ASA PLAYS INTEGRAL ROLE IN SCHOOL SPORTS REPORT
The Amateur Swimming Association has welcomed a Government
report that highlights swimming as a key contributory factor
to a significant rise in the numbers of children undertaking
at least two hours PE and school sport each week.
Figures unveiled in a Department for Education and Skills
2005/06 School Sport Survey have exceeded targets to revitalise
sport in schools while tackling obesity and is a testament
to the work partners such as the ASA are doing in order to
improve the health and well-being of children.
The survey of more than 16,800 schools in School Sport Partnerships
revealed that 80% of pupils now take part in at least two
hours of high quality PE and sport a week and this goes some
way beyond the 75% target set for 2006. The results represent
an increase of 29% since the first survey two years ago.
Swimming has been instrumental in helping the Government
to exceed its targets as part of its national school sport
strategy.
An increase on last year, 84% of partnership schools offer
swimming while 37% of the schools are linked to a local swimming
club. This constitutes an improvement on previous figures
and highlights the good work undertaken by the ASA in conjunction
with School Sports Partnerships.
The Director of English Programmes for the ASA, Anne Adams-King,
welcomed the news and looks forward to working towards further
improvements with School Sports Partnerships in the future.
"Swimming is a very important part of School Sport Partnerships
and is in fact the only sport to stand alone as an element
of the programme in it's own right," said Adams-King.
"The ASA is very much involved in the good work that
is being done by contributing to the targets that have been
set to ensure our children get active in school."
School Sport Partnerships have proved key to boosting PE
and sport in school. Every school in England is now part of
a School Sport Partnership and are supported by 400 sports
colleges to provide a platform for future sporting excellence
in our schools.
One of the most important elements of the partnerships has
been the formation of stronger links between schools and local
sports clubs. This is an area where the ASA has paid particular
attention.
"What we've tried to do is to provide club links between
schools and ASA accredited Swim 21 clubs," explained
Adams-King. "We've been building our national Swim 21
club accreditation network and this is doubly important as
it helps us to deliver towards the Government agenda relating
to after school sport as well as ensuring best practice in
swimming clubs.
"It's very important for swimming to help to provide
opportunities in school as well as a pathway to clubs outside
of school hours and that has been a particular focus of the
ASA.
"The ASA is very happy with the report's findings and
to be a part of something that improves the health and education
of our children."
Swimming also featured favourably in Ofsted's latest report
on the national strategy. It confirmed that School Sport Partnerships
are improving the quality of provision in PE and school sport,
and found that pupils were at or above the nationally expected
standard in swimming at the end of Year 6.
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