Bell’s Brae celebrates gold School Sport Award

Bell’s Brae Primary School is the first school in Shetland to receive a gold School Sport Award for delivering physical education and extra-curricular sport.  The National Lottery funded sportscotland School Sport Award is a national initiative that is designed to encourage schools to continuously improve PE and sport.

The Gold Award was officially presented to the School Sport Committee this afternoon by Jacqueline Lynn, Head of School and Community with sportscotland.   The School Sport Committee at the school has brought pupils, teachers and their Active Schools Coordinator together to plan and develop PE and school sport projects.  These have included taking part in extracurricular sport, allowing pupils to plan and deliver sports sessions, and a re-vamp of the Daily Mile challenge, which saw pupils collect points for their house team by doing laps of running or walking in the playground each day.

To achieve a Bronze or Silver sportscotland School Sport Award, schools self-assess their current practice. To gain Gold status, evidence from the school was gathered and submitted for assessment by an independent panel.

Head Teacher Jennifer Wadley said “Our pupils are at the forefront of decision-making and have helped to put PE and sport at the heart of the school.   We are keen to promote sport and physical activity and we’re pleased that the work and commitment of learners, staff and the wider school community has been recognised with this prestigious award.’

Stewart Harris, Chief Executive of sportscotland said: “Congratulations to all the staff and pupils at Bell’s Brae Primary School – they should be extremely proud of this fantastic achievement. Not only have they put physical education and sport at the heart of their school and local community, but they have managed to do so in a way that encourages all pupils to engage in physical activity whilst having fun at the same time. Working with our partners in local authorities and governing bodies of sport, sportscotland is creating closer links between physical education, school sport and club sport, which benefits young people by providing more and better opportunities to take part in sport.”