Returning to school after lockdown

Returning to school after lockdown

The pandemic has changed schooling, with many parents across the world, becoming the teacher.  I think it is fair to say we all welcome children’s return to school starting here in England on 8th March 2021.  There are many reasons children need to return to the classroom, social, physical and emotional, and learning the curriculum.

Schools are being given greater flexibility on how they deliver the curriculum to ensure children settle back in as quickly as possible.  With this in mind, PE cannot be understated in helping children transition back into school life.

Health and wellbeing

Throughout the pandemic, there has been a huge focus on our health and wellbeing, with many people taking to home exercise, daily walks, meditation and even baking to cope with the lockdown. We know schools are being made responsible for an ever-increasing range of children’s development, and wellbeing is the latest.  The good news is you can help your children with their health and wellbeing through a curriculum you are already teaching, PE!

Why PE when pupils return?

Parents and teachers alike may rightly be concerned about how much academic learning children have missed and want to rush to ‘catch up’.  However, assimilating children back into school should be done holistically, which you can facilitate through PE.  Physical education is not sport.  The nature of physical education is to develop the child as a whole.  A high-quality physical education programme helps children feel safe and secure, increases their confidence, boosts self-esteem and supports their physical and emotional wellbeing – all things that should be at the forefront as pupils return.

The difference between PE, Sport and Physical activity

Each of these three areas will be important to children upon their return to school.  PE is the backbone of activity through its place within the school’s curriculum; children learn to become more physically competent.  In PE children participate in a broad range of activities and, through this, learn many skills.  Each activity will bring its own set of movement challenges that bring about learning.

School sport takes place beyond the curriculum.  School sport is structured and usually competitive, it can take place within teams, groups of pupils in the same school or against other schools.  Children learn many essential skills through school sport but do not have a set curriculum to follow.

Physical activity covers all activity within a school that takes physical exertion; this could be activities such as the daily mile, structured playtime or activity afternoons/sessions.  There is no curriculum for physical activity, but it is ideal for children to safely and constructively participate in additional physical activity.

Fitness and physical literacy

Not all children will have had equal access to physical activity during the lockdown.  You may notice a dramatic decrease in children’s fitness levels, and you should consider this when starting back on an active curriculum.  Allow time for breaks where needed and access to water.

As important as fitness is, it can be easily regained in children.  What cannot be so quickly recovered is the lost months of children’s physical literacy development.  The younger the child, the more significant the impact of physical activity on their physical development.  Many children may have regressed, struggling to sit at desks for long periods or undertaking basic tasks such as jump, hopping, throwing and catching.

“Physical literacy is the motivation, confidence, physical competence, knowledge, and understanding to value and take responsibility for engagement in physical activities for life.”

 – The International Physical Literacy Association, May 2014

Active Partnerships, along with a host of agencies in the sector, produced the Physical Literacy Framework.  The framework supports schools to structure their PE, school sport and physical activity to ensure the maximum opportunity is provided to all pupils to develop their physical literacy.

Movement breaks

We have developed a resource for our schools called movement breaks.  These are simple ways to bring short bursts of activity while in the classroom.  These movement breaks can be used to keep children focused during longer periods at their desks.  They are also simple ways to energise your group, change the mood of the class and relax!

Try one of our movement breaks now!

We wish you all a peaceful return to whole-class teaching.  Please share what you’re getting up to in PE and physical activity on social media @thepehub on twitter, facebook and Instagram!  Alternatively, email us on info@thepehub.co.uk we would love to hear from you.

 

 

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