Education

School Games

A free opportunity to motivate and inspire young people to try different sports, work as a team and participate with other pupils from across the county.

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Swimming Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Resources and training to support your school swimming offer.

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Creating Active Schools

Learn how the Creating Active Schools pilot is taking a whole school behaviour approach to increase physical activity in schools.

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Active Lives Children & Young People Survey

Learn about the benefits of participating in the Active Lives Children and Young People Survey and Healthy Schools Award.

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Active Lives Children & Young People Survey

Our approach to energising education

Our work within education has the same core focus as our work within communities and healthcare - we aim to support those who need it most and create sustainable initiatives.

Primary school games final 2024 - cropped

What is it?

School Games is a nationwide initiative to make a clear and meaningful difference to young people.

It's mission is putting physical activity at the heart of schools and providing more young people with the opportunity to participate in physical activity.

Events fall into one of three categories - Engage, Inspire and Compete, which give schools a blended offer of non-competitive and competitive events.

See the 2024-25 School Games calendar

2023-2024 School Games impact

Watch this video highlighting the very positive impact of the School Games events we held during the 2023-24 academic year which saw 1,637 pupils participate in various activities.

School Games FAQs

Take a look here and if you still have a question, please email Jake Jones at jake.jones@energizestw.co.uk

If you'd like to get your school involved, please email your local School Games Organiser (SGO) using the details in the table below.

School Games Area	School Games Organiser	Contact Details
East Shropshire North Shropshire Shrewsbury South Shropshire Telford & Wrekin - Telford College Telford & Wrekin - Langley	Chris Jew Louis Gray Gareth Nagy Lyndsey Dillon Frankie Williams Frankie Williams	chris.jew@trustedcsat.co.uk LGray@lakelandsacademy.org.uk nagy.g@meole.co.uk lyndsey.dillon1@oldburywells.com frankie.williams1@taw.org.uk frankie.williams1@taw.org.uk

Working together

Energize and Swim England have joined forces to bring the latest resources and training to help school staff gain the skills and knowledge required to deliver high quality school swimming sessions.

Swimming CPD FAQs

Take a look here and if you still have a question, or if you'd like to arrange a bespoke CPD session with an Institute of Swimming instructor, please email Claire Mansfield at claire.mansfield@energizestw.org.uk

Swim England Swim Charter
Schools who sign up to the School Swimming and Water Safety Charter will:
- Gain exclusive access to an extensive set of resources and advice to help improve lesson quality and impact
- Receive regular updates, tips and news to keep your lessons fun and exciting
- Receive printed and access to digital resources each year, to help reward and recognise pupil achievement.
Sign up for FREE to access the Swim England Charter.
School Swimming and Water Safety

Swim England's free interactive resource gives you an introduction to School Swimming and Water Safety with guidance on national curriculum standards and a summary of the core aquatic and safe self-rescue skills that all pupils should achieve.

Lasting an hour, this online resource is available as soon as you are booked on and it can be accessed multiple times.

To sign up, simply click here.
Online Support Teacher of School Swimming Training
Aimed at staff who will actively assist in the delivery of school swimming lessons to small groups of similar ability pupils, the Support Teacher of Schools Swimming course will cover:
- How to identify activities that will positively impact students' learning
- Health and Safety considerations of organising and delivering a school swimming programme
- How swimming and water safety can be delivered to meet school swimming outcomes
Costing £40 per person, the course involves 6 hours of online learning which can be completed at your convenience.

Book your place on the Support Teacher of School Swimming course.
Teacher of School Swimming Training
The Teacher of School Swimming Course aims to equip school teachers and support staff with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver swimming lessons in line with the national curriculum. This blended learning course covers:
- How to engage with pupils, helping them to progress
- Key stages 1 and 2 programmes of study
- Health and safety considerations of organising and delivering a school swimming programme
- How swimming and water safety can be delivered to meet school swimming outcomes
Costing £99 per person, the course involves approximately 8 hours of online learning, followed by one day of face to face poolside teaching.

Book now for Support teacher and Teacher of School Swimming:

Date: 17th March, 2025 at Shrewsbury School, SY3 7BA
Closing date for bookings: 17/3/25
Register here

Please note that anyone wanting to book a place will need to register for an account here.

If you want to be invoiced rather than pay by card, you will need to set up a company account. Please refer to this guide or to videos here.
Supporting Pupils with SEND in School Swimming
This course provides teachers with the adaptations and tools needed to improve the overall experience for pupils with SEND who attend school swimming lessons. The course covers:
- Barriers to participation for pupils with SEND
- Ways to adapt swimming lessons
- Good practice in health and safety
- Effective communication methods and resources for pupils with SEND, to help introduce the main swimming strokes and other aquatic skills.
Costing £38 per person, the course includes a 4.5 hour interactive workshop and 1.5 hours pool time.

Register here

Please note that anyone wanting to book a place will need to register for an account here. If you want to be invoiced rather than pay by card, you will need to set up a company account. Please refer to this guide or to videos here.

An active school is one which provides opportunities for pupils and staff to be active throughout the school day from arriving in the morning, during lessons and breaktimes to after school. It is also one where everyone from local authorities to school leaders and pupils play their part in creating an active culture. 

The Creating Active Schools (CAS) framework promotes a whole systems approach to school improvement and provides a structure for embedding physical activity at the heart of a school’s ethos. 

The approach was piloted across Yorkshire in 2019 and was rolled out as a national pilot during the academic year 2021-22 across 17 Active Partnerships. 

Since the local pilot in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin we continue to extend the reach of the programme to local schools and multi-academy trusts.

Fill in the form to receive a copy of the CAS framework via email.

Creating Active Schools FAQs

Find out how the Creating Active Schools programme is having a huge impact in schools across Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin.

How many schools in our county are using this?
Since December 2021, Energize supported 19 schools as part of a local pilot:
- 12 primary schools in phase 1 (2021/22)
- a further 5 primary schools and 2 secondary school in phase 2 (2022/23)
14 of the schools are located in Shropshire and 5 schools in Telford & Wrekin area.

The pilot helped schools to start embedding physical activity into their ethos and culture, by using the CAS framework to influence behaviour change.

Since then, we are working with a selected group of schools as well as Marches Multi-Academy Trust to create even more active schools.
The impact seen so far...
Of the schools involved in the Creative Active Schools pilot in Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin:
- 100% said activity levels increased
- 93% said pupil wellbeing improved
- 86% said movement is now embedded throughout school life
- 73% said pupil behaviour improved
Feedback from schools demonstrated that physical activity was a key factor in improving whole school outcomes - behaviour, wellbeing, focus and concentration in the classroom all improved. Staff mindsets changed, confidence improved and 100% of schools reported that staff would advocate for physical activity and movement.

See our one page impact flyer and read our CAS Learning report.
How do I get my school involved?

Watch our videos

See how implementing the Creating Active Schools framework is increasing activity levels and improving the lives of young people and teaching staff alike.

Click on the video opposite to watch a playlist of videos on our YouTube channel.

Run your own training session

Interested in running your own training session or creating a bespoke Creating Active Schools action plan? Check out this video and download the CAS template (use the form above) to get started.

Trying squash at This Girl Can School Games event

Active Breaks & Learning

Learn about the benefits of including more movement into a young person's day.

Why it's important
Engaging in physical activity means that pupils' blood flow to their brain increases. This increase in blood flow results in more energy and oxygen to the brain, allowing them to return to the classroom energised and ready to perform better.

Not only does promoting Active Breaktimes help children improve their physical and mental wellbeing, it also builds resilience and trust with their peer group.

Additional benefits include:
- Developing growth mindset
- Building friendships
- Improving classroom behaviour
- Returning to the classroom ready to learn
Using older children as playground leaders or mentors can prove effective in engaging reluctant children in games and activities.
During the day
Free resources
Some of these free resources which may help you engage those harder to reach children:
- Visit the Youth Sport Trust and School Games Active Recovery Hub for over 250 activity ideas. These help to boost activity before, during and after school. Resources can be filtered by age and when the activity is planned to happen.
- Find 10 minute games for active breaks on Better Health, Healthier Families.
- Find ideas for active breaktimes with BBC Supermovers. They offer a huge range of resources from KS1 and KS2 active learning videos covering English, Maths , Science and PSHE to active videos for use in classrooms at wetplay times.
- Find free short interactive classroom based activities with Go Noodle.
- Join the Imovement to access active blast videos. Perfect for using in the hall as an alternative to playground games.
- Complete My Activity Passport. Great for reluctant children who can work through a ticklist of activities.
- Find all your favourite Disney tunes and join in with Disney Dance Alongs.
- Help your children to improve their performance with The Youth Sport Trust 60 second challenges.Try a range of activities and download a challenge tracker to track your performance.
Use PE premium funding
Furthermore, there are additional resources which can be purchased using PE premium funding to help encourage Active Breaktimes:
- Find video and activity ideas with IMoves.
- Try a skipping workshop with Skip2bfit. With each child having their own skipping rope, it's a great way to keep children active.
- Find PE resources, games and themed topics with The PE Shed.
For more information, email Claire Mansfield at claire.mansfield@energizestw.org.uk

What is it?

The Active Lives Children and Young People Survey gives anyone working with children aged 5-16, key data to help understand children's attitudes and behaviours around sport and activity. Participating schools will receive a bespoke school report which compares their school data with the national average.

Click on the video opposite to watch the 1st of 3 videos about The Active Lives Children and Young People Survey.

The Survey & Healthy Schools Award

Developed with the Department for Education (DfE), the Department of Health and Social Care and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, the survey provides Sport England, government and other partners with an understanding of activity levels and behaviours, to help shape future policy and investment decisions.

How do I take part?
Schools are randomly sampled by Sport England to take part on an annual basis. Those selected will be contacted by Energize to see if they are able to participate. In addition to the school report, sampled schools will receive credits for the surveys completed to put towards sporting and wellness equipment.

Schools who wish to participate but have not been sampled, can still undertake the survey by opt-ing in. If you wish to do this, please email claire.mansfield@energizestw.org.uk.

All surveys are online and schools will be sent the relevant URL links by Energize:
- Pupil survey
- Teacher survey
- Parent survey (only for year 1 or year 2 pupils)
Surveys take about 20 minutes to complete. Sampled schools will receive links for one class from three different year groups. Opt-in schools will receive key stage specific links. There is no restriction to the number of classes that can take part; additional links can be sent out to sampled schools if they wish more classes to participate.
Tips for completing the survey
The Healthy Schools Rating Award
As part of the Active Lives Survey, teachers are required to complete an online survey. Schools are questioned on four areas:
- Food education
- School food standards
- Physical Education
- Active Travel
The responses to this survey is assessed as part of the DfE's Healthy Schools Rating Scheme (HSRS), and a rating and certificate issued to the school.

Eliminating Inactivity in Education

Pupils who have the MOST to gain from being active are often the ones who are currently the LEAST active. By encouraging just a few more minutes of physical activity each day, schools can help improve pupils’ physical and mental well-being, while also positively impacting their academic performance and engagement. This is why our focus is on ELIMINATING INACTIVITY, to create healthier, more successful learning environments for all.

Welcome to Energize

Who we are

Our values are:

Health

Education

Communities

Funding

Safeguarding Resources

Eliminating Inactivity in Education

Your Active Partnership

Meet the Education team

Claire Mansfield

Active Schools Manager

Jake Jones

Active Lives Officer

How are we working in Education?

School Games

Swimming Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Creating Active Schools

Active Lives Children & Young People Survey

Our approach to energising education

Tackle Inequalities

Embed & Sustain

Influence System Change

School Games

What is it?

2023-2024 School Games impact

School Games FAQs

What and where are the 2024-25 events?

Is there a cost?

Are the events competitive or not?

How do I get my school involved?

Swimming Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Working together

Swimming CPD FAQs

Swim England Swim Charter

School Swimming and Water Safety

Online Support Teacher of School Swimming Training

Teacher of School Swimming Training

Supporting Pupils with SEND in School Swimming

Creating Active Schools

Creating Active Schools FAQs

How many schools in our county are using this?

The impact seen so far...

How do I get my school involved?

Watch our videos

Run your own training session

Active Breaks & Learning

Why it's important

During the day

Free resources

Use PE premium funding

Active Lives Children & Young People Survey

What is it?

The Survey & Healthy Schools Award

How do I take part?

Tips for completing the survey

The Healthy Schools Rating Award

Eliminating Inactivity in Education

Get in touch with us