SAVE OUR SCHOOL SPORT PARTNERSHIPS - News - Breckland SSP

SAVE OUR SCHOOL SPORT PARTNERSHIPS

Sport in Norfolk schools is under threat as £1.5million is axed from budget.

New figures reveal the extent of the threat to children’s fitness in the county as funding is withdrawn from School Sports Partnerships.

This successful initiative has seen the number of schools able to guarantee two hours of sport and physical education each week soar from just 52% in 2005/6 to 91% in the past year. This achievement looks set to be reversed as funding cuts see Norfolk’s eight School Sport Partnerships (SSPs) abolished and the services it provides to over 100,000 students come to an end.

The School Sports Partnerships fund a network of eight Partnership Development Managers, over 60 School Sports Co-ordinators and work with over 390 Primary Link Teachers. Working with teachers, coaches and volunteers in every school in the County the SSPs provide a dedicated service running and supporting school clubs, competitions, coaching and leadership experiences. If you have a child who has come home raving about a sporting event/activity/club or coaching experience, it is very likely this was a result of the work, in some way, of the School Sports Partnerships across the county.

Thanks to the work of SSPs, the number of students taking part in competitive inter-school competitions increased to over 41,000 pupils in Norfolk schools last year. The number of students actively involved in sports leadership & volunteering within schools and the local community has risen from fewer than 5000 in 2005/6 to over 24,000 active volunteers in 2009/10.

Michael Rose, Head Teacher at Wayland Community High School said: “The partnerships have allowed thousands of students to receive high quality PE and sport...accessing such opportunities throughout the year has led to healthier lifestyles and a growing interest in a wider range of sport....the withdrawal of funding is a sad loss to our young people and one which will impact negatively on their physical and emotional development”.

Primary Physical Education and sport is also set to suffer. Sue Cooke, Head Teacher at Burston Primary & Tivetshall Primary School, recent recipients of the Norfolk High Quality PE Award comments: “Without the Sports Partnership support our school could never have achieved the High Quality PE Award...Funding  has meant everything to us, small schools have simply not got the resources to provide high quality coaching , access to a large range of sporting activities or the means to take part in the many competitive events  organised by the Sports Partnership.  Sports Partnerships have been one of the few initiatives that have actually delivered success, a success which should really be built on for the future of sporting achievements”.

What the future may hold! - A call to arms!

As well as funding additional sporting and PE activity, the Norfolk SSP network has played an integral role in embedding high quality PE practices and experiences within local schools by providing a training and support network for 390 schools and Primary Link teachers.  It is hoped that Schools will elect to invest some of their core budget in order to keep this network alive, to ensure the positive work of the Partnerships are not lost forever.  Rob McCombe, one of the 8 Partnership Development Managers highlights a possible route for Norfolk PE & School Sport ;  

“All of the SSPs in the county are working on models that schools can buy-in the services of the Partnerships – it is up to every child, parent, teacher, governor and Head Teacher now.  Funding SSPs has proven to be a huge success in Norfolk, all is not lost, as long as Schools make the decision to ensure they secure the sporting opportunities they currently receive “. 

The Future of PE & School sport for all Young People in Norfolk is uncertain. What is clear is that there is a dedicated network of over 450 people within Norfolk who have proven they add value to every child in every school.  If this Network is to continue, providing PE, Sport and Healthy lifestyle benefits to all pupils in the County, then investment is required. Difficult decisions will soon be made in schools regarding the future funding of PE and Sport, it is hoped the decision regarding investment in PE & Sport is an easy choice for the sake of all current, and future pupils in our schools.

Bryan Gunn, Norwich City legend backs the fight for SSPs ;

"I think it is a diabolical decision to cut the funding for School Sports Partnerships in Norfolk.  

Over 100,000 students will be affected by this and will suffer from the lack of proper coaching, equipment and facilities which have benefited so many over the past 5 years. This will surely create many problems for future youngsters e.g. health, nutrition, diet etc.  My own children have benefited from the SSP's with my son achieving any schoolboys ambition of representing England at football in this years Victory Shield. Without the support of the SSP this may never have happened.  What will this decision mean for our future sportsmen and women whatever field they may specialise in?  I advise any parent and their extended family to firmly get behind this campaign to support our healthy, sporting youngsters of the future."

• To read more about the School Sports Partnerships’ work within Norfolk Schools please visit www.norfolkssp.co.uk. 
• To find out more about the effect of the cuts nationally please look up the Save School Sports Partnership page on Facebook.
• http://www.facebook.com/pages/Save-School-Sport-Partnerships/159893774044860

You can also hear the SSP's featured on Radio Norfolk last Thursday night

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00c3h69/Matthew_Gudgin_18_11_2010/   1hr 15m 30s for the interview 

You can also see below associated letters, sent by Debbie Foote, the 17 year old Chair of the National Young Ambassador Steering Group who is leading a march to Westminster on 6th December with a petition which we hope will have over 1 milion signatures on and the Norfolk SSP's invite to the Government to come and see for themselves, what fantastic work the SSP's do; to see first hand what is going to be lost if they do not reverse their decision to cut funding.

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