Commonwealth Games legacy among hot topics for primary schools conference

The legacy of the 2022 Commonwealth Games and the need to get more children to swim will be among the hot topics covered at a conference for primary school educators to be held in Birmingham next month.

PE teachers, school senior leaders, business managers and governors can find out about some of the leading issues in primary education at the Active Primary Schools Conference 2022, to be held at Millennium Point on Friday November 25th.

Organised by award-winning Birmingham-based sector leaders Aspire Active Education Group for representatives from primary schools “to gain knowledge, confidence and a bank of actionable strategies”, the conference, which has been held since 2017, will see keynote speeches from industry experts, practical and theory-based workshops and a marketplace full of innovative resources and services.

Among the topics to be covered in the keynote speeches will be a presentation of the impact on education and the wider region from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the biggest showcase event to be held in the UK’s second city in generations.

Organisers say a record 1.5 million spectators bought tickets for the event, making it the most popular Commonwealth Games ever to be hosted in the UK, while a total of 28.6 million tuned into the Games on the BBC.

Ashley Jones, Water Safety and Drowning Prevention Manager for Swim England, will give another keynote presentation on the drive to get more primary school pupils engaged with swimming and water safety. Will Roberts, Chief Operating Officer at the Youth Sport Trust, will give the third keynote on getting young people active entitled ‘The critical ingredient: ensuring physical literacy for young people in challenging times’.

Other topics will include ways of PE assessment, maximising playground engagement strategies to embed physically active learning in schools, primary dance and outdoor adventurous activities.

Aspire co-founder Paul Griffiths said: “We are delighted to have a high-calibre roll call of speakers at the Active Primary Schools Conference 2022 to tackle some of the biggest issues facing educators.

“Having seen thousands of athletes from 72 nations and territories compete in the largest-ever integrated programme of para sport over 11 days at the Commonwealth Games, it is great to have the team join us to update delegates on the legacy.

“Each year we bring together the best of our sector to help attendees boost the quality of primary PE, sport and physical activity (PESSPA) to inspire children to be more active, more often. We want to continue to expand our reach to support as many primary schools as possible to raise the standards of PESSPA.”

Aspire Active Education Group played their own part in the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, delivering 97 days of activities to 65 schools in just eight weeks through the ‘Bring the Power’ school sport workshop programme, which was rolled out across the West Midlands to get young people moving ahead of the event.

Based in Spitfire Road, Birmingham, and with 56 team members, Aspire provide innovative delivery and training services along with education resources with an aim to “end physical inactivity forever” and help one million children move by 2025.

Founded in 2005, Aspire work with nearly 200 schools nationwide, providing PE, sport and physical activity support to get children moving. Aspire have won five awards since November including two Business Desk business awards, two Greater Birmingham Apprenticeship Awards and a Lloyds Bank Small Business 2021 prize.