THE Sky Blues have joined forces with local School Sports Co-ordinators (SSCO's) to roll out the 'Good Sports' scheme at schools across the city.

During the 07/08 season, more than 14,000 pupils from over 50 primary schools on the west side of Coventry competed in their classes to collect minutes of physical activity on a specially designed game board.

The game board, a laminated poster displayed in each classroom, helps teachers record the amount of time spent doing additional physical activity in addition to scheduled PE lessons.  A ball travels around the board from shirt one to shirt eleven then onto the 'subs bench'. Each shirt represents 10 minutes of activity. Government targets suggest children should be doing 120 minutes of additional activity per week so classes reaching the subs bench know they are meeting government guidelines.

Many of the schools, with help from their SSCO's, have come up with some new and imaginative activities that have proved popular with the children. Math's classes at Cannon Park Primary School now begin with a session of maths aerobics. Each number has its own 'dance' move. As teachers call out the sums, pupils act out the equation then dance the answer.

And English classes have become a lot more interesting at Parkhill Primary where the children's spelling classes come with a twist - using different parts of the body to spell out the words.

SSCO's compare results from every class at the end of each term and the most active classes receive the real reward; a player visit from a Coventry City star.

Stuart Davoile from the Coventry West School Sports Partnership said: "As I understand this is the first link of its kind in the Country and has been a huge success. The Football Club provide the 'money can't buy reward' and this has really motivated the schools, teachers and pupils to be more active. Teachers and SSCO's are telling me that pupils are happier and concentration in class is improving too."

The scheme was launched at Cannon Park Primary School in the winter of the 07/08 season. Jay Tabb and Dimi Konstantopoulos joined in activities at the school before classes across west Coventry began competing for a similar prize.

Jon Doherty, Partnership Manager, commented: "The scheme is excellent motivation for staff and pupils. The positive effect the Coventry players have is excellent. It is worthy to note how positive a role physical activity and football players can have on a young person's life."

Following the schemes success in 07/08, Coventry Sports Partnership and Coventry City Football Club will be rolling the scheme out in the remaining primary schools on the City's east side in September.

For further information on the scheme, please contact your school's Sports Co-ordinator or alternatively email lara.thorns@ccfc.co.uk.

FACTS

What is a School Sports Partnership?

The School Sports Partnership is a government initiative that aims to enhance sports opportunities for pupils across the country. Small 'families' of schools are clustered together so that primary schools, secondary schools and, where available, specialist sports colleges can work together to deliver high quality sports programmes.

In each partnership, one teacher from each secondary school spends two days a week in the role of School Sport Coordinator (SSCO), liaising with the primary and special schools within the group to create links that allow the pupils access to better facilities and coaching.

Overall, the initiative aims to help all schools develop links that contribute to better PE strategies, better secondary/primary links, enhanced extra curricular out-of-hours opportunities and coaching, officiating and leadership opportunities for senior pupils, teachers and other adults.