What is Active Schools?

National Strategy & Context

In February 2003, Active Schools was identified as a key element of the Scottish Executive’s drive to get more Scots more active – a commitment outlined in the National Physical Activity Strategy. The Scottish Executive has since been developing a range of partnerships and establishing actions needed to take this work forward under the banner of the Healthy Living Campaign.

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.

Glasgow Active Schools

Glasgow Active Schools is a partnership driven initiative between sportscotland, Culture and Sport Glasgow’s Education Department and Cultural Leisure Services Department and NHS Greater Glasgow. This partnership will endeavor to ensure that in Glasgow the Active Schools Team will comprise of:

• 29 Active School Secondary Coordinators
• 29 Active School Primary Coordinators
• 2 Active School Special Educational Need Coordinators
• Active Schools Management Team

The Glasgow Active Schools Team will be responsible for putting in place and driving forward a range of planned activities in both school and community settings. The network will be developed in a way that is consistent with the general ethos of Health Promoting Schools with the following specific objectives:

• To increase physical activity levels among school-aged children in general with a focus on girls and young women, young people from ethnic minority backgrounds, young people with physical and learning disabilities, and young people in areas of socio-economic disadvantage
• To improve motivation and attitude of children and young people to help increase achievements in all aspects of school and community life
• To increase levels of sports participation in both formal and informal community settings
• To increase numbers of young people acting as sports leaders, coaches and volunteers in both school and community settingsActive

Schools Secondary Programme

• To enhance the range and quality of extended curricular sporting provision for young people between 12 – 18 years within both the school and community environment, e.g. NOF Out of School Hours Learning Programme, local authority Club Development Programmes.
• Provide every secondary school with an Active Schools Co-ordinator (Secondary) and associated programme of activity to ensure that regular participation levels are increased in line with the targets outlined in Sport 21.

Active Schools Primary Programme

• An inclusive concept based on the primary school cluster model, it has the simple but essential aim of getting primary-aged children more active, more often, in a fun and safe environment, i.e. not solely focused on sport, e.g. TOP Programmes, Safe and Active Routes to School, Class Moves.
• Contribute towards the achievement of the national Sport 21 target set of providing primary children with the opportunity to engage in at least one hour of moderate intensity activity (accumulated) on most days of the week.
• Provide an Active Schools Co-ordinator (Primary) within the cluster model to co-ordinate Active Schools activities and programmes.

Active Schools SEN Programme

• To find out more about Active Schools then please log onto – sportscotland / Scottish Executive.