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Premier League Primary Stars launch new PE Planning Toolkit for teachers

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The Premier League is launching the first phase of new PE planning and delivery resources through its flagship education programme, Premier League Primary Stars. The Premier League Primary Stars PE Planning Toolkit is a complete package of teaching and learning materials, designed to increase primary school teachers’ confidence in planning PE lessons and helping them to deliver a more inclusive, engaging and high-quality experience for their pupils. 

The Planning Toolkit uses a step-by-step approach to guide teachers through the process of creating a scheme of work that meets the individual needs of their pupils when it comes to physical education. Supported by real-life examples and explanatory training films, teachers can use the toolkit to embed the three domains of learning – thinking, social and emotional, and physical – into their lessons. It will also encourage them to incorporate differentiation, inclusion, modelling, questioning and assessment for learning into their PE sessions. 

Sonia Bell, Teacher at St Gabriel’s Primary School, who have a member of staff from Chelsea FC Foundation deliver in-class Premier League Primary Stars sessions, said “The new Premier League Primary Stars PE Planning Toolkit complements many other schemes of work that schools use. The resources, such as the video and wall charts, are up to date and current and can improve the quality of delivery.”

Alongside the teacher training materials, Premier League Primary Stars has developed an uplifting educational film for pupils, which encourages them to get excited about participating in PE, wherever they are in their learning journey. Structured around the Premier League’s four core values – Be ambitious, Be inspiring, Be connected, Be fair – the film features football players demonstrating values-based behaviours and highlights the importance of working hard, supporting teammates and showing kindness, on and off the pitch. 

Speaking about the inclusion of the Premier League Values in the video and toolkit, Sam Mardle, School Education Manager at Chelsea FC Foundation said “The thing I like most about the Premier League Values is how closely aligned they are to most school values, making it a seamless incorporation into session delivery.”

Primary school teachers can request a free copy of the Premier League Values Wallchart for their classroom, which supports Ofsted’s Character Education requirement and encourages pupils to celebrate their positive behaviour.  

All Premier League Primary Stars resources are mapped against the National Curriculum and are suitable for use in primary schools across England and Wales. Resources are free to download and can either be used off-the-shelf or tailored to suit teachers’ needs. 

About Premier League Primary Stars

Premier League Primary Stars is a national primary school programme that uses the appeal of the Premier League and professional football clubs to inspire children to learn, be active and develop important life skills. Clubs provide in-school support to teachers, delivering educational sessions to schools in their communities. Free teaching materials ensure the rounded programme, which covers everything from PE and maths to resilience and teamwork, is available to every primary school in England and Wales. 

The Premier League currently funds 105 Premier League, English Football League and National League clubs in England and Wales to provide in-school support for teachers. 

For more information or to register, visit:www.plprimarystars.com.  

 

Premier League launches ‘Draw Together Challenge’ to inspire allyship among children

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The Premier League has launched the ‘Draw Together Challenge’ aimed at empowering children to help and support others who face discrimination. 

 

Primary school pupils across England and Wales are encouraged to draw or paint a picture on the theme of allyship, detailing the positive action they will take to help challenge discriminatory behaviour, wherever they see it.

 

Draw Together is a free downloadable activity created to support the Premier League’s ongoing No Room For Racism initiative. It is available through Premier League Primary Stars, the League’s curriculum-linked education programme, which uses the appeal of professional football clubs to inspire children to learn, be active and develop important life skills.

 

As part of the initiative, Helen Raley-Williams, Headteacher of Holy Trinity Catholic Primary School in Liverpool, invited CBeebies presenter Ben Cajee to talk to a Year 6 class about his personal experiences of racism. 

 

Helen Raley-Williams said: “All children should be heard and be able to explain how being discriminated makes them feel. Being open and allowing discussions about discrimination supports the children’s mental health and reinforces the fact that it is totally unacceptable to discriminate against another human being.”

 

Ben Cajee, CBeebies presenter, said: “Having faced discrimination myself when at school, I know first-hand the importance of education on this issue.

 

“To have videos of Premier League footballers talking about their own experiences of racism and the importance of looking out for each other as part of this challenge, is key in showing children how vital it is for us all to support others. It’s something I would have appreciated at that age.”

 

The challenge will run until Friday 11 June 2021 and teachers are able to submit artwork on behalf of their class at Key Stage 1 (5 to 7-year-olds) or as individual submissions for Key Stage 2 pupils (7 to 11-year-olds), via the online teacher form on the Premier League Primary Stars website: plprimarystars.com.

 

All schools that submit entries ahead of the deadline will be entered into a prize draw for the chance to receive Premier League goodies for their school. One lucky entrant will see their school receive a special visit from the Premier League Trophy.

 

The artwork and pledges of 20 pupils will also be selected at random to be displayed in a No Room For Racism gallery on the Premier League and Premier League Primary Stars websites, while all primary schools that enter the challenge will receive copies of the official PL Writing Stars poetry book ‘Beautifully Different, Wonderfully the Same’ for their libraries.

 

Nick Perchard, Premier League Head of Community, said: “The Premier League Draw Together Challenge will enable children and teachers in classrooms up and down the country to have safe and open conversations about racism and the detrimental impact that discrimination has.

 

“We hope this will encourage children to create artwork and pledges that demonstrate their support for others and will lead to further discussions with family members and friends about the importance of us all playing our part in helping to tackle racism.”

 

The education of fans, children and young people is just one of the ways in which the Premier League is tackling discrimination as part of its No Room For Racism Action Plan.

 

 

You can watch a video of Ben Cajee’s visit to Holy Trinity Primary School here: https://we.tl/t-dZJl18ogE1

 

Premier League launches Wellbeing Stars challenge, encouraging schoolchildren to carry out acts of kindness

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The Premier League has today launched the Wellbeing Stars challenge, which encourages primary school-aged children across England and Wales to come up with and carry out five acts of kindness in a single week. 

 

The challenge tasks five to 11-year-olds with creating a ‘Wellbeing Week’ plan of activity that will help boost the mood of their family, or people they know in their school or community. It will also inspire classroom discussion on feelings and emotions.

 

Wellbeing Stars is the latest initiative from the Premier League Primary Stars education programme, which uses children’s passion for football to engage them in learning. The programme is supported by 110 professional football clubs in their communities, as well as via free online resources.

 

Teachers and families can download a free Wellbeing Stars resource pack, which includes a ‘Wellbeing Week’ worksheet where children can write down each of their acts of kindness and reflect on how they have made others feel. Teachers, parents and guardians are then encouraged to submit children’s completed worksheets by Monday 19 April to Premier League Primary Stars.

 

Clinical psychologist, Dr Hazel Harrison, who has assisted with the creation of the Premier League Wellbeing Stars activity, said: 

 

“All of us, but particularly children, need to connect – and re-connect – with our peers and wider community right now. Encouraging children to help others is a great way to do this. Making meaningful connections with others is known to trigger physiological changes that make us feel happier, braver and closer to one another. 

 

“I’d encourage schools and families to get involved in Premier League Wellbeing Stars. It’s initiatives like this that can ease the return to school and build up children’s wellbeing and focus on their strengths. Not only that, but we know that young people who take part in social action projects feel a stronger sense of belonging to their communities. ”

 

A selection of the weekly plans will be used to create a Premier League Wellbeing Stars calendar, which will be sent to participating schools and will also be made available for families to download. Three children who take part will also be recognised for their efforts with the Premier League Trophy visiting their school. 

 

Premier League Head of Community Nick Perchard said: “Social action has been an important part of the nation’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and is a key theme for all Premier League community activity. Premier League Wellbeing Stars will enable children to have a better understanding of how their acts of kindness can have a positive impact on others and will also give them the opportunity to learn from their peers’ projects.”

 

Children can also take inspiration from the acts of kindness of Premier League players who have helped their communities throughout the national lockdown. Videos within the Wellbeing Stars resource will feature Tottenham Hotspur’s Ben Davies who has supported his elderly neighbour, as well as Brighton & Hove Albion’s Neal Maupay who has made sure he checks in with family, friends and neighbours.