ISSUES AND CHALLENGES FOR ITT PROVIDERS AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

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ISSUES AND CHALLENGESFOR ITT PROVIDERS AND
PHYSICAL EDUCATION

• 17th April 2008

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DEFENCE

• RECOGNISING AND RESPONDING TO PRESSURES

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ITT SYSTEMIC

• Decreased allocations for ITT places effects
  differentially experienced
• Larger providers, smaller providers
• Primary, secondary specialist numbers lack of
  linked strategic understanding
• Pressure on PGCE places
• TDA standards uncertain, ill-defined
  relationships with inspection frameworks
• Decreased subject based inspections prevent
  recognition of quality ( lack of quality!)
• Variable school-based opportunities for trainees
• Paucity of robust evidence about effectiveness of
  alternative provision
• Compliance rarely interrogated, questioned.

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HEI PRESSURES/CHALLENGES

• Falling units of resource, pressures on contact
  hours v/s concern for standards
• Marginality of ITT in many HEIs, physical
  education sometimes marginal within ITT staff
  vulnerable
• Structural divisions between QTS physical
  education provision and non-QTS provision,
  pre-professional degree courses
• Stretched expectations of staff professional
  updating, RAE, inspections etc

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POLICY PRESSURES, EXPECTATIONS OPPORTUNITIES

• Physical education the only subject in NC with
  pressures from 3 policy areas
• Education (NCPE, curriculum reviews, self
  assessment, etc etc) effects on subjects and
  their identity/visibility)
• Sport (PESSCL PESSYP) a sport-led strategy,
  largely funded by DCSF radical effects on
  career expectations progression
• Health crisis of childhood obesity, public
  concern focusing largely on food intake,
  unrealistic expectations for physical education.

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OFFENCE

• UNDERSTANDING SITUATIONS AND SEEING OPPORTUNITIES

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HEI AUTONOMY -SOLUTIONS IN YOUR HANDS

• Represent physical education provision as a
  strength (recruitment, contribution to university
  life, reputation etc)
• Control of pre-professional provision
  opportunities to set clearer admissions criteria
  raise standards professional expectations for
  ITT
• ?Has the sport science bubble burst?
  opportunities?
• ECM Childrens Plan opportunities for newly
  aligned provision
• Re-position role of PGCE.

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HOW CAN afPE HELP?

• At national level
• Challenging influencing decisions, raising
  awareness and political profile (usually a long
  game)
• Making the case for physical education
  advocacy
• Taking the lead and setting the agenda for
  physical education
• Providing opportunities, support for professional
  development, peer support, sharing practice
  empowerment
• Synthesis between policy, practice and research.

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CONSISTENCY AND CLARITY

• The aim of Physical Education is systematically
  to develop physical competence so that children
  are able to move efficiently, effectively and
  safely and understand what they are doing. The
  outcome physical literacy is as important to
  childrens education and development as numeracy
  and literacy.

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afPE BASELINE POSITIONPHYSICAL EDUCATION

• A statutory entitlement in the UK
• TWO MAJOR DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
• Focus on learning (and teaching) - quality
• Inclusion an entitlement for ALL children.

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DIVERSITY PROJECT

• afPE with Ethnic Minority Foundation
• Recognition that physical education ITT
  recruitment the least diverse (2) of all NC
  subjects
• Aim to raise awareness among ITT providers,
  increase capacity of BME voluntary organisations
  to promote physical education ITT for BME
• Outcome project had scratched the surface,
  raised more questions than answers, BUT
• afPE credibility with BME community, meeting with
  Muslim Council, guidance
• Relationships between national structural data on
  inequalities, and data on PA, sport
  participation
• Issues of school exclusion, BME students
  experiences of HE
• Institutional barriers whiteness, lack of
  commitment to admissions v/s selection inertia
  from pressure on places
• TDA grant Leeds Met leading project Anne
  Flintoff

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CHALLENGES FOR afPE

• Reframe physical education and its role in
  education and sport
• Redefine physical educations professional
  purpose - to develop and promote physical
  literacy (both individual and institutional)

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REFRAME CURRICULUM MODEL

• Foundation physical education 3-7 developmental,
  fundamental, generic.
• Formative physical education 7-14 developmental,
  progressively specific defined by conventional
  forms.
• Physical education life skills, 14-19.

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CHALLENGES FOR afPE

• Undertake the political role to transform
  curriculum models, to reflect distinctive role of
  physical education
• Serve our members
• Express what is special about physical education
  holistic development, joys of movement and
  physical engagement, contact with nature,
  achievement, beauty, respect.

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afPE COMMITMENTS

• Continuing campaign on primary ITT and
  compliance
• Foundation Physical Education Framework to be
  released promoted soon
• Academic rationale for physical literacy well
  advanced, book proposal seminar
• Formative Physical Education to be developed
  during summer 2008
• Health Position Statement to be available by end
  April
• Manifesto for Physical Education to be promoted
  at Party Conferences, Autumn 2008
• Continue to push for focus on quality, inclusion
• Ongoing support through NCfCPD, ITT Network,
  regions HCs
• Advocacy materials development.

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YOUR CHALLENGES?
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ITT NETWORK YOUR AGENDA