Christ's Hospital
Activity for Life
Activity for Life Programme
When looking at a school sports programme, it’s important to look beyond the number of teams that compete on a Saturday and/or the list of alumni who have gained national honours.
Instead ask the question, ‘What is the purpose of sport in schools?’
We believe physical activity is vital to a person’s wellbeing. To be physically active depends on feeling confident in an activity setting. Therefore, it’s important to invest in the understanding of body function and movement.
Our Activity for Life programme aims to provide an enjoyable, satisfying and balanced programme, empowering every pupil with the knowledge and skills needed to make responsible lifestyle choices that positively impact on their health and wellbeing. Our aim is to give pupils the best opportunities in life by allowing them to develop areas of interest and/or excellence that will stay with them beyond school, thus helping them to engage in lifelong physical activity.
Our Activity for Life programme is based on three key principles:
- developing the CH (SPORT) values;
- developing an understanding of how to participate and the subsequent benefits of participation; and
- developing an understanding of how to compete and enhance performance.
All pupils have an equal opportunity to experience physical activity that emphasises participation, practice, engagement and enjoyment. Our Year 7 pupils follow a programme that emphasises values and multi-sport development. In Year 8 pupils we build in learning to compete and in Year 9 we have enhanced skill development with increased competition.
Pupils experience a carousel of sporting activities in Years 7 and 8, leading to a programme of choice in Year 9 and the introduction of “lifestyle”’ activities. Alongside this, pupils have one session a week delivered by physical education and sports specialists in the build-up to their participation/performance session on a Saturday.
As pupils progress towards the senior years, the programme develops into a three-strand approach:
- Lifestyle activities: Cardio-vascular based activities (using our fabulous on-site facilities at Bluecoats Sports) including programmes such as Couch-to-5k.
- Recreational Sport: Pupils can opt for new sports or continue with their favourite established sport with a more activity-based approach, such as mixed hockey.
- Aspirational Sport: The high-quality coaching programme at CH allows those aspirational pupils to progress to represent the School, as well as compete at county, academy or even national level.
During these senior years, as pupils evolve within the Activity for Life programme they decide which of the three strands they will gravitate towards. Pupils can have a hybrid programme i.e. recreational in one sport and aspirational in another. The dedicated and enthusiastic staff at CH work hard to ensure all sessions are pupil- centred, with the pupils being engaged cognitively and emotionally as well as physically. Our programme really is Activity for Life.
“Christ’s Hospital has fantastic sports facilities, sports teachers and coaches plus you have the opportunity to spend time doing more of the sport you most enjoy …” CH Year 10 pupil
