Excitement is building in 24 Tower Hamlets primary schools as 4,532 local pupils get ready to take on primary pupils in Birmingham’s Sandwell area later this month. The pupils have been taking part in the Fit For Sport Engage To Compete activity programme since January, and 18th to 22nd May is Competition Week.
Since January, teachers and other school staff have been working with their pupils on a range of activities to promote health and fitness. During Competition Week, the children will be timed as they complete three simple tasks – throwing and catching, running and jumping. Their results will be uploaded onto a leader board, where they can see how they’ve done and compare their performance with that of other schools in the area. The winning schools will win sports equipment – an extra incentive for the participating pupils.
“The Competition Week has given the schools, children and staff something to really aim for as they have done their weekly Activity Challenges,” said Dean Horridge, CEO and founder of Fit For Sport. “The children are ready to show us what they’re made of after weeks of getting fitter and faster.”
The Tower Hamlets schools will be competing against 5,778 children in 22 schools in Sandwell, Birmingham who have also been following the same programme. Fit For Sport – which works throughout the UK to engage and educate children through activity – is running the programme, supported by nearly £200,000 of National Lottery funding from Sport England. The Sandwell -v- Tower Hamlets competition is a pilot project: if it is successful, it will be rolled out more widely across the UK.