Y7 Parental Information
Physical Education Department Staff
Mr T Mullen, Miss A Peel , Mr C Metcalfe, Miss S Johnson, Mr C Mackay, Miss A Jones, Mrs L Netherton, Mr C Wilson, Mr A Gilbert, Mr P O’Neil
Information to Parents
The following attempts to make clear the department’s expectations of students. The demands made are not all one way, and we feel that the staff offer many opportunities at Burnside for your child to gain enjoyment, achievement and success within the sphere of physical education. By stating these expectations we hope to make the transition from primary to high school an effective one for your son/daughter, and also give clear guidelines on how the department’s administrative and disciplinary procedures may affect your child.
During lessons
First and foremost we aim to cater for each individual child as best as possible within our given resources. We are well aware that some children do not like certain activities; however, we take great care in ensuring that all lessons are appropriately structured and that children are not asked to perform something which is beyond their capabilities. So please try to reassure them if concerns are raised by your child, and do not hesitate to contact us at Burnside if any assistance is required.
For our aims to be achieved it is imperative that lessons occur within a cooperative, pleasant and industrious climate. Demands are made on the children to be able to:-
• Act in a responsible and self-disciplined manner
• Co-operate effectively with others
• Be responsible for their own actions
• Be appreciative of others needs and abilities
• Learn to cope with success and failure, and
• Appreciate the importance of fair play
These positive attributes will be continually stressed to the students; where children demonstrate these they will be applauded, where they are found to be failing then reminders at the appropriate time will be our initial response. It is only when children do not appreciate their wrongs and make no attempt to correct their ways, that any further action would be taken, such as detention or contact with parents. Foul, abusive, temperamental behaviour and swearing will not be tolerated, and although a competitive spirit is encouraged, the highest standards of sportsmanship are expected at all times.
PE kit
Full PE kit as identified in the school’s annual prospectus is required. This helps to ensure safe and healthy participation. Failure to bring kit to a lesson will on the first occasion, result in a warning; second and subsequent times will result in a detention being issued. If kit is forgotten on a regular basis then parents will be contacted via telephone or post.
Excuse from lessons
Your child’s participation in lessons is closely monitored and recorded, and it is felt essential that children are involved in all PE lessons as fully as possible. In practical terms this means that if they are feeling slightly unwell or have a minor injury, then we would still like them to be involved to some extent. This may mean that they miss the more intensive aspects of the lesson. We are fairly flexible and will normally readily accept the individual child’s requests. In such cases a note is not required, your son/daughter need only mention their concern at the beginning of the lesson to their respective teacher, and if they feel uneasy at any stage then they can pull out of the practical aspect of the lesson. Many youngsters often fall into this category and ask parents for notes to excuse them from their PE lesson – sometimes when it is an activity that they don’t particularly like; however, we would like to stress again that practices during lessons are progressively structured and differing abilities are catered for so we would appreciate that parents only write notes for a valid reason.
When the situation is more severe and your child is unable to participate through illness or injury then a note dated and signed is required. We still aim to involve children in this category to good effect within the lesson whenever possible. This may include observing, analysing and evaluating aspects of a game or skill, coaching or assisting a small group or individual in some capacity, refereeing or umpiring a small game, or using a digital camera or camcorder to record performances. In this way students are not isolated merely because of illness or injury, and their knowledge, understanding and skills are further enhanced. There is more to PE than just running about and playing games, and children are often involved in planning and evaluating performances. It is intended that non-participants can assist this process, and to make their involvement a safe, healthy and productive one, they will require an appropriate change of clothing, be it PE kit or tracksuit. Notes received from parents/guardians are filed for future reference, as we accountable for the rate of participation of students within physical education lessons.
Finally, if your child has a long-term injury or illness which needs careful monitoring and prevents either any form of physical exercise or involvement in particular aspects of PE, then we would appreciate a more detailed letter to advise us on the specific nature of the condition, the treatment being received, and an indication if we can assist in any manner.
Safety, Hygiene and Security of Valuables
Safety is a major concern within physical education. Injury and accidents tend to go hand in hand with sport and physical exercise. These can be kept to a minimum by ensuring that children are correctly equipped and follow clear instructions on the procedures necessary when attempting practices in such activities as athletics, gymnastics and contact sports. Many injuries can be prevented through the wearing of appropriate protective equipment. Football boots must be included within this category as they ensure that children can participate with confidence, security and stability. Shin-pads and gum shields are other items which will prove very useful in our major outdoor games of hockey, rugby union and football. In the event of an accident to your son/daughter, immediate first aid will be given to minor injuries by a member of the PE department, or a qualified first aid person; but if it appears to be of a more serious nature or some uncertainty exists then referral to hospital is our usual course of action to erase any doubts. If this occurs the individual child’s emergency contact person will be informed.
All students will be encouraged to follow the basic hygiene guidelines of showering after exercise. In this respect a towel is considered part of the PE kit and must be brought to every lesson. Students with foot ailments that are contagious must ensure protective measures are taken prior to showering. A change of underwear and socks is also necessary following showering.
Students must have a clean pair of training shoes for participating in indoor PE lessons. Far too much dirt is brought into the sports hall by children if they wear the same pair of training shoes to school. Gymnastic lessons will normally be undertaken in bare feet in the gymnasium.
The wearing of jewellery (rings, watches, ear-rings, necklaces, etc.) is not allowed in any PE lesson and must be removed prior to participating.
The changing rooms are locked following the exit of pupils after changing, however it is still recommended that children do not bring valuables which are either expensive or possess sentimental value. There is a facility for students to put away valuables in a separate storage cabinet, which is kept in the staff changing rooms. Children can avail themselves of this if they wish, but it will not be deemed compulsory. Nevertheless, if a child does not use this storage cabinet and then claims to have had something stolen, then although measures will be taken by the members of staff to determine if this is indeed the case, no responsibility can be taken for such a loss.
The final point on security refers to clear identification being apparent on your child’s PE kit, and school uniform (trousers, shirt, sweatshirt, shoes). Clothing is often left in the changing rooms, and if it is named it is so much easier to return it quickly. If your child does come home missing a sock, or shirt, or whatever, please encourage them to come and see us the next day, not the next lesson.
Extra-curricular activities
There exist a wide range of extra-curricular activities, and children of all abilities are encouraged to avail themselves of the opportunities available. Some, however, do exist on a school team basis where trials and practices have led to the selection of a final squad; others such as climbing, trampolining, badminton, athletics, gymnastics are open to anyone interested. Sports kit is essential when participating in extra-curricular activities.
Support and encouragement by parents for their children at school sporting fixtures is very much appreciated not only by the children themselves, but also by the staff at Burnside. However, it needs to be stressed that the same expectations will be made of parents as of their children, namely good etiquette and sportsmanship. Many schools and associations have had problems with parents being too supportive, too vociferous, and too quick to offer comments on the validity of referee and or linesman’s decisions. We aim to teach youngsters to accept all decisions gracefully, even if they feel it was incorrect, and we would like supporting parents to set a good example not only to their children, but also to visiting schools and parents. Parents are also quite welcome to assist in any way they can with the running of extra-curricular activities, however it is essential from a legal point of view that relevant coaching qualifications are held, and police clearance is available.
We hope this letter is of some use in making clear the opportunities available and the expectations that will be made on your son/daughter. If you would like any clarification or assistance for any of the above aspects or anything else, please draw attention to it in the comment section of the reply section and we will get in touch with you.