Plymstock SSP News

Modern Apprenticeships in Active Leisure and Learning

Tue, 20 Sep 2011 23:59:59 +0100

Plymstock School are looking to recruit more apprentices for 2011/12 including one to work with the SSP..

Congratulations to Jack Daniels who like Sarah Honeywill has completed a Modern Apprenticeship and is now moving on to Higher Education. Plymstock School are looking to recruit more apprentices for 2011/12 including one to work with the SSP..

Jack has completed a Modern Apprenticeship where he worked as part of the SSP team and trained to lead Bikeability, Table Tennis, Volleyball, Bell Boating and Indoor Rowing as well as gaining qualifications in First Aid, an NVQ Level 2 and Key Skills. He has been a real asset to the work of the SSP and should be very proud of everything that he has achieved!
The partnership is working with Locomotivation who are our training provider and hoping to recruit people age 18 or older who are drivers and car owners and have a passion to work with children and young people. We are able to offer outstanding placement learning opportunities which will be of interest to people who are seeking a career in education, youth work or the public services. To find out more contact Rob Wright by phoning 01752 495046

By Rob Wright

New Plymouth School Sports Partnership Website

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 23:59:59 +0100

The new Plymouth SSP website www.plymouthssp.co.uk is live and contains details and information about our woork for 20/11/12.

As part of the blending together of the old SSPs we have set up a new website. All information about our work and bookings for resources will be found on www.plymouthssp.co.uk

By Rob Wright

Changes to SSP Minibuses

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 23:59:59 +0100

The Plymouth School Sport Partnership will be operating its resources differently fom September 2011.

As part of the blending together of the cities two SSPs into one partnership the way that the minibuses which are currently operated by the Plymstock Partnership are managed will change. BU05 EXS will continue to be based at Plymstock School whilst W314AAN is going to be kept on the Whitleigh Campus to allow schools being supported in the North and West of the city to access it more easily. The costs to users will be the same as many school minibus charges, 80p per mile for schools who subscribe to the SSP and �1.60 per mile for other organisations. These charges include the cost of fuel which from September will be supplied by the SSP. Bookings will be able to be made on the new partnership website when it has been built and any bookings made on this site will be transfered.

By Rob Wright

5th Nationally for U18 Partnership hockey team!

Fri, 20 May 2011 23:59:59 +0100

National hockey ranking sucess for the partnership!

I have great delight in informing you all of the great success shared by the Plymstock School Sports Partnership Boys under 18 hockey team competing in the England Hockey National Schools Championship. Details of the competition can be found at: http://www.englandhockey.co.uk/competitions.asp?section=344§ionTitle=National+Schools+Championships+for+Boys . The team, consisting of 5 players from Devonport High School for Boys and the remaining players from Plymstock school. The squad progressed through the Plymouth Area, Devon County , West Regional Preliminary, West Regional Final and National Final Entrance phases of the competition. This meant we were officially in the top 8 Under 18 Boys School Hockey teams in the country, we are the only state funded team left in the competition, and most probably the only team who have never trained as a squad or indeed played together before the competition.
The team has enjoyed several notable victories; and had to endure the emotionally and physically demanding penalty flick competitions to fight for their place in the tournament twice; against the prestigious private school boasting several international hockey players Millfields and also against Queen Elizabeth Grammar School during the teams away trip to the private school in Wakefield during the National Final Entrance phase of the championships.
Finally, the team travelled to the national finals on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th May. Regardless of the exceptional standard of play the team was able to finish in 5th place, a ranking that reflects our position in the country. Obviously we are very pleased and proud of the results achieved!
Due to our success we will be playing in the National School Championship Finals on the 3rd nd 4th May at Cannock. On May 9th the team congregated at Plymstock for a photo shoot and interviews with members of the Press from the Plymstock shopper and the Herald, in which we expect to appear in the near future.

By Jo Ricks written by James Sinclair

Flames pilot lights the way to the 2012 promise

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 23:59:59 +0100

Members of Plymstock School Leadership Academy ran with the 1948 Olympic torch to 3 primary schools where they led assemblies. Post 16 students from Plymstock then led a Flames Festival for Children from partner primary schools. .

The Plymstock School Sport Partnership plan for the Flames programme includes opportunities for Children and Young People to recreate the 1948 Olympic torch relay during Flames festivals the first of which took place on Tuesday 5th April.
We are working with the British Heart Foundation and Loughborough College to make Flames available to schools in 2011. This programme adds value to Get Set, Sainsbury's TOP Activity and Active Kids, as well as our work around the 2012 Olympic Games and helping with parental engagement.

What is Flames?
The Flames programme uses a model of sports leadership and volunteering to support the delivery of health based physical activity sessions to children and young people both within school and the community. In the pilot sports leaders from Plymstock led clubs at Oreston, Duntone and Pomphlett Primary Schools.

History
Loughborough College�s Olympic heritage began when the London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOGCOG) instructed Commander Collins to plan and deliver the 1948 torch relay and generate the Olympic relay torch.

Following Lord Coe�s announcement that the Games of the XXXth Olympiad would be a games for the �youth of the world�, Loughborough College and the British Heart Foundation National Centre for Physical Activity and Health (BHFNC) formed a partnership to address an Olympic inspired legacy for children and young people.

The synergy between, sport, physical activity and health meant that BHFNC and Loughborough College were well placed to develop a programme which would establish an active legacy not just among school pupils but for all children and young people aged 5-19 and the Flames programme was born.

Aims and objectives
The Flames programme aims to:
� Inspire, motivate and enthuse young people to be more physically active using Olympic and Paralympic as well as other sporting values.
� Increase the physical activity levels of primary school children.
� Establish a sustainable legacy of enthusiastic young leaders to be able to support the delivery of physical activity communities in the UK.

Flames values and messages
The ideology of the programme is to �honour the past and look to the future�. This includes an emphasis placed on increasing children and young people�s participation in physical activity with the clear message that everyone can excel at being physically active.

Through their physical activity sessions, young leaders aim to promote the Olympic and Paralympic values of Friendship, Courage, Determination, Excellence, Equality, Respect and Inspiration to motivate children and young people to become active.
In addition, young leaders promote 5 key health messages: 60 active minutes each day; everyone can be excellent at being physically active; activity can be accumulated throughout the day; the heart is a muscle and needs to be exercised; and eat 5 fruit and vegetables a day.

At the Flames Festival children represented countries that had or would be hosting the Olympics and took part in 7 activities based on the Olympic and Paralympic values as well as the torch relay. Children who represented Brazil were the winning team.

By Rob Wright

England Rugby star kicks off partnership JAE programme

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 23:59:59 +0100

Jo Yapp passes on her experiences as an athlete

The Plymstock SSP G & T focus group have been working hard to develop a partnership approach to recognising and supporting the Gifted and Talented students within our schools. The focus group have worked hard to produce a recognition process for the Gifted and Talented students early in year 7. Following the recognition stage a partnership model for supporting the talent within our schools through the JAE programme has been established.

5 schools have since been working together to deliver the JAE programme as a group to encourage collaberative working to support the potential within our schools. Jo Yapp the England rugby star kindly offered to take part in a the lifestyle workshop based on time management and planning. Jo was able to provide the gifted students from ALl Saints and the talented students from DHSG with an insight into life as an athlete and the importance of planning and managing your time effectively to help maximise perfromance. Thanks to Jo all students left with a greater understanding of the importance of planning and time management and its effect on performance.

One student commented
' It was mad to see how hard people of my age train for their sport. I don't know how they do it, getting up at 5am to swim?!'

If your school would like to be involved in the focus group and its future plans contact Jo Ricks directly.

By Jo Ricks

Champion Effort - PHSG Under 13's Tag Rugby

Wed, 23 Mar 2011 23:59:59 +0000

PHSG U13's won every match they played at the South And West Devon Tag Rugby Championships

In the cup competition held at Plymouth Albion's Brickfields home, Plymouth High School saw off the challenge of Teignmouth A, Stoke Damerel, Newton Abbott and Ridgeway to with the Trophey.

They have been invited to the South West Regional Final held at Yatton Rugby Club on Wednesday 27th April.

A further invite has come from Devon Youth Games to Inspire where they have been invited to represent Plymouth.

Here come the Girls..........

By Nicola Lilley

National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships Success!

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 23:59:59 +0000

19 medals come home from the Championships!

Ten Schools provided the ammunition to challenge for medals at the National Junior Indoor Championships. Coach Kevin Sellar produced a 4 week training programme for selected students to follow. A coach up to London on Thursday evening saw the students relax in the YHA at Cheshunt just 30 minutes away from Lee Valley athletics Centre the host arena.
From the on set of the first race students challenged for medals with Jacob Dawson taking Gold for the year 12 male and setting a PB 6.20.2 Sam Twine, Jacob Roberts, and Jack Nottley also challenged and blew the opposition away holding top ten positions; 4, 6, + 10th all producing PB�s. The girls followed with 9th + 15th. Midday saw the programme change to the team Boat race, the same distance as the Oxford/Cambridge boat race 6780metres. Teams of eight assembled. This was our forte, having bronze medalled last year and also won the 4 man team we wanted the top prize!!! We juggled our Girls team around with late substitutes, due to the year 10�s racing straight after the team race, Phoebe Thomas Y7, Emmi Hoyte and Kate Little year 8 stepped up to the mark with year 11-13�s. The girls started first and held mid table then moved up quickly with the team plan for a strong second half race, this put the girls into Bronze position and held to the finish. Our male team were up against the defending champions Oakwood Park Grammar School � could we win? Team talk complete the race was on � Awesome Dawson hitting 1.12 splits after 5 strokes set up the pace and kept us in contention for the first half, with slick change overs and great team work from all, we rowed the lead down and took the helm with 1,000 meters to go the team found another gear and extended the lead taking the title �Boat Race Champions by 12 seconds. (PRIZE a VIP trip to London to watch the Boat Race) A special mention has to go the Boat Race Winners. King Edwards School Witley and Plymstock SSP won the Girls Relay and the Boys Relay respectively. The medals were presented to them by the Cambridge and Oxford crews. They then had to toss a coin in true Boat Race style; Plymstock SSP won and chose to follow the Oxford v Cambridge Race and King Edwards get to follow the Isis v Goldie Race on March 26th on the River Thames. They will be �driven� in boats from the Royal Marines and truly unforgettable day waits for all of them

Chloe Brew put in a fantastic race to secure year ten gold, one better than Birc to add to her collection of medals. Tom James year 11 recovering from the team race drove hard to the line and took a well deserved bronze.
The Day finished with 41 students sharing the 19 medals... A big thank you goes to the people who supported this event and allowed the students to achieve so much. Teachers who helped; Miss Ricks, Mrs Steffal, Mrs Thomas, Coach Lewis Todd. Many thanks to Mr Hoyte of Bookers St Austell for the supply of sports drinks and water � more than appreciated.
Preparations are now made for the West Regional Championships being held at Marjons College 30 March 2011. Further details contact ksellar@plymstockschool.org.uk or rhiannon.halliday@britishrowing.org
Congratulations to all who took part showing that Plymstock SSP is a force to be recognised in the rowing world. �May the stroke be with you� � Coach Kevin Sellar.

By Kevin Sellar

Forest School students make Olympic paddles for Bell Boats

Wed, 09 Mar 2011 23:59:59 +0000

As part of the Forest School work at Fox Cove on 4th March students produced paddles in the colours of the Olympic rings which they will use on the Bell Boats in the Summer

The paddle for life kits used in this work provide a way to revisit the FRED ICE olympic and Paralympic values which students were introduced to when they made friendship bracelets.
We used the kits from Mainsport with this group but in the future plan to plant willow trees to crop for paddle shafts and handles and use birch plywood for the blades.
Making a paddle also provided the opportunity to look at how we can increase student awareness of ways to move from conflict to co-operation. The story of the lines in the House of Commons was used to introduce the historical concept of the shield and sword which can be transformed into a paddle, to move a boat co-operatively, by turning them upside down. The sword becomes the paddle handle and shaft with the shield being used as a blade.
After assembling their paddles students painted them using the 5 colours of the olympic rings. The paddles will be displayed in students schools prior to being used on the water.

By Rob Wright

PHSG Girls are National Swimming Champions

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 23:59:59 +0000

PHSG beat the 2 top Swimming schools, Millfields and Plymouth College at the National Schools Swimming Champs, Stockport

Going into the Junior Medley final they were ranked 4th, but Dani Baker, Meryll Attrill, Jade Scott and Corrie Fairburn pulled off a stunning performance to win the National Title.

Standing in front of all the competitors they stood on the podium as the national anthem played. It was a proud moment for the girls and a great achievement for the school.

The Plymouth Herald published their news with a full colour photo on Tuesday 8th February.

By Nicola Lilley