Tackling Obesity in England - National Audit Office

TACKLING OBESITY IN ENGLAND4.51 To enhance physical activity in the wider school setting,the Government announced significant additionalfunding in September 2000 on a major programme ofinitiatives to improve the infrastructure for sport and toencourage participation both within and beyond schoolhours. The main application of the funding is to targetthe areas of greatest need in order to reach thosechildren who have been deprived of adequateopportunities to participate in sport. Based on acombination of indicators of deprivation, 12 SportsAction Zones have so far been established, and a further18 will be set up in 2001.4.52 The range of initiatives developed to increase theparticipation of young people in physical activityincludes:nnnnnna major programme of building and refurbishingschool sports facilities, for which £600 million willbe provided in England. These facilities will also bemade available for community use to encouragewhole families to participate in sporting activity;creation of more specialist sports colleges, in whicha positive attitude to sporting skills and achievementare embedded within the ethos of the school andhigh quality facilities are provided both for pupilsand the wider community;School Sport Co-ordinators, based in hub schools atthe centre of "families" of both secondary andprimary schools. The objectives of the Co-ordinatorsare to develop the framework of competitive sportsbetween schools, and to help develop the coachingand leadership skills of both teachers and olderpupils. The target is to establish 1,000 such Coordinatorsby 2004;the Sports Mark award and Sports Ambassadorsschemes, which use an awards system and visits toschools by sporting celebrities to spread the messageof the value of sport and provide role models toencourage wider participation;investment of around £7 million in the recruitment,training and placement of up to 55,000 SportVolunteers during 2002-04. The programme willfocus on building leadership skills in 14-19 yearolds,enabling them to act as role models foryounger pupils. It will also seek to attract adultvolunteers to encourage adults to return to physicalactivity and to promote participation across all ageranges; anda Green Spaces initiative to create spaces for playand sports in areas which lack such facilities.4.53 In addition, the National Healthy School Standard,launched jointly by the Department of Health and theDepartment for Education and Employment in October1999, provides a further incentive for schools to developa culture that places greater emphasis on physicalrecreation and sport. Physical activity is one of tenthemes of the Standard, under which schools areencouraged to:nnnndevelop a whole school approach to promotingphysical activity;offer all pupils a minimum of two hours physicalactivity a week within and outside the NationalCurriculum;learn about relevant initiatives and networks andtake advantage of appropriate opportunities topromote and develop physical activity; andencourage staff, pupils, parents, and sportsdevelopment officers to become involved inpromoting physical activity and develop their skills,abilities and understanding through appropriatetraining.4.54 Case Study 12 provides an example of how a school andits pupils can benefit from making physical activity andsporting achievement an integral component of theschool's values.4.55 To consolidate cross-Government work on thedevelopment of sport in schools, the Department forCulture, Media and Sport has recently established theSchool Sport Alliance, a joint advisory and coordinatingcommittee which will represent all the keyplayers with a role in funding and advising on schoolsports projects.Case Study 12: Raising standards through sport -Baverstock School, BirminghamBaverstock School is located in the Druid'sHeath area of Birmingham, in a housing estatewith very limited local amenities. The schoolethos places a high value on sportingachievement, and all pupils are encouraged toparticipate in the wide variety of different sportsthat the school offers. The school has prioritisedthe acquisition of good sports facilities, such asby creating a well-equipped gymnasium anddeveloping nearby wasteland into football andcricket pitches. As a result, it has become thefocus of the community, with local peoplemaking extensive use of the school's facilities atevenings and weekends. As well as being amongthe best schools in the country for many of the15 sports it plays, Baverstock School has seensporting success mirrored by a steadyimprovement in the self-confidence, conductand educational achievement of its pupils.Source: National Audit Office site visitpart four43