High Crags Primary Leadership Academy has been encouraging families to get more physically active by hosting a series of alternative fitness workshops.
The school has joined the JU:MP initiative, which stands for ‘Join Us Move Play’. The programme encourages children and parents to take activities to improve their health aside from regular sports and clubs. It has been funded by the National Lottery through Sport England who are aiming to better understand what helps people to be active in their communities.
Pupils have also been empowered to take up leadership roles, with 20 Year 6 pupils working as JU:MP champions at a family fun day at the school. The pupil leaders helped to run the event where parents and children took part in a carousel of activities.
In total, the parents of 162 children attended the family events, in a bid to encourage them to think differently about how they stay fit at home.
Through JU:MP, staff at the school have also received training on activities like skipping, with the activity now widely being used throughout the school by pupils at playtimes and breaktimes, while scooter clubs have been introduced as another alternative way for pupils to stay active.
Principal at High Crags Primary Leadership Academy, Helen Ray, said:
“We have a big focus on sport our school, but the difference with JU:MP is about engaging in physical activity as a collective and taking that home to families. The project aims to promote regular activity, so we hope that even when the JU:MP project finishes families will remain motivated to exercise together.”