We want to encourage schools to show pupils how getting involved in a range of activities helps them contribute to their school and community in a positive way. Children and young people should have the opportunity to be encouraged to play an active part in the communities in which they live and learn. Working in partnership effective pathways are developed and supported to connect schools, clubs, and communities
Clubs & Communities – Actions
If your assessment tool has highlighted this as an area for improvement, here’s some simple actions your school sport committee can add to their action plan:
Increase the number of activities offered across PE and school sport in your school that have a pathway to a sport club in your local community
Identify local community clubs and promote to whole school.
- Create a list of local clubs in the area and then work with your Active Schools Coordinator to make contact with them.
- Pupils will be aware of sporting opportunities available to them in the local area.
- Pupils will attend community sport clubs.
- Young Ambassadors should continually highlight these clubs
- Highlight through regular communication, such as newsletters, information about school sport clubs, sporting opportunities and sporting success within our school community.
- Display information of local community clubs in the school for pupils and parents.
- Create a stall at the front of the school for families to pick up flyers for community clubs
Form partnerships with local community clubs
- Invite local community clubs into school for taster sessions with pupils this will allow them to get to know the pupils better
- Encourage coaches to be involved in curriculum time activities with pupils and offer a wide range of opportunities out of school. Coaches also offer CPD opportunities for staff and volunteers
- Look to provide free taster sessions and sports programmes through school holidays.
- Display information of local community clubs in the school for pupils and parents.
- Engage with several local community clubs on a regular basis
- Feedback from local clubs on attendances
- Invite a wider variety of community clubs to our school.
- Encourage pupil voice in the types of community clubs they want to experience.
Clubs & Communities examples in action
School and community use adapted bikes
This school is an additional support needs school for children aged P1 all the way up to S6. With only 19 children in their school roll they all have different abilities and needs ranging disabilities from autism to wheelchair bound children who have small communication abilities. From working through the assessment tool the school noticed that they could improve the children’s provision through the community link aspect. Due to the severe disabilities of the children, there is very little in the community in which could enable the children to participate in activity outside of school. The school through funding were able to buy several adapted bikes and acquired a container unit within an established bike club. The adapted bikes could also be used by the community and the club provided training to keep the bikes maintained and used correctly.
Impact of strong school to club links
Over the last two years, and additional needs school have been working in partnership with a local karate club. Coaches have come into the school delivering taster karate sessions to all students with a range of disabilities with the aim of creating an extra-curricular club in school Two of their pupils were able to gain a yellow belt. This initiative has created a link with the school and the club, with several of the pupils coming along and joining the club. Not only has this initiative removed potential barriers for the pupils to participate within the sport of karate at a class that meets the individual needs of the pupils, it has given them the opportunity to meet and make friends out with their school.
Strong partnership working
Our partnership with a local boxing Club has included the club leading extra-curricular, and curricular boxing including setting up a targeted programme within the school aiming to motivate and engage some of the most disengaged pupils. We have worked with the leisure trust to engage some disengaged girls within S3 and S4. We got free passes from the gym allowing the pupils to trial gym classes and the equipment over several weeks. From this multiple of the girls have now joined the gym and go on a regular basis. The rugby programme, involving local clubs, has consisted of curricular and extra-Curricular coaching as well as leadership qualifications, with one national club coming to the school to promote participation and lead small sessions. Another local club has offer us their 3G astro turf pitch for use by the school’s football teams, allowing us to have a team for each year group, participating in local and national competitions. Without this support we could not run these teams.
