Grantham school receives Sports Mark Award

During the winter term Ambergate Sports College made an application for the Sports Quality Mark Award.

The afPE Quality Mark is a prestigious award that evidences the strength and quality of Physical Education, School Sport and Physical Activity (PESSPA) within a school. It helps raise the profile of the subject and the school, both locally and nationally, and promotes the outstanding work that is being undertaken on a daily basis.

The afPE Quality Mark is a unique self-review and evaluation process that involves the completion of an application form as well as a school visit by one of afPE’s Validation Team of highly qualified school improvement professionals.

Mr Maltby presented our sports offer to the visiting assessor, from what is embedded in the school curriculum to what we offer for extracurricular sporting activities and how we promote physical activity and healthy living within the school. As part of the process pupils from across the school and varying abilities contributed to the assessment and gave their views on what we offer as a school.
At the end of March, we received the news that we had been awarded the Quality Mark for ‘demonstrating good commitment to improvement in Physical Education, School Sport and Physical Activity’.

Sue Wilkinson MBE, afPE Chief Executive Officer said: “The validator has highlighted the following reasons for the award:
• “This special school places PE at the heart of its curriculum and uses PE and Sport to support pupils to learn in and through PE, enhancing their physical skills and confidence as well as developing skills for life.
• The curriculum is well planned and thoughtful, taking into account the individual needs of all learners and pupils make good progress through the key stages.
• There is good physical provision that caters for pupils needs as well as growing extracurricular opportunities and special events that use PE and sport to celebrate pupil’s achievements and wider goals.”

Mr Maltby, Teacher in Charge of Attendance and Behaviours, oversaw the whole project and said:“We are thrilled to be awarded the Sports Quality Mark, it is such a prestigious award. A lot of hard work from the Ambergate staff went in to achieving the award. Sport and physical activity are such an integral part of school life here at Ambergate.

“We found the whole experience extremely valuable, it highlighted what we do well as a school and signposted us to areas we can continue to improve.”