Tom Clarke (Head of PE) won one of our Highly Commended Awards (£5,000) with an impressive PE bid for fitness suite equipment.
The project would integrate well with Parmiter’s school-wide push on personal fitness which involves many different aspects and ties in with a Sport England study they are involved in on how best to engage KS4 girls with sport. The school also works in partnership with the Thomas Partner Sports Centre – the site is used extensively at the weekends – and the grant would enable them to re-introduce the fitness suite in the available facilities.
Tom was careful to explain the specific benefits of the project to different cohorts of pupils e.g.
“The use of the fitness suite in lessons will allow the students to appreciate the importance of staying physically fit. The personal challenge that it offers them through our structured curriculum and targeted challenges will aid both their mental health as well as their ability to understand what changes the body is going through.
The disadvantaged students programme we offer (known as LEAP, CLIMB and SHINE) will also benefit from using this. Most are under financial hardship and the opportunity for the students to use a public facility like this will be unlikely. They are likely to benefit from relief of stress as well as the physical aspect. The Pupil Premium students will benefit from the use of the fitness suite during their targeted breakfast club.
I am hoping that the use of the fitness suite will also benefit the study at both GCSE and A-Level PE where students will be able to use the equipment for studies on the effects of exercise in the exercise physiology unit as well as the muscular contractions and joint actions sections of the GCSE specification.
“This project will not only be worthwhile for the students and community use which in turn will generate an income, but staff usage will prove to be invaluable. In the past staff used to use this facility as a staff perk until it became unsafe and now staff pay for a gym membership in the local gym.”
We look forward to hearing which aspects Tom has prioritised for the HC Award.
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