projects
Year 1 Coaching
Using a grant of £1,000 from the Eton Fives Association and HSBC, a year 1 coaching programme was rolled out in the borough in summer 2006. Having formed partnerships with the Westway Sports Centre and the School Sports Partnership, we approached individual primary schools to offer free coaching sessions.
The intention of year 1 was to expose 10 primary schools to 1-wall Fives and coach at least 500 pupils. Sessions were well attended in terms of pupil numbers (661 coached) and some schools followed up the free sessions by paying for coaching sessions of their own.
Qualitative feedback from teachers suggested that they liked the fact that coaches came on to the school site to deliver the session, rather than having to go to Westway. They also highlighted the fact that pupils could continue to play Fives during break time and after-school whilst still on the school site.
Westway also marked out six courts at the Sports Centre to cater for 1-wall Fives bookings giving the CFA its first official courts in the borough. Westway subsequently hosted the first 1-wall Fives UK Open Championships.
Year 2 Membership
In October, we launched a membership scheme in the borough. The School Sports Partnership encouraged all primary schools to join based on the success of year 1 coaching. We offered this to all primary schools in the borough, including those which did not participate in year 1 coaching. Almost all schools have expressed an interest in membership.
The idea of membership is to make Fives sustainable for the school. The CFA is focused on increasing pupil participation through supporting schools to
- Set up after-school clubs
- Mark out courts
- Train staff to become qualified coaches
Progress has been steady and there are 2 confirmed members, 2 waiting for headmaster's approval, 2 schools joining next term and 11 interested schools. Two schools have already marked out courts and all other future members are looking to do the same. One school without wall space is even using wooden boards to provide a space for children to play. Official participation figures are low at the moment, 18% of the year 1 total, but that accounts only for two schools where we have coached. This does not take into account for the number of pupils playing on their own during break time in year 1 schools.
All figures will increase throughout the year. Firstly, we will begin coaching to more member schools across 3 year groups (years 4,5,6) and start coaching at interested schools. If this happens in only the schools interested at the moment, that would mean we will have coached 720 pupils, an increase of 9% from year 1, and if we achieve our projected targets, we will have coached around 1,500 pupils, over double the number from year 1.
We have already doubled the number of courts in the borough and this will continue to increase. We are working with member schools to set up after-school clubs and are also running our first level 3 coaching day in December. More coaching days are to follow for staff from across the borough, so they can learn more about the sport.
Borough Measurables
| Criteria | Year 1 | Year 2 (to nov 06) |
End of Year 2 (projected) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schools | Coached |
10 | 2 | 7 |
Members |
- | 2 | 10 | |
| Pupils | 661 | 120 | 1,480* | |
| Courts | 6 | 12 | 30 | |
| Qualified coaches |
Level 1 |
0 | 0 | 19 |
Level 2 |
- | 0 | 10 | |
Level 3 |
- | 1 | 5 | |
| After-school Clubs | 0 | 0 | 10 | |
* 40 pupils in years 4, 5 and 6 in member schools; 40 pupils in one year group in coached schools
Lambeth is the next borough that the cfa will focus its attention on. Schools in the borough have already been contacted and a full programme of introductory coaching sessions for summer 2007 have been planned.
