A HUDDERSFIELD school is continuing to build on the success of its sports partnership with other schools in the spirit of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Now Newsome School is developing the initiative further – despite the announcement in October last year by Education Secretary Michael Gove who said he planned to abolish the Government’s £162 million-a-year School Sports Partnerships.
The Newsome School Sport Partnership – one of four partnerships in Kirklees to which every school belongs – was keen to build on its success and continue in an improved format.
It approached other schools and asked them to become members of SPIN – Sporting Partnerships and Initiatives from Newsome.
The aim is to help raise awareness in young people of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The school now hosts a school games organiser and SPIN manager who will head up a team of PE teachers from high and middle schools in South Kirklees.
SPIN is already offering young people opportunities to learn about the Olympic and Paralympic Games and their values as well as working with Young Ambassadors who have a role in schools promoting London 2012.
It is also organising a wide range of school games and other competitions, leadership programmes, PE curriculum support, provision for young people with disabilities, programmes for gifted and talented students and support for staff to develop PE within the curriculum.
Newsome headteacher Paul Gittins said: “Newsome High School and Sports College will pilot new initiatives to raise standards, not only in sport, but across the school, which can then be shared among member schools.
“This is a really exciting period of change in the development of PE and sport in schools and one which Newsome High School and Sports College has embraced with enthusiasm and commitment”.
