Over the last 18 months, Energize Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin have supported 18 schools as part of the Creating Active Schools (CAS) national pilot. The pilot has helped schools to start embedding physical activity into their ethos and culture by using the CAS framework to influence behaviour change.

 

Claire Mansfield, Active Schools Manager at Energize STW hosted a great event this week sharing the improvements and learning from the 18 schools in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin who have taken part in the CAS national pilot project. The schools are using the framework to embed physical activity into their daily teaching practice. Collectively they have been providing more active learning and opportunities to be active for over 5,700 pupils with very positive results. But in addition to pupils being more active, teaching staff have also seen improvements in pupils' behaviour, wellbeing, social skills, focus and concentration in the classroom.

 

At the event this week, two of the 18 schools shared their experiences of implementing the CAS framework and how it has benefitted everyone – the pupils, teaching staff, parents, carers, and in some cases the local community too. Members of staff at Wrockwardine Wood C of E Junior School in Telford and Wrekin area and Longlands Primary School (part of Marches Academy Trust in Shropshire) spoke about some of the initiatives they have introduced for their pupils to be more active. 

The CAS programme “has changed the culture at school for the better”. The initiatives included changing the timetable of the school day to give more active break time, a free early-morning club for pupils to attend before the school day starts at Longlands Primary School and a happy lunchtime scheme with playground zoning to provide varied age-appropriate activities at Wrockwardine Wood.

What staff have told us…

 

• Staff mindsets have changed - staff are more likely to advocate for movement and physical activity.

 

• Fewer low level behavioural incidents occurred with children showing more respect and understanding.

 

• Emotional regulation improved with children coming into class ready to learn.

 

• Concentration in class and stamina for learning improved. Regular use of active breaks helped pupils to focus better.

 

• Pupils had a greater awareness of the importance of keeping physically active and of the mental and physical benefits it brings.

 

After sharing the learnings, successes, and challenges, we collectively discussed ideas for expanding and replicating the CAS framework in more schools across Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin. This sparked inspiring conversations between the CAS pilot project schools and local authority employees about how this could be achieved by working collaboratively.

 

Click here for more information and to watch videos about CAS implementation in some of the 18 schools