Health and Fitness
Our Approach
The Health and Fitness curriculum at ACE Tiverton provides opportunities for our students to:
- adopt a fitter and healthier lifestyle
- develop competence to be effective participants in a wide range of physical activities
- understand the importance of a healthy diet
- learn how to be safe and healthy, and how to manage their academic, personal and social lives in a positive way.
All students at ACE Tiverton are timetabled to have 3 Health and Fitness lessons per week, consisting of a combination of practical and theory lessons.
During practical lessons, students participate in a wide range of physical activities including:
- Swimming
- Climbing
- Circuit Training
- Football
- Handball
- Cricket
- Trampolining
Theory lessons incorporate the ‘healthy living’ strand of our ‘Horizons’ curriculum with the aims of:
- developing students’ knowledge to help them make sound decisions when facing risks and challenges in a variety of situations, while also promoting spiritual, moral, social, cultural, mental and physical development of learners at school and within society.
- providing students with the knowledge and skills that will enable them to make informed decisions about their wellbeing, health and relationships.
Case Study
This academic year, we teamed up with Exeter Trampoline Academy to deliver a bespoke physical activity programme. Research has shown that children with autism can benefit from sitting or bouncing on a trampoline. Trampolining itself is a very gentle form of exercise, because the bouncy trampoline pad soaks up a large proportion of the impact.
As well as releasing endorphins and chemicals in the brain, it can improve motor coordination and fundamental movement skills. Additionally, trampolining helps create a euphoric feeling of freedom gained by bouncing through the air. According to healthguidance.org “The repetitive stimulation of bouncing into a rebounding surface helps teach the body over a period of time how to read those impulses it has not been able to interpret.”
With the support and guidance from the coaches at Exeter trampoline Academy, KS3 and KS4 students at ACE Tiverton have been able to work towards a Trampoline Proficiency Award.
“Bouncing on the trampoline is so much fun, it makes me feel calm and it is a good form of exercise”
KS3 student: ACE Tiverton
“It is very pleasing to see the level of engagement and how bouncing on a trampoline can help alleviate stress and anxiety”
Teaching Assistant: ACE Tiverton
Photos
