The Youth Sport Trust is devoted to building a brighter future for young people through physical education (PE) and school sport. The charity places this approach at the heart of its work and the three-tiered membership scheme is designed to support schools by inspiring staff to achieve the best possible outcomes for young people.
“Schools spend a lot on individual career professional development (CPD) courses for staff,” says Sam Southwell, the team leader for PE at Shenley Brook End secondary school. “Taking up Youth Sport Trust membership not only saves money, it also enables schools to receive specialist support. You don’t have to share this training with lots of other delegates like on a paid training course, and the packages offered feel very personal and are tailored to individual schools, so you can really focus on the areas you want to develop.
“The Youth Sport Trust is always looking at ways to innovate and is tackling current issues head on. It is centred on the development and wellbeing of young people and offers fantastic opportunities to teachers, schools and most importantly students.”
Member schools have made it clear that by enhancing their PE and school sport offering, they have been able to raise the aspirations of young people as well as their achievement in academic subjects such as maths, English and science.
“Youth Sport Trust membership introduced us to Sky Sports Living for Sport, a programme featuring high profile athlete mentors that visit our school,” explains Steve Broderick, head of sport at Oasis Academy Wintringham. “This programme has raised the aspiration of many students – most notably when one of the first students to take part in the programme became the first member of his family to go to university almost as a direct result of being involved in Sky Sports Living for Sport.
“Another impact has been the support of the Youth Sport Trust in our development of a strong health and wellbeing system. They supported us bringing in a health mentor to ensure every student has a health check with our school nurse. This includes looking at physical health, such as fitness tests, and mental health such as improving the self-esteem of teenage girls at our school. This health and wellbeing work impacts on students’ aspirations and their ability to perform in other areas of their life, including their exams.”
Not only do member schools value the impact that PE and school sport has on students, they particularly enjoy the fact that staff are empowered to deliver it in a better way.
“Youth Sport Trust membership enables a school to have the confidence to have innovative ideas for PE and school sport linked to other areas of the curriculum,” says Jane Panter, Kegworth primary school assistant headteacher. “It provides a rich and varied set of curriculum ideas for our children. This ensures our children grow up not only learning about but also enjoying school sport. The primary PE and sports premium (the government’s £150m per year investment into primary school sport) works hand-in-hand with our Youth Sport Trust membership.
“The additional money we have received has allowed us to give our children opportunities in rich and varied sports that they otherwise would not have had. It has unlocked enjoyment, physical skills and life skills in an inclusive way that otherwise we may not have been able to do.”
What all member schools conclude is that you must work to maximise Youth Sport Trust membership. “The support network available to you through Youth Sport Trust membership is invaluable,” explains Southwell.
“We work closely with our Youth Sport Trust development manager who informs us of any CPD opportunities and ways to get involved. We also make use of the specialised support visit, which is part of the bespoke support available. This year, for example, we have a tailor-made CPD, for our entire PE staff, on assessment without levels. We have been in constant dialogue with the Youth Sport Trust on how to get the most from the day. This kind of work has completely transformed our school and made it a better place for everyone.”
Become part of a network committed to using the power of sport to transform the lives of young people by joining our membership scheme. For more information on Youth Sport Trust membership and how to join, please click here.
