LTA Youth Schools programme shortlisted for two top awards
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The LTA’s sector-leading LTA Youth Schools programme has been recognised as providing some of the leading resources available to schools after being shortlisted in two categories in the Education Resource Awards 2021.
LTA Youth for primary schools is a new, free education programme that uses the excitement and inspiration of tennis to offer flexible curriculum-linked resources for five to 11-year-olds that can be used in class and at home. It is a progressive programme that provides skills for life, not just for tennis, and will help develop children as both players and people.
'Benchmark of excellence'
The Education Resource Awards 2021 is firmly established as the premier annual event to celebrate outstanding success for the suppliers and teaching professionals of the education sector throughout the UK, with the awards being recognised by the teaching profession as the benchmark of excellence. LTA Youth Schools has been shortlisted in two categories, ‘Best primary resource or equipment (non-ICT)’ and ‘Best free educational resource’, with the winners being announced later this month. The LTA is the only sports national governing body to be included on the shortlists in any category.
The recognition builds on from the endorsement of LTA Youth Schools resources by The Association for Physical Education’s Professional Development Board, and the Government including LTA Youth on the Department of Education‘s list of home learning resources last year.
We’d encourage any teacher or school interested in becoming part of LTA Youth Schools to register for the programme and book a free online training course now.
Tom Gibbins, LTA Head of Education & Community, said: “We’re really proud of the LTA Youth Schools programme and the resources we have produced for schools. The programme is free, flexible, and inclusive, designed to ensure all kids have fun and progress
“We have had overwhelmingly positive feedback so far with thousands of schools signing up. We’d encourage any teacher or school interested in becoming part of LTA Youth Schools to register for the programme and book a free online training course now.”
Register Your School Now!
To find out more or register your school to become part of LTA Youth Schools, click here.
About LTA Youth Schools
LTA/ Youth Schools is part of LTA Youth, which has been created to help more children enjoy the benefits of playing and staying in tennis, whatever their age, gender, ability, disability or background. It is helping to address the challenge the nation is facing of declining physical literacy and activity among children, and is a central part of what the LTA is doing to achieve its vision of opening tennis up to many more people.
LTA Youth for primary schools consists of 6 key strands, all of which are free for schools. The resources combine to both support schools and teachers to easily deliver the programme in a way that is right for them, and help children develop on and off court, with dedicated classroom materials focussing on personal development and key character skills accompanying a set of specially designed progressive lesson plans.
The LTA Youth Schools curriculum is founded on a set of coaching principles that ensure children have a positive experience and stay in tennis – kids will be active and engaged, having fun, appropriately challenged, making decisions and developing skills. Guided by these, all lesson plans support the development of key competency areas to ensure there is always meaning and purpose to every LTA Youth session.
The resources provided to schools, include:
- Curriculum PE lesson plans: 18 high-quality lesson plans for delivery from Reception to Year 6 (Scotland P1-7). They focus on teaching fundamental movement skills and developing physical literacy for pupils of all abilities. Supporting film clips show teachers delivering the activities to a whole class in a school hall, and no special equipment is required. The lessons are written as three progressive schemes of work with six lessons in each.
- Personal development assemblies & active challenges: this strand helps pupils develop essential attributes and skills for personal development. Through powerful imagery and inspirational stories, pupils explore key character qualities demonstrated by tennis players, such as resilience, perseverance, passion and respect. The short, fun classroom challenges encourage pupils to demonstrate these qualities in their sporting and daily lives.
- Cross curricular lesson plans: In partnership with Get Set, the British Olympic Association and British Paralympic Association’s youth engagement programme, Get Set to Ace It cross-curricular resources use the power of sport and the excitement generated by tennis to get pupils’ minds and bodies active. Covering English, Maths, Science, PE and PSHE/PSE/PD&MU/Health and wellbeing, the activities get pupils thinking, and working collaboratively to create new ideas.
- Competition: Aligning with the ‘School Games’ framework in England, we provide fun, team-based intra and inter school competition opportunities and a ‘Festival’ opportunity to provide fun, competitive activities for a whole class – either virtually, or in person.
- Out of school hours support: this strand supports the delivery of tennis themed out of school hours clubs, where children can be provided with further opportunities for enjoyment and skill development.
- Teacher CPD: a short course to help teachers deliver high-quality PE lessons with confidence. The in-person course pre and post COVID-19 is delivered in a primary school hall, so the learning environment is as realistic, however, the course has temporarily pivoted online.
All schools who attend the Teacher CPD receive full digital access to all the resources, as well as a hard-copy pack containing the key elements, along with stickers and ‘invitation cards’, to help encourage them to continue playing outside of school.
In addition to the free resources, the LTA is also providing every school with a £250 voucher, which they can spend on equipment or on 10 hours team-teaching support with a local LTA Accredited Coach, to help continue the teacher’s development and build links with the wider community.
