Welcome Ulster Sports Outreach Sport for LIFE

1. Welcome Ulster Sports Outreach Sport for LIFE

2. Introductions • Dr Deirdre Brennan • Director Ulster Sports Outreach • Project Leader • Dr Gavin Breslin • Sport for LIFE • Principal Researcher

3. What is Sport for LIFE? The ‘Sport for LIFE’is a 12 week physical activity & health programmedesigned to give primary 5 children from areas of greatest disadvantage in Northern Ireland the opportunity to increase knowledge and understanding of the benefits of regular participation in sport and physical activity.

4. What is Sport for LIFE? • The project also aims to develop • undergraduate students’ and professional • teachers’ knowledge and experience in • delivering physical activity sessions to • primary aged pupils.

5. Goals of Sport for LIFE? 1. Increase knowledge and awareness of the benefits of participation in sport, physical activity and healthy eating in schoolchildren aged 8-9 years from the most socio-economically disadvantaged areas of Northern Ireland. 2. Develop knowledge and expertise of undergraduate sports students who are aspiring physical education teachers, primary school teachers , sports coaches and development officers.

6. Goals of Sport for LIFE? 3. Transfer university expertise and knowledge in sport and physical activity to primary school teachers through the delivery of this programme and the development of educational resources and interactive website.

7. The 12 week programme Wk 1 :What is Sport for Life Wk 2: Heart Health 1: Healthy Hearts Wk 3: Heart Health 2: Don’t break my heart Wk 4: Mr & Ms Muscles: Upper Body Wk 5: Mr & Ms Muscles: Lower Body Wk 6: Physical Activities for Outdoor Wk 7 : Physical Activity for Indoor Wk 8: Eatwell : Eat Smart Wk 9: Eat and Drink for Energy Wk 10: Energy in = Energy Out Wk 11: Feel Good Wk 12: Team Challenge Sport for LIFE Festival

8. Sport for LIFE Resources • www.sportforlifeni.com • Teacher Resource

9. Sport for LIFE Resources • 3. Sports Equipment • Partnership T-Shirts

10. Three Tier Delivery Method Transfer of Knowledge

11. Roles & Responsibilities of Each Partner

12. University Responsibilities • Design educational resources and materials to support the programme • Identify and recruit schools in the most socially and economically • deprived areas of NI • Recruit sport science/studies student volunteers • Facilitate expert training in the delivery of Sport for LIFE • Recruit celebrity ambassadors for the programme • Research and evaluate the impact of the programme

13. School Responsibilities Heads of Agreement • The school is required to sign the project Heads of Agreement which details the responsibilities of the school, the student volunteer and the University Sports Outreach Unit. • The student volunteer will meet with the school 2 weeksprior to programme commencement to talk through ongoing delivery procedures

14. Student Responsibilities Preliminary Meeting with P5 Teacher • Introductory DVD • Review of Teaching Resource folder showing • week by week session plans and teachers notes • Decide / Agree session delivery procedures • Decide / Agree session review procedures

15. Quality Programme Delivery • The programme will only be as good as • those that deliver it • Large onus on the partnership between the • primary 5 teacher and the student volunteerto • breathe life into Sport for LIFE! • We expect our students to be enthusiastic, • motivated, passionate, hard working. • Adherence to roles and responsibilities to • ensure quality delivery

16. University Benefits • Widen access to the University of Ulster to children from areas of social and • economic disadvantage • Contributes to the economic and social well-being of its local community • Ensure students have the appropriate guidance and support to reach their • highest levels of achievement • Maintain a comprehensive and targeted programme of outreach in order to • increase opportunities and raise aspirations of young people for Higher • Education • Highlight the social, physical and psychological benefits of participating in • sport and physical activity

17. Primary School Benefits • 12 week educational resource including teaching cards, a supporting DVD • and a bag of sports equipment. • Access to the Sport for LIFE website with additional resources for classroom based • work on physical activity and health • An opportunity to work in partnership with a student volunteer who is trained to • deliver the 12 week PA & health programme • Schools will receive the results of the monitoring and evaluation of the ‘Sport for • LIFE’ project • Gain an opportunity to contribute to promoting PA and health to all class pupils • Receive an invitation to participate in Sport for LIFE festivals with other participating • schools hosted on a UU campus • All pupils and teachers receive a Sport for LIFE t-shirt

18. Student Volunteer Benefits • Receive training from experts in the University on the delivery of Sport for LIFE • Gain valuable K&E working with children in an education setting • Have an opportunity to work alongside a professional teacher • Gain a clear insight into education in the primary sector • Gain K & E that will aid them in a teaching/coaching career • Exposure to a team of multi disciplinary researchers and the research • project gaining valuable experience in evaluating a PA programme • Have an opportunity to contribute to promoting PA to 3000 children in NI

19. Research and Evaluation

20. Research Training/Team

21. Research and Evaluation Year 1 • Pre and post Intervention Survey for • 1. Pupils • Overall Knowledge base • Self esteem • Activity levels • Nutrition • Additional sub sample measure of physical activity levels and their intensity, 7 days pre and post intervention (with accelerometers). • 2. Teachers • Knowledge & attitude towards PA, & health promotion in the school • context • Expectations of the project • 3. Students • Motivations, knowledge & experience • Expectations of the project

22. Year 1 Findings – Pupil Results • Self Esteem • Findings pre and post intervention indicate that (at post intervention) all • sub domains of self-esteem were higher in those children who achieved • the physical activity guidelines than those who did not. • In particular children’s scores in athletic competence and global self-worth • were the highest. • Physical Activity • The findings on pupil physical activity levels pre and post intervention indicate • that the 12-week school-based intervention resulted in significant increases in • light, moderate and vigorous physical activity measured using an accelerometer, • compared to a group who did not receive the intervention. • Furthermore boys were more active than girls, with 37% and 28% respectively • achieving the recommended physical activity guidelines post intervention.

23. Pupil Results Cont’d • Nutrition • Within the research sample 30.8% of boys and 31.7% of girls were • classified as overweight/obese with some 28.3% of boys and 35.1% of girls • exceeding the recommended weight-to-height ratio of 0.5 at baseline. • A greater percentage of girls than boys were achieving ‘healthy food • behaviour’ targets (61.0% vs. 38.5% respectively) at baseline.

24. Year 1 Findings – Teacher Results • (7/8) Year 5 class teachers and all head teachers reported engagement • in the programme provided very good to excellent practical experience • in the delivery of PA • The majority of teachers (6/8) & head teachers (7/8) reported the quality • of the partnership delivery between the teacher & student as excellent • or very good • All teachers and head teachers reported that an outcome of the SFL • project was that hey were able to collate ‘new ideas’ • All teachers and head teachers reported that the SFL programme • complemented their PDMU and PE curricula • (5/8) Teachers reported preferring outside support to aid them in their delivery

25. Year 1 Findings – Student Results • Students strongly agreed that their involvement in the programme enhanced • their personal (3.7) and professional (3.7) development. • Students stated an increase in confidence (3.7) and subject knowledge (3.7) • delivering PA and health sessions to children aged 8-9 in a school setting • Students (3.3) agreed their educational aspirations had been raised • Students (3.4) agreed that they had strong communication skills as a result of • delivering the programme • Students (3.3) agreed pre intervention and strongly agreed (3.8) post • intervention that the teaching resource provided to support the PA sessions was • very useful

26. Success to Date • WHO – World Health Organisation • Selected as a best practice case study • Olympic 2012 ‘Inspire Mark Award’ • AfPE • Endorsement from the Association for Physical Education

27. Success to Date • Volunteer NOW (200 Hour Award) • 40 students successful

28. Future Programme Development • Year 2 Research • Teacher Survey • Head Teacher Survey • Student Volunteer Survey • Year 3 Sustainability • Train pre service primary school teachers in NI • University of Ulster Coleraine, Stranmillis & St Mary’s • Teacher Training Colleges

29. Questions ?

30. Contact Details Deirdre Brennan Director Ulster Sports Outreach Email: da.brennan@ulster.ac.uk Tel: 02890 366668 Gavin Breslin Sport for LIFE Lead Researcher Email: g.breslin1@ulster.ac.uk Tel:02890368478