Colchester United Football in the Community will welcome schools from across Essex to Colchester later this month, as they host a conference designed at addressing issues faced by Primary School teachers involved in Physical Education.
The inaugural event is being held at the Shrub End Community Centre on 22nd November 2018 and is open to all schools across the county.
The Colchester United Football in the Community programme already delivers Physical Education in over 50 schools within Colchester and Tendring and the surrounding areas.
Mark Harris, who was a PE Teacher and senior manager for almost 30 years before joining the U’s community programme has acted upon the feedback from coaching staff and the teachers themselves.
He said: "It’s quite clear that the current problems facing children’s health and fitness is going to dramatically change the way we teach in the future and I am not sure that we have seen what’s over the horizon.
"Consequently, we feel that we are in a position to assist schools by ensuring that we have a forum where we can share best practice and seek advice from professional practitioners."
The conference will kick off with key note speaker, Adrian Coggins, who is the Head of Public Health and Wellbeing Commissioning at Essex County Council. Adrian will discuss with delegates how the pattern of health across Essex and the UK will dramatically change and how this may affect future physical education programmes.
Mark will also be delivering a workshop on innovative approaches to teaching and coaching in schools. One of the themes he will touch upon is creativity and how PE Programmes can enhance the creative skills of children.
"Creativity is something that touches every subject but it is something teachers just don’t always have the time to address due to the pressures on teacher time. We want to develop and deliver programmes where the creative skills are an intrinsic part of the overall experience for each child," he added.
The conference will also provide a forum where teachers can share and compare their own experiences.
Mark explained: "We want to create a network where we can really help schools in the delivery of their Physical Education programmes. That is why this conference is so important.
"We will build upon its success in the years to come and work in partnership with local schools and teachers to develop the life opportunities for our children."
Colchester United Football in the Community do not just deliver PE. They now offer teaching groups for English and Mathematics as part of the Premier League Primary Stars initiative along with other ground breaking sessions on knife crime and cardio-active health.
If you would like to attend the conference or discuss with Mark about any related issues you can contact him via e-mail at mark.harris@colchesterunited.net