There are government policies and government policies.  Some are welcome, some… well perhaps not so welcome.

But the objective of making children more active is one of those which it is hard to argue with – given the benefits that it offers both the school and the children.

For, it turns out, all the evidence shows that the extra activity the government wants us to ensure children get does more than simply making the children physically fitter.   Indeed it seems that increased activity also dramatically improves children’s intellectual abilities, while reducing disciplinary issues, improving sociability, and reducing mental health problems.

Which then leaves two questions:

First, what is the best way to ensure that children get the extra activity each week that the government now wants?

Second, how can we do this without bringing in new equipment, specialist staff, or supervisors for outdoor activity?  In short, how can we do it as part of our daily work with the staff and equipment that we already have?

It is to help schools answer these questions that imoves has produced a free report for schools on the most effective ways of meeting this government’s objective of making children more active throughout the day, every day.

For the government’s warning (that we are now looking at the first generation of children who are, as things stand, going to be less fit than their parents were as children) is indeed a fundamentally frightening one.

The report, “The Active School”, which answers the question of how schools can help pupils gain all the benefits that accrue from extra activity, is available now, free of charge.  If you would like a copy simply send an email to Active@schools.co.uk and we’ll send you the report back straight away.