per week of PE should be provided within the curriculum at Key Stages 3 and 4.
- Curriculum balance must be achieved by offering a range of sports such as dance, athletics, swimming, gymnastics, games and outdoor and adventure sports.
- 30% of pupils for every year group should take part in extra-curricular activities
- Other opportunities such as recreational clubs, internal and external school competitions should be offered to pupils.
- The school should also have good links with local sports clubs – the school may use the club facilities, and the club may use the school facilities and provide club officials for matches.
- All PE teachers must have formal qualifications in relevant PE subjects or from National Governing Bodies of Sport, and the school must ensure that teachers continually train for and gain coaching qualifications.
“These schools are to be applauded for their consistent efforts in making
sure our youngsters are keeping fit and healthy. They are under tremendous
pressure within the curriculum from other subjects, and often PE time is the
first to suffer. In the case of these schools, they quite rightly recognise
the value of sport, not just in terms of health and fitness education, but
how it can help pupils to achieve in other subjects. I believe that sport can
also help to combat the problems of social exclusion, youth crime and drugs."
Trevor Brooking, Chair of Sport England
© Radcliffe Riverside 2008
