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Background to Active Schools

Active Schools

Active Schools is a term given to all schools in Scotland that provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to get active to the extent that it makes a positive contribution to their health. The fundamental aim of the Active Schools network is to offer all children and young people the opportunities and motivation to adopt active, healthy lifestyles, now and into adulthood.

 

A National Network

Active Schools is made up of a national network of Managers and Coordinators who are now well established in all of Scotland's 32 Local Authorities.  As a result, more people are helping to deliver activities, more children and young people are getting more opportunities to be active and most importantly, there is evidence that more pupils are meeting recommended daily physical activity levels.

 

Both sportscotland’s monitoring and independent evaluation* of the Active Schools Network tell highlights that significant progress has been made towards delivering its fundamental aim.

 

* carried out by the Loughborough Consortium during the first three years of the Active Schools Network

 

An image of the Active Schools Logo

Rationale

In February 2003, Active Schools was identified as a key element of the Scottish Executive’s drive to get Scotland more active; a commitment outlined in the National Physical Activity Strategy, Let’s Make Scotland More Active. The Scottish Executive worked to develop a range of partnerships and establish actions needed to take this work forward under the banner of the Healthy Living Campaign. More recently, the Scottish Government has taken on this role and Active Schools now comes under the banner of Healthier Scotland.

 

The National Strategy for Sport, Reaching Higher, highlights Active Schools as one of the key successes of Sport 21 (the previous National Strategy).  Going forward, Active Schools has a critical role to play in realising the vision for Scotland laid out within Reaching Higher.  Active Schools also makes a major contribution to the roles and actions laid out for local authorities within this strategy. sportscotland identifies Active Schools as a key priority throughout 2007-2011 in its Corporate Plan. 

 

In addition, Active Schools contributes to the aims and objectives of a number of other documents and initiatives including:

 

 

 

Local Authority Contribution

As well as contributing toward West Dunbartonshire Council’s Local Improvement Objectives and Service Plan, Active Schools align their aims to those in the Corporate and Community Plan and the Joint Health Improvement Plan.

 

Active Schools has embedded itself into Primary and Secondary schools and since its formation has had a significant role to play in assisting all schools achieving Health Promoting Schools status. All schools will be supported and challenged through the Active Schools Partnership Agreement 2008-2011 and through Active Schools Annual Action plans.

 

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