The Importance
Sport / Outdoor Education and Extra curricular
THE IMPORTANCE
Sport, outdoor education and extracurricular provision are important for many reasons:-
They increase a pupil’s confidence and resilience, essential in life but also useful in the classroom and in exam preparation.
They enable a pupil to establish better teacher / pupil relationships which in turn means our teachers can identify a pupil’s strengths and weaknesses easier and have a dialogue that enables them to develop them.
They introduce a pupil to lifelong interests and hobbies.
They also provide a depth and a roundness to our children and young people which gives them an edge when it comes to personal statements and curriculum vitae for university or indeed employment
And they quite often lead to careers … for example
Mr Sean Kitchen, Rydal Penrhos PE teacher
Sean participated in an extracurricular activity every night when he was in Rydal Penrhos, most of them sporting activities. During year 7, 8 and 9 he says he was “influenced by the teachers through the standard of activity that was provided and the engagement and enjoyment I gained out of participating.”
Moving through the years into years 10-13 he discovered that teachers allowed them to develop their own coaching drills and they were given the independence to influence what they did in the session, working on strengths and weaknesses. This gave him his first real insight into coaching specific sports, making plans and delivering ideas.
Sean played cricket for Wales U11s all the way through to U17s. He also played 1st Team Cricket, Hockey and Rugby at School all through years 11, 12 and 13.
Sean studied A Levels in PE, Maths and Biology and after leaving school went to university to study Sport and PE at Cardiff Metropolitan University (2014-2017).
He then had a year out working in Cardiff as a Bar Manager (2017-2018). Following that he did his PE Secondary PGCE at Cardiff Metropolitan (2018-2019). And then started in his first job teaching sport here in Rydal Penrhos.
Sean says: “ I would say the extra-curricular programme helped me find my career. I was influenced by teachers throughout the school day and during the extracurricular activities. Although my main experience was in sport and developing my sporting skills, I found with most, if not all, extra-curricular activities there was the opportunity to develop key skills like leadership, communication and teamwork. I had the opportunity to stand up and explain a drill in hockey, or deliver a presentation or make a key decision all in front of my peers and a teacher. Without having the opportunity to develop these key skills during the extracurricular programme I would not be in the career I am in today.”