Lotto Funding for Scotland's first sports comprehensives
Friday 14 May 2004
A revolutionary pilot scheme using sport to raise self-esteem and motivation in three Scottish comprehensive schools received a massive lottery cash boost today. Sports Minister Frank McAveety announced the award to Scotland’s first ever sports comprehensives from the New Opportunities Fund, the Scottish Executive and sportscotland Lottery Fund.
The £3.7 million lottery funding package means that these three schools which form a National Educational Pilot will soon have 21st Century sporting facilities. The sports comprehensives are based within three North Lanarkshire schools, St Maurice’s High, Cumbernauld, Braidhurst High, Motherwell and St Margaret’s High, Airdrie.
North Lanarkshire Council have pioneered the creation of these very first Sports comprehensives in Scotland adapted from the specialist schools system being introduced south of the Border as part of a government policy to raise standards.
Speaking at St Margaret’s High in Airdrie Frank McAveety, Minister for Sport welcomed this substantial investment. He said: “I welcome today’s announcement. It’s a tremendous example of partnership working at its best where we have a range of bodies coming together to provide first class sports facilities for the young people and wider communities of North Lanarkshire. We have to offer people a modern and pleasant environment if we are to achieve our aim of increasing participation in sport. These new and refurbished facilities will help with our efforts in this as well as encouraging more people to become more active more often.”
The New Opportunities Fund, the biggest of the National Lottery good cause distributors, today announces £3,044,700 for the three schools. Funding comes from the New Opportunities for PE and Sport (Facilities) programme. Rona Alexander Head of Operations New Opportunities Fund Scotland said: “I am delighted to announce £3 million for this innovative project, which is a first for Scotland. These three schools will now offer new and modernised sports and PE facilities fit, for the 21st Century, giving people of all ages the chance to take part in regular exercise, whatever their circumstances.
“Coupled with the £2 million we announced for sporting activities in this area last year we believe can have a lasting impact. For young people we hope this funding marks the beginning of a healthier, more active lifestyle and the opportunity to develop their sporting talents and for the community at large that these new facilities motivate them to become more active.”
Ian Robson, Chief Executive, sportscotland, said: “We are delighted to have supported the improved facilities at the three sports comprehensive schools with an award of £700,000 from the Lottery Fund’s Sports Facilities Programme.
Ian Robson, Chief Executive, sportscotland, said: “We are delighted to have supported the improved facilities at the three sports comprehensive schools with an award of £700,000 from the Lottery Fund’s Sports Facilities Programme. Our aim is to get more people, more active, more often and this initiative is an excellent example of this vision in action.
“This award reflects our commitment to widening the opportunities for young people, their families and the wider community to participate in sport and, more importantly make physical activity a life-time habit, through supporting the development of accessible and affordable facilities to encourage more people to adopt healthy lifestyles.”
The pilot is an advocate of comprehensive schooling, and rather than offering a selective process in North Lanarkshire the schools aims to raise pupils’ self-esteem and motivation and in turn, raise achievement through the use of sport throughout the curriculum.
The sports comprehensives are also being supported through the Scottish Executive’s Future Learning & Teaching (FLaT) Programme. Funding of £260,000 is being provided to help explore new ways of using participation in sport to improve diversity & flexibility in the curriculum with the three schools, linked to promoting the Executive’s wider priorities of social and educational inclusion, health/fitness & citizenship.
North Lanarkshire Council Director of Education Michael O’Neill explained the rationale behind the Sports Comprehensives. He said, “North Lanarkshire Council’s ‘Raising Achievement For All’ policy recognises that education is about much more than academic success, important though this is. These days, youngsters need to develop a range of skills and personal qualities, so that they can play an active role as citizens of the future. “The sports comprehensives play a central role in delivering this commitment and this pilot is designed to take a broad based view of physical education and sport that will support individuals and schools in the development of self-esteem, motivation and raising achievement levels.
“In North Lanarkshire we were anxious to avoid any hint of elitism and we wanted something different from the selective specialist schools found elsewhere in Scotland and England. Our model is not necessarily about producing elite sportsmen and women, it’s more about encouraging a lifelong interest in sport, promoting a healthy lifestyle and raising achievement by taking a comprehensive school and enhancing its ability to deliver sport and PE.”
Convener of the Education Committee, Councillor Charles Gray, is delighted at the success of the Sports Comprehensives. He said, “From the outset, progress in each of the three schools has far exceeded expectations, thanks to the commitment and support of the headteachers, and the energy and enthusiasm of the key staff. All heads have reported an improvement in ethos and attitude in their schools and if youngsters are turning up at school better motivated and with a better attitude and better behaviour, they will do well in other subjects as well.
“Already, strong links have been forged with neighbouring schools, club links are being developed, local primaries are fully involved, out of school hours activities are flourishing, and links are being made with other areas of the curriculum.”
He added, “This welcome additional funding will provide excellent new facilities at the three sports comprehensives in North Lanarkshire, meaning that our youngsters and those in the community that use them can benefit from the very latest state of the art facilities to improve their health and fitness.”
Notes to Editors
St Margaret’s Sport Comprehensive, Airdrie
New Opportunities Fund grant: £1,131,000 sportscotland grant: £233,332
To revamp and extend the existing indoor sports hall and to fit a new sprung floor to reduce the risk of stress-related injuries. This funding will also provide additional changing rooms, storage space and a new community entrance and club room. Outdoors the existing unused synthetic turf pitch will be resurfaced to make it safe for local youngsters and wider community groups to enjoy sporting activities. Over 3,595 school children and 2,555 community members will benefit.
St Maurice’s Sport Comprehensive, Cumbernauld
New Opportunities Fund grant: £1,313,700 sportscotland grant: £233,332
To build a new sports centre, including a four court sports hall, a fitness room with cardiovascular equipment and changing rooms with disabled access. This will be used by 1,100 pupils from the school, 2,911 from other schools, and 1,122 from the wider community of Westfield in Cumbernauld. This will encourage users to develop healthy lifestyles, participate in physical activity and develop self esteem.
Braidhurst Comprehensive, Motherwell
New Opportunities Fund grant: £600,000 sportscotland grant: £233,332
Braidhurst Sports Comprehensive in Motherwell will construct a new 2-storey extension to the existing 3 court sports barn with a semi-sprung wooden floor, additional changing rooms, storage, club/class room and a fitness area. The improvements will allow for a wider range and number of sports and physical activities for 1,983 school children and 544 other people from the wider community.
In May 2003 the New Opportunities Fund awarded ££2,681,599 to North Lanarkshire Council from the New Opportunities For PE and Sport (Activities) strand to provide a range of innovative sporting activities including kayaking, skiing, basketball and dance across the area. These activities include the sports leadership awards as well as diversionary activities for young people at risk of truanting or offending aimed at encouraging young people to make more positive life choices.
New Opportunities for PE and sport is an £87 million programmes launched in March 2002. The initiative has two separate strands:
1. New Opportunities for PE & Sport – Facilities: £52 million gross for projects designed to bring about a step change in the provision of sporting facilities for the young and the community generally. Including today’s figures, grants totalling £17.3 million have been awarded from this strand.
2. New Opportunities for PE & Sport – Activities: £35 million gross for both Out of School Hours sporting and cultural activities for 5-16 year-olds, and activities designed specifically to divert young people away from anti social behaviour or behaviour likely to lead to crime. (NB: this diversionary strand is known as Active Steps)
All areas of Scotland will benefit from both strands of this programme.
To date New Opportunities for PE & Sport – Activities grants totalling over £33 million have been announced.
Later this year, the New Opportunities Fund and the Community Fund will merge in advance of creating a new National Lottery distributor that will administer 50 per cent of all good cause funding. The merger will not affect current programmes, beneficiaries or applications. Further details on the new lottery distributor are expected to be available in Spring 2004.
The Scottish Executive’s FLaT Programme supports local authorities and schools to create a learning and teaching environment for the future which is sensitive to individual needs, promotes attainment and tackles barriers to learning. The programme currently supports 26 projects across Scotland. Further information is available at www.flatprojects.org.uk