Developing a feasible, sustainable and inclusive physical activity intervention in a case study primary school

This poster will present details of a primary school physical activity intervention which has been designed for implementation in a case study school located in a city in the Midlands, UK. The aim of the research is to develop... [ view full abstract ]

This poster will present details of a primary school physical activity intervention which has been designed for implementation in a case study school located in a city in the Midlands, UK. The aim of the research is to develop a feasible, sustainable and inclusive physical activity intervention for a primary school. The intervention was designed by a practitioner researcher who is a teacher in the school, in collaboration with other class teachers. The school is in a deprived area of the city with a diverse ethnic population where previous research has revealed that many pupils' do not meet current physical activity recommendations.

The main barriers to intervention implementation in schools have been found to be time and a supportive climate. In particular, there is mounting pressure on primary teachers to improve attainment in literacy and mathematics leaving less time for other subjects. In addition, for physical activity interventions to be feasible, sustainable and successful, they need to be easy to deliver by teachers, involve minimum training, and be supported with user friendly resources. In order for interventions to be inclusive and enjoyable for pupils, the content furthermore needs to provide choice, be varied and progressive, features which are arguably lacking in some physical activity programmes. These were considerations which informed the design of this intervention.

The intervention thus comprises of a short bout of physical activity each day during curriculum time to encourage pupils' routine and regular participation. Alongside a choice and variety of different physical activities and games, age appropriate and culturally relevant activities and health information messages have been planned as part of the intervention to promote pupils’ learning about healthy active lifestyles. 

To evaluate the intervention, pupils’ physical activity, attitudes and learning will be determined via a mixed methods approach involving pedometers, questionnaires and focus group interviews.