Isle of Wight children's fitness rebounds after lockdowns

THE dedication of schools across the island to helping their students emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic in better physical, mental and health condition has been recognized with the prestigious School Games Mark award.

Three periods of confinement for young people, which began in March 2020, have had a drastic effect on their physical fitness, the government and the country’s chief medical officer have said.

The prize, suspended throughout the pandemic, has since been reintroduced and, thanks to the support of the School Games Mark (SGM) initiative and the organizers, such as Tony Harris and Andy Day, who make it work, the problem is now properly resolved. addressed.

Prior to Covid, the island had achieved great success, with the number of schools applying for and obtaining the government-run SGM, many at gold level and two of them platinum, namely Greenmount, in Ryde, and Queensgate, East Cowes.

Over the past school year, the trend has continued with many more schools applying for and achieving platinum and gold level status.

The SGM was launched ten years ago to reward schools committed to the development of PE, school sport and physical activity, and having links with the community.

The SGM, awarded at gold, silver and bronze level – with the recently introduced platinum for schools that consistently maintain the highest standards – which allows schools to assess their physical education provision and helps them develop a plan for improvement. action to progress.

To achieve platinum, eligible schools must have achieved five successive gold medals and are asked to submit a detailed case study, along with a supporting paragraph from their School Games organizer, to achieve elite status.

This year the platinum awards went to nine schools, with Greenmount and Queensgate winning for a second time.

The other winners are Nettlestone, Newchurch, Niton, The Bay Primary, Gurnard, Barton and Carisbrooke Primary Schools.

Some 16 schools also took gold, with many looking to bid for platinum next year, with one taking silver and six bronze.

“It’s very important to be physically active – especially after lockdowns when activity levels have dropped,” Tony said.

“Schools are at the forefront of helping children meet the Chief Medical Officer’s goal of being physically active for 60 minutes every day.”

The School Games initiative has been operational since 2011 and aims to provide children with the opportunity to participate in sports and physical activities, by organizing competitions and festivals through a range of sports and play skills festivals.

This year, 500 children took part in the IW Peach Games, while 140 from 14 primary schools crossed the Solent to attend the Hampshire Multi-Skills Festival in Winchester.

Tony and Andy organize events throughout the year, in all KS2 age groups.

These range from traditional sports, like basketball, to Invictus sports, like new age boccia and kurling, for example.

Alongside this are teacher development programs and a sports leadership program, to help develop the coaches and teachers of tomorrow.