Active Schools is a term given to all schools in Scotland that provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to get active to the extent that it makes a positive contribution to their health.
The fundamental aim of Active Schools is to give school-aged children the tools, motivation and opportunities to be more active throughout their school years and into adulthood. These opportunities are available before, during and after school, as well as in the wider community.
Instrumental to delivering Active Schools is the development of a staffing network of 630 Co-ordinators in both primary and secondary schools and 32 Managers of the programme. These staff are responsible for putting in place and driving forward a range of planned activities in both school and community settings. sportscotland is playing a lead role in developing, supporting and monitoring this network, working in close partnership with Scotland’s 32 local authorities.
Junior Clubs and Active Schools
Building links with your local schools is an excellent way of developing junior club activities. Some schools are establishing their own school-based sports clubs and activities; others are looking to make better use of community facilities and clubs.
Community clubs interested in developing such collaboration should make contact with their their local Active Schools Coordinator; the easiest way is to simply contact the school directly and find out who their local Active Schools Coordinator is.
When doing so there are some things that you should bear in mind:
- Active Schools activities are designed to be demand led in-line with the needs and wishes of the pupils. Active Schools activities can therefore cover a very wide range of types of sport and physical activity.
- Active Schools Coordinators do not actually deliver activity; they are responsible for the recruitment of volunteers, coaches etc... who they rely on to lead sessions.
- Whilst the majority of Coordinators "coordinate" their activities around what is being delivered during curricular PE, Active Schools does not deliver the curriculum
- Coordinators often have a 12 or 18 month planning cycle
- The vast majority (if not all) of local authorities will require a disclosure check and may have other child protection requirements.
