Ofsted publised a report last week “Beyond 2012 – outstanding physical education for all“. Blogs and papers were awash with comments such as
Independent – Schools taking physical out of PE, warns Ofsted
Telegraph – Teachers talk too much in PE
The report is 68 pages long!!!. When I searched I only found “talk” occurred twice (page 6 and 35 if you must know), both times as “teacher-talk”. So perhaps the newspapers are over-egging the cake (who would have thought it).
On the other had at 68 pages long, and with para 44 as an example.
44. In this school with outstanding PE, excellent improvement planning accompanied
by rigorous monitoring and evaluation ensured that all aspects of PE were
excellent.
Leadership of PE is inspirational, dedicated and informed by a high level of subject expertise. There is a strong track record in introducing new approaches and ideas. Improvement priorities are clearly set out in an annual plan of action. PE, dance and sport have a very high profile in displays, assemblies and the life of the school. Staff have benefited significantly from targeted professional development and an exceptionally well-organised approach to curriculum planning and resourcing. Subject monitoring and evaluation are rigorous and systematic, and include lesson observations, auditing the views of staff and pupils, and analysing pupils’ participation in extra-curricular activities and competitions. Improvements in provision and pupils’ many achievements are reported regularly to the governing body who take a keen interest in the subject.
I wonder just who is talking too much?
Once again I found myself wondering why so much emphasis is put on schools. After all pupils only spend about 6 hours a day there, which means 3/4 of day is not spent at school.
Even allowing for sleeping, eating, watching TV and playing computer games there’s surely a bit of time left for a bit of exercise.
As PE teachers are spending so long waffling on even 5 minutes might be an improvement.
Curiously the last time a similar story appeared (last week) I remember seeing some former sports instructor on BBC News explaining if people (that’s grown ups as well as children) spent just 5 minutes a day on some simple stretching and push-ups everyone’s fitness would improve dramatically. One of the presenters was game enough to have a go (Charlie I think). From the look of his face afterwards I reckon there was some value in these exercises.
Years ago I remember Kirk Douglas talking about his exercise on a TV interview (Parkinson no doubt). Kirk said he did 15 minutes of exercise a day (remember his classy chassis?).
The audience burst out laughing.
Kirk was good natured about it, though he pressed home the point
“But I do it every day”.
If my experience with children is anything to go by, they don’t need any encouragement to go outside and play. Especially when the snow comes, when they think nothing of spending an hour or so running around outside.
Which leads me to the question – How big is your snowball?