Our partnership vision is to increase the breadth and quality of opportunity for physical activity within the curriculum and the range of extra curricular activities available for all young people with emphasis on fitness & health, non competitive and competitive activity for life long learning.

The aim is for schools in the Tunbridge Wells School Sports Partnership to meet the government’s PSA target, to increase the percentage of school children that participate in a minimum of two hours high quality PE & school sport each week to 75% by July 2006.

The partnership has expanded to 9 secondary schools , 33 primary schools and 2 special schools covering a radius of approximately 40 miles, including both urban and rural locations. Eight secondary schools are situated in Tunbridge Wells Borough with one placed within the Ashford Borough. Six secondary schools and 15 primary schools are all based in the urban location of Tunbridge Wells. The disparate nature of the Partnership has necessitated that some family clusters are larger that others. The implication for reconfiguration is that the smaller clusters may work together in joint activities. The partnership was granted a DfES waiver to operate with several external SSCo’s. We are currently making steady progress moving towards the preferred model.

We will work with key partners to promote the government’s PESSCL Programmes to support PE & School Sport and maximise the benefits for all young people in the Partnership

We will provide a network of professional development and support for all teachers in the delivery of PE to raise standards across the partnership, including whole school INSET, SSCo observations and team teaching, county CPD opportunities for both teaching staff and AOTT’s, reviewing of schemes of work and assessment procedures and empowerment of the subject leader. The TWSSP is also fully committed to raising standards through strategic planning in partnership with the County Sports Partnership as LDA for National CPD within Kent. Staff within the partnership have been trained to deliver aspects of the National CPD strategy. We will continue to update their training in order to provide a quality service in line with county provision. The PDM is a member of the Kent National CPD Forum Group.

The partnership has worked and will continue to work closely with the Kent Sports Development Unit, complementing the work they already do, drawing on their network of coaches who all meet quality standards. When we are working with their target sports we will draw upon the expertise of the relevant SDO and their knowledge of local clubs and exit routes. The borough SDO’s have been vital partners in developing sporting opportunity within our Partnership.

We will liaise with community sports clubs to develop links between schools and community, supporting these clubs to achieve Clubmark. We intend to establish a partnership sports club forum which will benefit many focus areas within the TWSSP, eg, gifted & talented JAE programme and talent identification, sports leadership and mentoring, OSHL and training/recruitment of AOTTS. Links will be forged with the Fitness Industry Association in order to develop the ‘Adopt a School’ initiative across the Partnership.

The TWSSP will continue to support the structured program of primary festivals across the partnership with new and innovative activities, as well as sharing staff and facilities to enable these events to be run as effectively as possible. The TWSSP has strong links with both The Weald of Kent School Sports Association (WOKSSA) and The Tunbridge Wells & District Primary Schools Sports Association (TWDPSSA) and will continue to chair WOKSSA and sit on the TWDPSSA committee.

We will increase the number of sports leaders by introducing JSLA and CSLA courses in all partnership secondary schools and link these leaders with placements in partner primary schools, to support the delivery of coaching programs, sports days and OSHL opportunities. The TWSSP is also committed to implementing the Play & Activity Leader’s (PALs) award in our primary and special schools. An extremely successful pilot scheme was run last year and we have already been able to register more than half of our schools in 2006.

The TWSSP already has a high number of schools with Activemark and Sportsmark and it is our aim to assist each school in maintaining or obtaining the replacement award so that many of our schools achieve the award in the next 3 years.

The partnership will encourage schools to work together, to share resources, facilities and expertise. The partnership will share and communicate good practice not only within the partnership but also with other key partners in Kent and the UK.

Paul Willmott
Partnership Development Manager
Tunbridge Wells School Sport Partnership