1. Welcome Ulster Sports Outreach Sport for LIFE

2. Director Ulster Sports Outreach
Introductions
Dr Deirdre Brennan
Director Ulster Sports Outreach
Project Leader
Dr Gavin Breslin
Sport for LIFE
Principal Researcher

3. What is Sport for LIFE?
The ‘Sport for LIFE’ is a 12 week physical activity & health programme designed to give primary 5
children from areas of greatest disadvantage
in Northern Ireland the opportunity to
increase knowledge and understanding of the
benefits of regular participation in sport and
physical activity.

4. What is Sport for LIFE?
The project also aims to develop
undergraduate students’ and professional
teachers’ knowledge and experience in
delivering physical activity sessions to
primary aged pupils.

5. Goals of Sport for LIFE?
1. Increase knowledge and awareness of the benefits
of participation in sport, physical activity and
healthy eating in schoolchildren aged 8-9 years from
the most socio-economically disadvantaged
areas of Northern Ireland.
2. Develop knowledge and expertise of
undergraduate sports students who are aspiring
physical education teachers, primary school
teachers , sports coaches and development
officers.

6. 3. Transfer university expertise and knowledge in sport
Goals of Sport for LIFE?
3. Transfer university expertise and knowledge in sport
and physical activity to primary school teachers
through the delivery of this programme and the
development of educational resources and interactive
website.

7. The 12 week programme Sport for LIFE Festival
Wk 1 :What is Sport for Life
Wk 2: Heart Health 1: Healthy Hearts
Wk 3: Heart Health 2: Don’t break my heart
Wk 4: Mr & Ms Muscles: Upper Body
Wk 5: Mr & Ms Muscles: Lower Body
Wk 6: Physical Activities for Outdoor
Wk 7 : Physical Activity for Indoor
Wk 8: Eatwell : Eat Smart
Wk 9: Eat and Drink for Energy
Wk 10: Energy in = Energy Out
Wk 11: Feel Good
Wk 12: Team Challenge
Sport for LIFE Festival

8. Sport for LIFE Resources
Teacher Resource

9. Sport for LIFE Resources
3. Sports Equipment
Partnership T-Shirts

10. Three Tier Delivery Method
USO
Student Volunteer
Primary School
Transfer of Knowledge

11. Roles & Responsibilities of Each Partner
Roles & Responsibilities of Each Partner

12. University Responsibilities
Design educational resources and materials to support the programme
Identify and recruit schools in the most socially and economically
deprived areas of NI
Recruit sport science/studies student volunteers
Facilitate expert training in the delivery of Sport for LIFE
Recruit celebrity ambassadors for the programme
Research and evaluate the impact of the programme

13. School Responsibilities
Heads of Agreement
The school is required to sign the project Heads of Agreement which details the responsibilities of the school, the student volunteer and the University Sports Outreach Unit.
The student volunteer will meet with the school 2 weeks prior to programme commencement to talk through ongoing delivery procedures

14. Student Responsibilities Preliminary Meeting with P5 Teacher
Introductory DVD
Review of Teaching Resource folder showing
week by week session plans and teachers notes
Decide / Agree session delivery procedures
Decide / Agree session review procedures

15. Quality Programme Delivery
The programme will only be as good as
those that deliver it
Large onus on the partnership between the
primary 5 teacher and the student volunteer to
breathe life into Sport for LIFE!
We expect our students to be enthusiastic,
motivated, passionate, hard working.
Adherence to roles and responsibilities to
ensure quality delivery

16. University Benefits economic disadvantage
Widen access to the University of Ulster to children from areas of social and
economic disadvantage
Contributes to the economic and social well-being of its local community
Ensure students have the appropriate guidance and support to reach their
highest levels of achievement
Maintain a comprehensive and targeted programme of outreach in order to
increase opportunities and raise aspirations of young people for Higher
Education
Highlight the social, physical and psychological benefits of participating in
sport and physical activity

17. Primary School Benefits
12 week educational resource including teaching cards, a supporting DVD
and a bag of sports equipment.
Access to the Sport for LIFE website with additional resources for classroom based
work on physical activity and health
An opportunity to work in partnership with a student volunteer who is trained to
deliver the 12 week PA & health programme
Schools will receive the results of the monitoring and evaluation of the ‘Sport for
LIFE’ project
Gain an opportunity to contribute to promoting PA and health to all class pupils
Receive an invitation to participate in Sport for LIFE festivals with other participating
schools hosted on a UU campus
All pupils and teachers receive a Sport for LIFE t-shirt

18. Student Volunteer Benefits
Receive training from experts in the University on the delivery of Sport for LIFE
Gain valuable K&E working with children in an education setting
Have an opportunity to work alongside a professional teacher
Gain a clear insight into education in the primary sector
Gain K & E that will aid them in a teaching/coaching career
Exposure to a team of multi disciplinary researchers and the research
project gaining valuable experience in evaluating a PA programme
Have an opportunity to contribute to promoting PA to 3000 children in NI

19. Research and Evaluation
Research and Evaluation

20. Research Training/Team

21. Research and Evaluation Year 1
Pre and post Intervention Survey for
1. Pupils
Overall Knowledge base
Self esteem
Activity levels
Nutrition
Additional sub sample measure of physical activity levels and their intensity, 7 days pre and post intervention (with accelerometers).
2. Teachers
Knowledge & attitude towards PA, & health promotion in the school
context
Expectations of the project
3. Students
Motivations, knowledge & experience

22. Year 1 Findings – Pupil Results
Self Esteem
Findings pre and post intervention indicate that (at post intervention) all
sub domains of self-esteem were higher in those children who achieved
the physical activity guidelines than those who did not.
In particular children’s scores in athletic competence and global self-worth
were the highest.
Physical Activity
The findings on pupil physical activity levels pre and post intervention indicate
that the 12-week school-based intervention resulted in significant increases in
light, moderate and vigorous physical activity measured using an accelerometer,
compared to a group who did not receive the intervention.
Furthermore boys were more active than girls, with 37% and 28% respectively
achieving the recommended physical activity guidelines post intervention.

23. Pupil Results Cont’d
Nutrition
Within the research sample 30.8% of boys and 31.7% of girls were
classified as overweight/obese with some 28.3% of boys and 35.1% of girls
exceeding the recommended weight-to-height ratio of 0.5 at baseline.
A greater percentage of girls than boys were achieving ‘healthy food
behaviour’ targets (61.0% vs. 38.5% respectively) at baseline.

24. Year 1 Findings – Teacher Results
(7/8) Year 5 class teachers and all head teachers reported engagement
in the programme provided very good to excellent practical experience
in the delivery of PA
The majority of teachers (6/8) & head teachers (7/8) reported the quality
of the partnership delivery between the teacher & student as excellent
or very good
All teachers and head teachers reported that an outcome of the SFL
project was that hey were able to collate ‘new ideas’
All teachers and head teachers reported that the SFL programme
complemented their PDMU and PE curricula
(5/8) Teachers reported preferring outside support to aid them in their delivery

25. Year 1 Findings – Student Results
Students strongly agreed that their involvement in the programme enhanced
their personal (3.7) and professional (3.7) development.
Students stated an increase in confidence (3.7) and subject knowledge (3.7)
delivering PA and health sessions to children aged 8-9 in a school setting
Students (3.3) agreed their educational aspirations had been raised
Students (3.4) agreed that they had strong communication skills as a result of
delivering the programme
Students (3.3) agreed pre intervention and strongly agreed (3.8) post
intervention that the teaching resource provided to support the PA sessions was
very useful

26. Success to Date WHO – World Health Organisation
Selected as a best practice case study
Olympic 2012 ‘Inspire Mark Award’
AfPE
Endorsement from the Association for Physical Education

27. Success to Date
Volunteer NOW (200 Hour Award)
40 students successful

28. Future Programme Development
Year 2 Research
Teacher Survey
Head Teacher Survey
Student Volunteer Survey
Year 3 Sustainability
Train pre service primary school teachers in NI
University of Ulster Coleraine, Stranmillis & St Mary’s
Teacher Training Colleges

29. Questions ?

30. Contact Details Deirdre Brennan Director Ulster Sports Outreach
Tel:
Gavin Breslin
Sport for LIFE Lead
Researcher
Tel: