Teach Secondary 13.7

We hear how one school came to discover that handball is the team game every pupil can play… H ertfordshire and Essex High School identified a need to need to rethink its physical education provision, so that all pupils could feel included, and make the very most of the limited time available for the subject within a typical school day. Given the significant number of PE hours recently lost from the curriculum– against a backdrop of PE and sport in English secondary schools falling alarmingly over the last decade – every minute counts when it comes to integrating sport and physical activity within the learning experience. As part of wider efforts at prioritising positive experiences and ensuring all students could participate in sport, the school turned to newer, exciting sports with inclusivity at their heart – and soon found handball to be the perfect fit for the curriculum goals they had in mind. Outside the norm According to Ms Fenner, a PE Teacher at Hertfordshire and Essex High School, “ It has been great to see the growth of new and more diverse sports here, compared to other schools I have been at. Handball is so accessible – it’s really easy to set up, and everyone and anyone can go out there and play it. “ That’s the reason it works so well for our pupils; we’re always focused on giving them an experience that they will enjoy, where they can develop more fully, and that means thinking outside of the established norm. No child should only have the option to just play football or netball. ” Following a positive integration period, handball is now on the school’s curriculum. As Ms Fenner explains, “ We are reactive to what the pupils like and enjoy, so nowwe have seen a really high uptake of students who are interested in handball and want to do “Itwas suchapositive experience forour students – seeing themtake part in handball over the year,you could see the changes it has made for them” it. That has to be at the heart of the approach from any school – listening to your pupils, and seeing the learning process as collaborative. ” The next level As a result, some of the school’s KS4 students have been able to take their All are WELCOME 72 teachwire.net/secondary