North Northumberland School Sports Partnership was part of the original School Sport Co-ordinator programme which is now known as The School Sports Partnership Programme
The School Sport Co-ordinator programme was first launched in September 2000 with an initial 600 School Sport Co-ordinators (SSCo’s) being funded through Sport England’s Lottery Fund. These were targeted at areas of greatest deprivation. Through the PE, School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL) strategy, the government has ensured that school sport partnerships are now an integral part of every LEA and school’s PE and school sport strategy. The structure of these partnerships builds on the good practice demonstrated by the first few phases. There are now over 450 partnerships with 4,200 SSCo’s in secondary schools and 18,000 primary or special school link teachers. This includes every maintained school in England.
School sport partnerships are families of schools that come together to enhance sports opportunities for all. A Sports College (Haydon Bridge HS Sports College) will generally be at the hub of the partnership and be given funding to employ a full time Partnership Development Manager (PDM), who is responsible for the strategic development of the partnership and liaison with other agencies. In North Northumberland This is Dave Pick based in Berwick upon Tweed Community High School.
NNSSP employ 6 School Sport Co-ordinators. The School Sport Co-ordinators work with a cluster of primary/middle/high/special schools-each of which appoints a link teacher (usually the existing PE co-ordinator) who is released from the timetable for up to 12 days a year to develop subject knowledge/leadership, out of school hours learning activities and improve links with the local community sports clubs.
Our Partnership covers Duchess's High School Alnwick; Berwick High School; Barndale House School and The Grove School and their 35 feeder schools.
PE and Sport Strategy for Young People (PESSYP)
The Government’s strategy is to ensure that all 5-16 year olds have access to two hours high quality PE and three hours of sport beyond the curriculum and that 16-19 year olds have three hours of sport outside of the curriculum. Collectively this is referred to as the ‘5 Hour Sports Offer’.
It is North Northumberland School Sports Partnership role to co-ordinate and help deliver the PE and Sport Strategy for Young People (PESSYP) and the"5 Hour Offer" within our Partnership of Schools. We work in close partnership with the other Northumberland School Sports Partnerships; Active Alnwick; Active Berwick; Northumberland Sport; Northumberland LEA; Sports National Govering Bodies; Local Sports Facilities; Local Sports Clubs; Health Care Trust to develop the strategy.
What do SSCos Do?
They help to improve curriculum PE and sports leadership, develop out of hours sport and make links with the local community for both the lead secondary school and the partner primary school. They work closely with Primary Link Teachers (staff in charge of PE) in the Primary Schools.
SSCos work in five main areas; helping develop two hours of high quality PE within the school curriculum; developing out of school hours sports opportunities on the school site; linking with sporting opportunities within the community; enhancing sporting competition; developing sports leader and volunteers.
