Fairfax school is promoting a celebration through enterprise
Why Get Set?
Fairfax School (Birmingham, West Midlands) wanted all their students to experience ‘Olympic fever’ and to be one of the schools experiencing full involvement. Get Set was a chance to:
- reinforce important life values to students;
- allow students to reflect on their skills, attributes and attitudes;
- celebrate activities, events and projects; and
- share and network with other schools.
Sports and PE were already strengths of the school, as was enterprise, with Fairfax being a Business and Enterprise College and part of Birmingham and Solihull Enterprise Learning Partnership. As student involvement was to be so central, Fairfax created an Enterprise 2012 Student Team ready for action.
The journey so far
Students have designed and created an exciting range of Olympic and Paralympic Values-inspired merchandise, including phone charms, bracelets, t-shirts, balls, badges and novelty bags, all aimed at the teenage market.
A Games book of records has been compiled with active involvement by all tutor groups. Focusing on individual countries, the pages show everything from the country’s flag to famous Olympians and even scores based on the Values.
Other key activities have been:
- an impressive ‘Values collage’ displayed in the school hall;
- vibrant and enthusiastic student blogs; and
- weekly Student Team meetings.
Some students even experienced being part of a VIP entourage, shadowing LOCOG’s Chief Executive Officer, Paul Deighton, on his West Midlands visit, and fine-tuning their journalistic skills by asking him a great set of questions.
Positive Values
Profits from sales of Values merchandise have been spent on table tennis equipment for a brand new school club promoting an Olympic and Paralympic sport.
The hall collage made a real impact on the school community. Respect, one of the Values, is being taken as a particular development focus for the school.
Fairfax has seen students finding inspiration from their investigations into Olympic and Paralympic teams and countries from around the world, and from athletes, particularly Paralympians. Student blogs continue to convey a genuine sense of excitement and commitment.
The highlights for students?
- ‘It was a brilliant moment collecting our Get Set network plaque and award.’
- ‘It really impressed me hearing about the impact that the Olympic Games is making.’
- ‘Our private interview with Paul – this was fantastic, an inspiration!’
Towards 2012
Fairfax is determined to keep the momentum going, achieving in terms of confidence, leadership and communication while keeping a sense of pride and belonging. Increasing sporting interest and participation is hugely important, particularly the challenge of achievement in new or unusual sports.
Exciting citizenship activities linked to the Games are being planned. Fairfax will work with Park View, a predominantly Muslim school and fellow Business and Enterprise College, involving students from both schools in the creation of a billboard advert.
Fairfax also looks forward to its Olympic-themed Enterprise Focus Week, feeling determined that students will experience ‘Olympic Fever’ during that week even if they haven’t before!
‘We want a buzz for the Olympics.’
