Blog

Parkinson Lane Primary School is a large three-form entry school in Halifax, West Yorkshire. They were the first Calderdale School to become part of the Creating Active Schools programme in 2021 where staff immediately implemented the concept of active registers with pupils performing simple moves such as heel-raises or squats whilst waiting in line. This resulted in children becoming more aware of how small changes in activity can benefit them and contribute to a healthier lifestyle.

Well done to all schools who showed how they support pupil fitness and care for the climate by signing up to the Sustrans annual Big Walk and Wheel challenge.

Each month we’ll shine a spotlight on one of our Active Schools and highlight all that they do to support not only staff and pupils but also the wider community to be physically active. To kick off the series, this month’s spotlight falls on Ash Green Community Primary School. 

Calderdale’s Active Schools (CAS) programme, which sees schools implement opportunities to be active throughout the school day and beyond, launched 12 months ago with 24 Trailblazer schools including 2 secondary schools. Having now extended to all schools in the borough, Active Calderdale wants to ensure that schools are given every support they need to become as successful as the Trailblazers, and so we created Active School Champions.

Creating Active Schools in Calderdale began with staff training in 12 Phase 1 Trailblazer schools in the Summer term of 2021. With the goal of supporting pupils to be active whenever possible and utilising Physically Active Learning to improve learning, attainment, attendance and behaviour, and with input from the whole staff, each school produced a bespoke action plan, individual to each school, which was implemented during the Autumn Term of 2021.

In April 2021, Active Calderdale launched the Creating Active Schools programme, an initiative designed to help children to become fitter and healthier for life by being more active in and around the school day. Presentations were made at meetings of primary and secondary Headteachers with invitations for Expressions of Interest; the number of enquiries received far exceeded expectations and it was clear that there was an appetite for this programme to be implemented in Calderdale’s schools.