| (1) It can be difficult to convince | | always followed with children sitting |
| unwilling teenagers that running | | down and eating a proper breakfast |
| around a muddy field with a hockey | | together, as part of the focus on |
| stick in the middle of winter is good | | good nutrition. The canteen has |
| for them. But at Wexham School, | | recently been refurbished and now |
| Slough, staff try to do just that. “We | | serves only healthy food. |
| believe that sport, together with | | (4) Students who are less keen on |
| healthy eating, has a real impact on | | sport are gently encouraged to try |
| students’ lives and learning. It helps | | things out without any need to |
| them concentrate on their lessons,” | | commit themselves to an activity |
| says Adam Dale, the school’s director | | long-term. “It’s about building up |
| of sport. | | their self-esteem,” says Dale. “In |
| (2) Wexham School takes a | | general our sports curriculum uses a |
| consultative approach to integrating | | model where the students direct |
| sport into teaching. For instance, | | what goes on, design their own |
| teenage girls and PE do not normally | | sports activities, referee matches |
| mix because young women can be | | and then assess how things went.” |
| self-conscious and are wary of body | | (5) Jeff Richardson, head teacher, |
| image. Here, though, girls are asked | | says: “I think what happens |
| about what kind of activity they’d | | sometimes is that schools try to use |
| enjoy taking part in and what puts | | sport programmes to attack the |
| them off. In addition, when girls said | | symptoms of a problem rather than |
| they’d like to try aerobics, a specialist | | what causes it. If attendance and |
| teacher was hired to run the | | behaviour are poor and relationships |
| sessions. Asking students what they’d | | between teachers and students are |
| like to wear during sport lessons and | | dysfunctional, introducing sport and |
| designing a more flattering and | | PE isn’t going to solve anything. |
| comfortable PE kit is another example | | Building trusting relationships is key |
| of the school’s canny approach. | | to getting children to give an activity |
| [id:86597], the hope is that adopting | | a go. Students who feel on safe |
| an active lifestyle now will encourage | | ground will try things out, and it’s the |
| sports participation into adulthood. | | style and manner and spirit with |
| (3) On average, Wexham runs five | | which staff relate to students that |
| different after-school activities each | | encourage them to step outside their |
| day that pupils can participate in fully, | | comfort zones.” |
| or dip in and out of, as the mood | | |
| takes them. Pre-school activities are | | The Guardian, 2007 |
