Active Schools Virtual Awards: Collaboration Award

Castlebrae PEPAS

The Castlebrae neighbourhood are committed to PEPAS (Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport) and have on many occasions been highlighted as delivering good practice. Castlebrae PEPAS meet termly and run five events throughout the year with each primary school leading on an event. All primary schools attend with all events being held at Castlebrae CHS. Senior pupils from Castlebrae CHS lead the stations within these events. Castlebrae neighbourhood works in partnership with Edinburgh Leisure Community Sports Hub who run events at Castlebrae CHS also involving all the primary cluster pupils and local sports clubs using the high school facilities.

All schools in the neighbourhood are very supportive of the Active Schools programme and work in partnership to promote the programme to pupils, families, carers and staff within school. Staff across the cluster support pupils to attend events and sport competitions to ensure pupils can take part in as many opportunities as possible. 

Forrester PEPAS

The Forrester PEPAS group did not exist two years ago and many primary schools were initially not keen to engage with the group.  Nicole Christie (Curriculum Leader) at Forrester took on the role of setting up the PEPAS group and getting cluster schools on board. The Forrester PE department delivered two training sessions which were well received by primary staff and have had a significant impact on their confidence to deliver PE. 

Communication is better between schools and there is a calendar of events throughout the year that is discussed as a group.  Schools now work more effectively together creating an improved transition to high school. This complete turnaround to the cluster, now having an effective PEPAS group, has been positively received and beneficial to both staff and pupils alike.

Balerno PEPAS

A collaborative approach is at the heart of the Balerno PEPAS group. The group comprises of representatives from each of the schools, the Active Schools Coordinator and includes Kirknewton PS (West Lothian). Over the past two years the group has developed an excellent transition programme which focuses on all P7 pupils as soon as they begin their final year in primary. This has led to the delivery of an outdoor sports event delivered in collaboration with the local clubs, the high school PE department and young leaders from Balerno HS. This model is replicated for the Ceilidh and Summer Games event. The group has also developed a “Benchmark Bible” for PE. This document sets out a programme of delivery which allows opportunities for all pupils to demonstrate the relevant benchmarks for their stage in PE across a variety of sports.