St Matthews pupils take a leap with Active Schools
North Ayrshire Active Schools team has recently partnered the team at Sport Scotland’s National Sports Training Centre in Inverclyde to provide a residential trip for young people.
Supporting twelve S1 pupils from St Matthews Academy, the overnight residential trip took place in early November 2024. Staying for two days, the experience offered an opportunity for the pupils to meet new friends, discover ways to lead healthier lives and consider coping strategies to improve their mental health.
It was also a chance to find out what sports they enjoy via the sports centre’s nationally renowned facilities and professional coaches.
The trip was organised by the Active Schools community partnership team, a dedicated service working closely with schools and communities to develop sporting opportunities in school and beyond the classroom. A highlight of the recent residential was exclusive use of the impressive gymnastics facility.
About the same size as a professional football pitch, the gymnastics equipment explored included a sunken trampoline with two foam filled safety pits, coaching blocks, a sprung floor and a host of aerial apparatus used by the enthusiastic young people to learn the basics of gymnastics.
The pupils also had the chance to try out archery, boccia (a kind of lawn bowls for the ASN community), pickleball, the climbing wall and many more activities.
Quote: Our young people thoroughly enjoyed the opportunities this experience presented. However, the true success of this work with Active Schools is the increased sense of belonging, self-confidence and self-esteem evident in the pupils who participated. Strong friendship groups have been established and the S1 pupils involved feel more settled and secure in the school as a result.
Quote from: Mr Stephen Colligan, St Matthews Academy Headteacher
Active Schools aims to provide more and higher quality opportunities to take part in sport and physical activity before school, during lunch and after school. Through the team’s co-design and co-delivery approach, Active Schools has provided a diverse range of residential, experiential, and community participation opportunities throughout 2024.
The team have engaged with 332 young people across 47 opportunities, with an impressive 67% continuing to participate in frequent sports and community activities afterwards. During 2024, participants have enjoyed activities at locations such as the Inverclyde National Sports Training Centre, Gowanbank Outdoor Activity Centre, Arran Outdoor Education Centre, and Above Adventure Climbing Centre, among others.
It is hoped that the St Matthews pupils from the latest residential will now participate in sports within their own school and community too.
Councillor Shaun Macaulay, Cabinet Member for Education and Young People said: “Well done to this inspiring group of young people for stepping up to the challenge of their recent residential trip to Inverclyde’s national training campus.
“This is a brilliant example of how we are working closely with young people to help them to overcome barriers and provide them with scaffolding and support needed to gain confidence and unlock their potential.
“Active Schools has been working alongside our primary and secondary schools for the past 20 years. They are a vital partner helping the Council to uphold our statutory studies to Get it Right for Every Child.
“The team are vital advocates and inspiring sports and youth work professionals. Not only are they providing opportunities for pupils to get involved in sports locally, they are taking the time to invest in them as individuals, so that our young people can stay involved in sports longer term. Thank you to everyone involved.”
If you want to be part of the action, speak to the Active Schools Coordinator in your school or drop the team a DM on Facebook or X @NAActiveSchools.
Published: 28 November 2024