Broomwood Pre-School on a fitness bonus

Broomwood Pre-School Head Caron Mackay on how its physical programme for young children delivers benefits across the board

Earlier this year, an exciting new piece of play equipment was installed in the garden of our Early Years site. It is a large wooden climbing frame, carved at the top with distinctive green leaves. Watching the little ones scramble up and over it with confidence makes me reflect on how important movement and body control is, and how much progress they have made since joining us in September.

The advantages of good physical health are undeniable, so we wanted our PE lessons to work harder for us by benefiting our pupils in all their lessons. For us, they aren’t just about laying the groundwork for playing sports in the years to come. PE lessons in the Early Years are also about ensuring children have both the gross motor skills (co-ordination, balance, muscle tone, and so on) and the fine motor skills (such as holding a pencil or pulling the zip on a coat) to excel in all areas. Core strength, for instance, is crucial for pupils when sitting on the carpet or at a table in the classroom.

“We use a series of exercises usually employed by occupational and physical therapists to build up core strength balance and coordination”

We are lucky that we can call upon the expertise of specialist sports staff across the Pre-Prep and Prep school sites and we sat down together to develop a programme tailored to this age group. We now use a series of exercises, more usually employed by occupational and physical therapists to build up core strength, improve balance and develop coordination.

A typical activity might involve bouncing a balloon first on the right hand and then on the left to work both sides of the brain. Then we might ask pupils to crawl in the plank position from one side of the room to the other – this builds up both core strength and coordination. While this approach is established in Key Stage 1, this has been the first year that we have introduced it to the Pre-School, so we look forward to monitoring the children as they progress to see its effects.

What we do know already is that the children have enjoyed doing these exercises and our early conclusion is that it has built up their confidence and improved their overall fitness. In addition to this, we believe it is transforming concentration levels in the classroom.

As the children move up Broomwood into higher years, they will be introduced to more formal sporting activities. Great muscle tone, good core strength and physical confidence, developed and supported during these early years, will give them an advantage both in and out of the classroom.

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Further reading: First steps – how to choose a nursery