The Sports Council for Wales has promoted Ysgol Uwchradd Aberteifi in Ceredigion to top of the class for its A-grade efforts to get young people fit and active.
The school, whose 5×60 Officer Nia Jones sprinted to the Officer of the Month award for December, has been awarded School of the Month for January – an accolade handed out by the Sports Council’s 5×60 scheme, which is funded by the Welsh Assembly Government and run locally by Ceredigion County Council.
5×60 aims to get secondary school children who usually prefer to stay on the sporting sidelines more active, more often and the scheme is scoring high marks. In fact, 98% of mainstream schools in Wales have now signed up.
Almost half of the pupils at Ysgol Uwchradd Aberteifi have given 5×60 activities a shot since the scheme arrived at the school in September 2008 and with the new activities on the timetable for this year many more are set to sign up.
A whole host of activities are on offer at the school, including dodgeball, girl’s boxercise, cricket, tennis, trampolining, surfing and badminton to name just a few. Dodgeball is always a firm favourite amongst the pupils, with badminton and football coming in close behind.
But the pupils are going one step further than just participating; they are also trying their hand at leading the sessions as well. Nia Jones, 5×60 Officer, explains:
“Four sixth form boys from the school got involved with the basketball sessions that started last September and have worked really hard to drum up interest amongst the other pupils. They have since become qualified basketball coaches and coach the junior and senior teams in the Wales Basketball Championships, as well as referee and coach the school teams in fixtures against local schools; they are a credit to themselves and the rest of the school.”
Rob Evans, Head of PE at Ysgol Uwchradd Aberteifi, comments on the success of the scheme so far,
“5×60 has been a huge help in providing a variety of sporting activities that PE teachers would not have the time to cover. It has been of great benefit to the school in terms of opportunities and has helped in creating a community atmosphere amongst staff and pupils. It has been particularly pleasing and satisfying to watch the older pupils help the younger ones to learn and progress in a number of different and non-traditional sports through being part of the 5×60 volunteer team.”
Chair of the Sports Council for Wales, Philip Carling, said:
“One of the winning formulas behind 5×60 is that pupils can take part in physical activity during lunchtimes and after school. The challenge now is to open the school doors for 5×60 at weekends and in school holidays. Success stories such as at Tonypandy lay the foundations for the Sports Council for Wales’ long term objective to ensure that as many of these youngsters as possible go on to live healthy adult lives.”
Latest figures reveal that more youngsters across Wales are lacing up their trainers for a taste of 5×60 action. The programme has been championed by Olympic silver medallist David Davies, Stuart Cable and Hip Neu Sgip presenter Alex Jones.
Pupils are invited to visit www.5×60.org.uk and to put forward their school for 5×60 School of the Month.
