The Active Primary Schools Conference took place on 25^th November 2022 and was the biggest conference to date.

And no, we’re not just talking about the screen (see the photos below).

Over 90 primary school PE teachers, senior leaders, business managers and governors booked to join us at Millennium Point, all on a mission to boost their PE, school sport and physical activity offering.

The conference was a full day of:

• keynotes from industry experts;
• practical and theory-based workshops;
• and a marketplace full of innovative resources and services

…all with one core goal: To help primary schools engage more children in positive physical activity experiences, enabling those children to lead healthier and happier lives.

Valuable ideas, evidence, case studies, stories, insights, and good practice all were shared, providing schools with action plans they could embed right away.

Keep reading for a round-up of the day’s highlights:

Keynotes

The critical ingredient: ensuring physi...

We’re delighted to be headline sponsors of The Active Primary Schools Conference 2022 alongside The PE Hub!

Supporting primary schools to increase the quality of their PE, sport and physical activity is at the heart of the conference.

Which is why we’re a sponsor.

Because it’s at the heart of what we do too.

A bit about us

The first ten years of a child’s life provides a critical window for creating a lifelong commitment to physical activity.

And so, if physical inactivity is to be a thing of the past, high-quality PE, school sport and physical activity delivered by teachers who have heaps of confidence, in-depth knowledge and a clear understanding of those areas is essential.

That’s where Aspire:ED comes in. Launched by Aspire Training Solutions, Aspire:ED is a hub of courses and resources you can access wherever, whenever and however you choose; it’s on-demand CPD to master the delivery of primary PE.

The platform offers you a powerful new way to learn and develop your teachi...

We’re proud to be supporting The Wilson Stuart School Fund, our charity partner for this year’s conference.

The Wilson Stuart School Fund raises money to support Wilson Stuart School, a special school for students aged 2-19 years.

The school caters for students from early years all the way through to post-16 with complex physical disabilities and medical needs.

The Wilson Stuart School Fund is raising money to purchase an Acheeva learning station.

The Acheeva uses Symmetrisleep positioning elements to provide support in supine, prone or side lying, allowing students who cannot sit in their wheelchairs all day to join in all classroom activities.

As our charity partner, all profits from the conference will go to The Wilson Stuart School Fund, helping the school support all students to enjoy school and achieve their full potential.

What is The Active Primary Schools Conference?

The conference is a full day event for primary schools to gain knowledge, confidence and a bank of actio...

Gain practical ideas to deliver effective Outdoor Adventurous Activities (OAA) lessons whilst making the most use of your own site.

Founder of Open Minds, teacher, consultant, Physical & Adventure Education, PSHE and behavioural expert Michael Chamberlain is joining us at this year’s conference to deliver a practical workshop you won’t want to miss.

 Who is Michael Chamberlain?

Michael has over 25 years of educational experience in and out of the classroom environment. Over the years, Michael has gained vast experience delivering dynamic activities to people of all ages and abilities, and providing schools with solutions which ensure that teaching and learning are fully inclusive, with children receiving an enriching experience throughout their school life.

What will you gain from the workshop?

For class teachers, PE co-ordinators, PSHE co-ordinators, Learning Mentors, Key Stage Leaders, this workshop will provide a full session of practical activities that promote co-operation, s...

How can you effectively evidence the use of your school’s PE and sport premium?

Jim Morris, National Development Manager at the Youth Sport Trust, will be discussing this and more in his workshop at The Active Primary Schools Conference.

Who is Jim Morris?

As National Development Manager at the Youth Sport Trust, Jim has responsibilities for strategic relationships across national contracts delivered on a local level through School Games and Barclays FA Girls Partnerships by England Football.

Jim continues to work locally across the West Midlands in education networks to support schools to develop the use of PE and School Sport to ensure high quality and the development of young people’s health and wellbeing. 

What key points will be covered in the workshop?

You will be supported to:

• Effectively evidence the PE Premium fund within your school, focusing on young people who need it most, ensuring the right activity for the right young person
• Deploy strategies to maximise senior
...

Get ready for your school’s Ofsted PE deep dive with Greg Dryer.

Greg is a national PE consultant and founding director of the Centre for PE, Sport and Activity at Kingston University. He’s also a qualified teacher, former senior tutor at Youth Sport Trust, and business owner. Greg is founder of miMove, a ground-breaking app that helps teachers, parents and coaches support young people’s physical activity journeys.

Greg joins us at this year’s conference to provide practical advice and guidance on:

• How to prepare for a PE deep dive
• What to do during a PE deep dive

Where can you get a ticket?

Head over here to find out more about this year’s conference on 25^th November in Birmingham.

See the full agenda and get your ticket here.

Aspire:ED members get exclusive discounts!

Find out more about our membership. 

Effective assessment supports pupils to succeed.

It can enhance both teachers’ teaching and children’s learning.

Take part in Jon Davies practical workshop at this year’s conference to see and experience effective assessment in action.

Jon Davies is Operations Manager at Aspire Active Education Group. With eleven and a half years’ experience in the education sector, Jon is an expert in the primary PE curriculum.

During Jon’s workshop, you will:

• Explore effective and simple assessment procedures that can be replicated across the curriculum
• Discuss the importance of assessment in PE
• Take part in a practical session that can be implemented in your school setting

To learn the theory behind this practical session, join Education Consultant Crichton Casbon in his workshop ‘Assessment in PE’. This linked workshop will take you through a process to support your understanding of the 3 stages of assessment and its central role in teachers’ planning and children’s learning.

Where can...

We’re delighted to announce our third and final keynote speaker at this year’s conference is Will Roberts, Chief Operating Officer of Youth Sport Trust. 

Having experience in the fitness industry and as a sports coach in his home city of Stoke-on-Trent, Will moved into an NGB before joining the Youth Sport Trust team. Now Chief Operating Officer, Will continues to be actively involved in sport in his local community in North Staffordshire as a volunteer coach and club leader.

Will joins us on 25^th November to share his expertise in a keynote speech titled:

The critical ingredient: ensuring physical literacy for young people in challenging times

Where can you get a ticket?

Head over here to find out more about this year’s conference in Birmingham.

Aspire:ED members get exclusive discounts!

Find out more about our membership.

What’s your school’s view of break time?

If your first thought is “hard work”, you’re not alone.

Break time is seen as needing to be short and tightly managed by many schools as a result of poor behaviour and the pressure to cover an ever-expanding curriculum and raise attainment.

The purpose of break time can be unclear; there’s a lack of clarity around how it can support school aims and children’s development.

A lot of schools lack the resources to run activities at break, and even if the equipment is there, the lack of training for staff means supervising is done at a distance.

The absence of things to do means children can get bored and they’re left without an effective outlet for their bounds of energy. The result? Behaviour issues, fall-outs, incidents and injuries. 

And so, lunch breaks are being made shorter and afternoon breaks seem to be disappearing.

But quality break times can be key to the physical, social, cognitive, personal and emotional development of children.

As a dance specialist with 20 years of experience working in primary schools and within the community, Steph understands the time pressures that come with planning, researching and resourcing an engaging creative curriculum for your pupils.

Add in a lack of confidence or experience in a subject, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.

Steph’s workshop is a chance to change that. It’s a chance to gain the knowledge and skills to deliver dance with confidence at your school.

Steph is a dance specialist, a qualified children’s fitness instructor, and is currently joint PE coordinator at Delves Junior School in Walsall. Steph also works for Inspire Activity, a company delivering Community Games events throughout the Midlands, inspiring children and families to become more physically active.

Join Steph at this year’s conference to gain ideas and structures to apply to different year groups, covering a range of topics and dance genres.

Get your ticket here. 

Key details

Date: Friday ...