Joining a country-wide team
Why Get Set?
Kingfisher Pupil Referral Unit (South East, West Berkshire) felt excited about London 2012 as it would be bringing the Olympic and Paralympic Values within reach of its own community. Students could be given first hand experience of great sport and the determination that goes with it.
Joining the Get Set Network would give opportunities for accessing more resources and activities based on the Values, and make both students and staff feel part of a wider team across the country, all working towards the same goals.
The Journey So Far
Kingfisher has used PSHE as a great starting point with opportunities for building on Values already embedded in the curriculum and making links to SEAL targets. Get Set resources have been successfully used for activities based on hosting a Paralympic team. Spain and football were both particularly popular choices!
Links have been made to exploring different cultures and eating national dishes like paella. Students have also been busy researching the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Further cross curricular opportunities are planned with Get Set resources and videos to be used as starting points. Students will be:
- Writing letters to sporting heroes and considering how we can all be a hero
- Discussing the Olympic and Paralympic Values in philosophy
- Trying out different Olympic sports
- Coaching one another in PE sessions.
Positive Values
Kingfisher feels that its work with Get Set has been helping with community cohesion and enabling its students to think of others as well as themselves especially when using the Paralympic Games as a focus.
The Olympic and Paralympic Values have been displayed prominently around school so they can be referred to and linked in with different subjects. This has also helped students and staff work towards SEAL targets.
And the highlights for students?
Students have been impressed by the desire to achieve and the amount of effort the athletes have to put in; they were amazed by how much time Tom Daley had to spend on training as well as going to school and what dedication was required.
- “Wow, do they really spend that much time training?”
- “They work hard”
- “The Paralympics sound like the power Olympics to me.”
Towards 2012
For Kingfisher it is important that activities can lead to improvements in its students’ self esteem. It wants to inspire students to achieve in whatever goals they set themselves and then to inspire others. Being a Pupil Referral Unit means that students can often initially be de-motivated; Kingfisher would like to encourage a positive attitude and the confidence to have a go at anything.
By 2012 Kingfisher aims for its students to have the chance to visit the stadium and feel truly inspired by seeing the place where dreams are made. Plans are also being developed for a Paralympic Games day at school to help students imagine how others experience life.
