5th March 2008

Sayers Spearheads New Teaching Resource

 

6 March 2008

 

 

UK Athletics today launched the revised Norwich Union elevating:athletics teaching resource supported by the National Sports Foundation and the NASUWT with British record holder Goldie Sayers at The Heathland School, Hounslow.

 

The high quality resource, which has been vastly improved from the original version based on feedback from teachers, contains lesson cards, technical advice and a DVD.

 

UKA will be distributing the resource free to every state primary and secondary school in the UK, thanks to generous funding from Norwich Union, the National Sports Foundation and the NASUWT, the largest union representing teachers and head teachers throughout the UK.

 

Goldie Sayers, who is hoping to be part of Team GB at the Beijing Olympic Games this summer, hosted a masterclass on the fundamental skills of javelin at The Heathland School. Commenting on the new resource, she said:

 

“I am delighted to be part of the launch of Norwich Union elevating:athletics. As an athlete I understand the importance of excellent teaching in schools, athletics sometimes struggles to compete with other sports at school.

 

“I was fortunate to have a very positive experience of athletics in school. My teacher at King’s School, Ely, Cambridgeshire gave me a lot of encouragement and I benefited from taking part in school competition before joining a club. The fact that NASUWT and NSF are also involved just shows how important we all believe it is to have a solid grounding in athleticism, whatever sport you might go on to do.”

 

UK Athletics’ Chief Executive Niels de Vos said:

”The core skills of athletics – running, jumping and throwing – form the building blocks of all sports. Norwich Union elevating:athletics is written by independent education experts to provide a physical literacy syllabus designed specifically for use in today’s schools irrespective of the facilities available, at both primary and secondary level.”

 

Tanya Veingard, Head of Sponsorship at Norwich Union said:

 

“Norwich Union is proud of its commitment to athletics from playground to podium. Our sponsorship of elevating:athletics builds on the investment in community programmes such as Norwich Union star:track, Norwich Union sports:hall and Norwich Union shine:awards, all of which ultimately benefit our goal of getting 15 million children active by 2012”

 

Thomas Godfrey, Sport England’s Commercial Director, said:

 

“The National Sports Foundation is delighted to be working with UK Athletics, Norwich Union and the NASUWT to deliver elevating:athletics . We rely on the commitment and enthusiasm of sports coaches and teachers using this resource to make a real difference to the lives of young people through sport.

“The National Sports Foundation is managed by Sport England to encourage partnerships between private investors and community sport. The National Sports Foundation matches new and additional private investment with Foundation funding on a pound for pound basis.”

 

Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT said:

“NASUWT is delighted to be backing Norwich Union elevating:athletics. Having the Olympic Games on these shores will no doubt have a huge influence across the United Kingdom. We hope that this valuable resource will influence future Champions making their start in athletics. NASUWT has every confidence that Norwich Union elevating:athletics will help create a lasting sports legacy for pupils and teachers across the UK."

 

For further information on Elevating Athletics e-mail Graham Norris on gnorris@ukathletics.org.uk