We’ve been visiting local schools that have been involved with our Schools App Challenge.
HEALTH FESTIVALS We were delighted to be invited along to Horbury Primary and Horbury Bridge Academy’s health festivals recently. Horbury Primary were winners and designers of our ‘Dragon in the Attic’ health app and Horbury Bridge Academy were winners and designers of ‘Healthy Island’; the latest kids health app that’s just been launched.
Download the apps here: http://westwakefieldhealthandwellbeing.nhs.uk/services/health-apps/
But what happens when school sports day is over? How can we encourage our youngsters to keep active, stay healthy and continue these behaviours into later life?
HEALTHY ACTIVITIES AT SCHOOL AND AT HOME As part of our disruptive prevention vanguard workstream and Schools App Challenge work here at West Wakefield, we selected Horbury Primary to become our case study model of how we can deliver greater health outcomes for our kids when different providers within the health system all work together. Working together with NHS Change4Life and Active Wakefield, we’ve been pioneering a new approach known as ‘1k a day.’ ‘1k a day’ is a local initiative between Yorkshire Sport Foundation and Active Wakefield. The approach is simple; just 10-15 minutes of accessible, non-competitive physical activity such as walking, jogging or running, fitted into the school day. For pupils, it increases the time spent being active by over an hour a week.
BUT IT DOESN'T STOP THERE Taking activity from the schoolyard to the playground, park or wherever families want to get active back home, is the next step for West Wakefield and its partners. Whilst we continue to champion the ‘1k a day’ approach with our schools and partners, the ‘Healthy Island’ app released last week also concentrates on physical activity and contains a fun-filled exercise-based game in it called ‘Monster Moves.’
Taking just ten minutes to complete, it complements the 1k a day approach perfectly and provides yet another opportunity for kids to get up and have fun whilst exercising. For those that complete the game, the reward will be a voucher that they can redeem at their local (Wakefield) swimming pool too.
OUTCOMES SO FAR We’re all aware of the evidence from experts that prove the more physical activity we do, the healthier we’ll be but it also has further benefits for youngsters.
Some insights from Horbury Primary and Active Wakefield so far about ‘1k a day’ in particular have reported: - 100% of teachers stated increased concentration and attainment amongst pupils - 100% of teachers stated increase in pupils’ enjoyment of physical activity
Other recorded benefits include: improved fitness, attendance & behaviour - Two thirds of pupils involved said it made them ‘happier at school’, ‘energised and ready to learn’ (Year 6) "I sometimes run is competitively, but still for fun. I always enjoy it" (Year 3).
The third Schools App Challenge competition returns after the summer holidays in September 2016.