Active Schools aims to offer all children and young people the opportunities and motivation to adopt active, healthy lifestyles, now and into adulthood.
What is Active Schools?
The Active Schools programme in East Renfrewshire is a joint initiative between East Renfrewshire Council and sportscotland; it is part of the Scottish Government’s Healthier Scotland campaign. Active Schools aims to offer all children and young people the opportunities and motivation to adopt active, healthy lifestyles, now and into adulthood. Active Schools also plays a very important role in Curriculum for Excellence.
How does it work?
In East Renfrewshire, a team of coordinators are working across all our primary and secondary schools, providing fun opportunities for sport and physical activity. It is their aim to make “more children, more active, more often”. In addition to encouraging participation in sports and exercise, Active Schools promotes increased levels of daily physical activity through walking, cycling and play. As well as providing new activities, Active Schools work in partnership with local clubs to promote opportunities in the local community.
“Children should accumulate (build up) at least 1 hour of physical activity on most days of the week” (quote from Physical Activity Task Force, 2003).
Who do I contact?
Active School Coordinators work within a cluster group. A cluster group is a small group of schools consisting of a secondary school and all the associated primary schools and nurseries.
To find out what is on the Mearns Castle cluster please contact:
Brandon Wamberg
Active Schools Coordinator
Mearns Castle Cluster
07971676304
What’s on offer
What’s available through Active Schools
Active Schools support a range of activities including:
Out of School Hours Clubs
A wide range of sports and physical activities are available at breakfast, lunchtime and after school. The emphasis is on those who may not regularly participate in physical activity e.g. girls, ethnic minorities, special needs and obese or overweight children.
Active Travel Initiatives
Encouraging children to walk or cycle to school through the Travelling Green programme and Scottish Cycle training scheme
Playzone (Active Playgrounds)
Playground supervisors & Primary 6 or 7 pupils are trained to deliver traditional games like hopscotch, tig & skipping during break and lunchtimes
Sports Festivals
Each year, every Primary 5 pupil across East Renfrewshire has the opportunity to take part in an inter cluster sports event. Sports include Football, Hockey, Basketball, Netball, Athletics, Rugby and Tennis. Festivals and tournaments are also organised on a cluster basis for a variety of age groups throughout the school term. Primary 7 Transition to High School
Volunteer Recruitment & Development
Active Schools provides training and support for volunteers such as parents, teachers, students and senior pupils (S5/6). Volunteers are actively encouraged to work towards gaining formal qualifications such as National Governing body sports coaching certificates.
Get Involved
If you are interested in helping to get young people in Scotland more active, more often, the Active Schools team would love to hear from you!
Volunteering
The success of Active Schools relies heavily on the support of volunteers to help sustain the wide range of programmes. At present there are many teachers, parents and community volunteers who support current physical activity clubs.
How To Get Involved
If you are interested in helping to get young people in Scotland more active, more often, the Active Schools team would love to hear from you! There are opportunities to volunteer in any of the following capacities:
- Leaders and coaches
- Assistant leaders and coaches
- Helpers of all kinds – from kit-washers to bus drivers!
In addition to helping increase physical activity levels within your local school, volunteering through Active Schools could also help you:
- Gain experience in a sports environment
- Develop new skills and attributes
- Enhance your employability
If you are interested in volunteering, simply contact Barry or Ross!