As part of our healthy school activities we have introduced two to three-minute “wake up” sessions every morning in the playground. (If it rains we do “brain gym” exercises in the hall instead.) These are aerobic exercises done to pop music and organised by a parent one morning a week and two teachers on the other mornings. Parents can join in and we even had a policeman taking part on one occasion.
We have also introduced “heartline” sessions in PE and other times during curriculum hours. These are short bursts of activity done in the playground. Pupils move from one station to another for each activity. When it is time for them to move on to another activity, the teacher blows a whistle.
Next term, we are going to institute a lunchtime “huff and puff” session.
With pound;1,000 from the Children’s Fund, we bought stilts, bats and balls and yo-yos.
Each child pays pound;1 for a key and, in exchange, they get a piece of equipment to use in the playground for their own games. They get the key back at the end of the session when they return the piece of equipment.
Catherine Stoate
Headteacher, St Cleer County Primary School, St Cleer, Liskeard, Cornwall
