Imogen Buxton – Pickles

CEO and Founder

1000’s children active every day through technology

▪ Drive down childhood obesity

▪ Create happier healthier children

▪ All-round stronger learners

Confident workforce

Who can facilitate active lessons from PE to Science

Teacher

TA

PE Lead

Break supervisor

Active Schools

£320 million in funding

Govt has tasked schools to help

drive down obesity through

interventions that make the whole

school day more active:

▪ Active blasts

▪ Active lessons

▪ Active structured play

▪ Active travel

Journey

1. Exercise and the human brain

2. Ideas around developing an active

literacy curriculum

3. Strategies for creating a step

change in teaching methods

in your school

Today’s Journey

The Science of Exercise and

the Brain

BDNF is a protein released into the

brain after exercise

▪ Improves the function of neurons

▪ Encourages new neurons to grow

▪ Protects them from stress and damage

John Ratey, MD

BDNF Brain Derived Neurotropic Factor

Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of

Exercise and the Brain by Ratey, John J. (2013)

Sprinkled on neurons in a

petri dish, BDNF causes

brain cells to sprout the

structural branches

required for learning

… like fertilizer for the brain

Exercise sparks the whole learning process via BDNF

Proving a DIRECT BIOLOGICAL LINK between

MOVEMENT and COGNITIVE FUNCTION

What does this mean?

“Exercise elevates Miracle-Gro (BDNF) throughout the brain!”

When You Exercise Serotonin

enhances

mood

Blood flow

Dopamine

Focus

Motivation

Learning

Noradrenaline

Attention

Perception

Motivation

BDNF

Grows cells

Improves

mood and

mental

clarity

The Hippocampus

(learning / memory)

grows with regular

exercise

Oxygen

Nutrients

Toxins

Smaller brainBrain fog

Fatigued

Bigger brainSwitched on

Motivated

Active Learning

▪ Light to Vig intensity

▪ Whole lesson OR

▪ Shorter blasts

Light Mod Vig

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Academic

Performance

Active Literacy KS1

Understanding about poems, rhymes and rhythm

Music based

1. Use a simple rhyme

2.Create a rap style performance with

movements and actions

3.Use this beat to work with

To Rap or Not to Rap

Soup, soup, glorious soup,

Soup that goes SLURP!

Soup that goes GLOOOP!

Soup that is thick,

Soup that is thin,

Soup that goes dribbling,

All down your CHIN!

Active Phonics KS1

SmartyPilates

Movement SoundEnhanced

Connections

Brain Engagement and Memory

shark

snake

• Supports existing Phonics programmes

• 3 Phonics printable sets

• Covering 60 different sounds

• Easy to use Power-point

• Daily activity blasts or as part of a lesson

French & Spanish

Active Literacy KS2

Prefix and Suffix

Choose Between Concept

Prefix and Suffix

• In pairs (A and B)

• A is facing the board and reads the words on

the board

• B has their back to the board and jumps

either FORWARD or BACKWARD to

demonstrate their understanding of a root

word that has a PREFIX or a SUFFIX

Prehistoric Provider

Prehistoric

Anticlockwise

Bicycle

Automatic

Supermarket

Unhappy

Multicultural

Cyberspace

Overwork

Elevation

Provider

Medication

Greatest

Soundly

Smaller

Harshly

Fastest

Rarely

Prefix and suffix

Active Literacy KS2

Using apostrophe to mark plural possession

Circuit Based

Activity 1 Dogs noses are good at sniffing.

Activity 2

Hold the Yoga position

“Downward Dog”

Pull in your core muscles...

keep your back flat!

Activity 1

The womens football league was exciting.

Activity 2

Let’s see your

best high

knees! Try at

least 20!

Creative Task: Y5 and 6

Create an ACTIVE LESSON or PART of a lesson that is ACTIVE

For either the classroom, hall or outside space

The aim of the activity is to allow children in Y5 and 6 to learn actively about the following literacy

outcome...

Spelling Active Learning

LO – Understand that some words may sound the same but

are spelt differently for example

Aisle: a gangway between seats

Isle: an island

Aloud: out loud

Allowed: permitted

Active 30

• Every primary school child 60 minutes

per day

• 30 minutes should be delivered in school

every day

• 30 minutes supported by parents and

carers

Mod Vig

5 6 7 8 9 10

Energy in

V’s

Energy out

Active BlastLiteracy and Maths

Power Point

Spell the number and do the movement

MOVEMENT:

o Stand up tall

o Arms in the air

o Balance on tip toes

o Stretch your body!

Spell the number and do the movement

MOVEMENT:

Join up to a partner using

2 body parts ONLY!

o Elbow

o Knee

o Forehead

o Hands

o Foot

Spell the number and do the movement

MOVEMENT:

Stand up and sit down

3 times!

_ _ _ _ _ !

Spell the number and do the movement

MOVEMENT:

Make a group of 4 with

friends and JUMP up and

down 4 times!

Spell the number and do the movement

MOVEMENT:

Hop 5 times on your RIGHT leg

Hop 5 times on your LEFT leg

Active Blast KS2Agile Adverbs

Power Point

ACTIONS ADVERBS

Run on the spot Gracefully

Do star jumps Awkwardly

Hop on one leg Briskly

Climb a ladder Leisurely

Pretend to box Lightly

Disco Dance Heavily

March (on the spot) Sloppily

Clap hands above

headPrecisely

Spin around Cautiously

Touch the ground Determinedly

Stretch up Rigidly

Stand still Loosely

130

challenges

Mighty Monday Strong mind and body activity

Challenge Tuesday Anything goes!

Wellness Wednesday Mindfulness and Health Me activities

Thinking Thursday Problem solving, team building activities

Funky Friday Fun dance and fitness to music

Teaching Concepts

Music (poetry)

Pilates (phonics)

Chosen Between (prefix/suffix)

Circuit (apostrophe)

Games

Drama

Movie (plug and play)

Creating a change

Behavioural Change/ Mindset Shift

Review and Planning

Ideas and Resources

Roll out Step 4

Step 3

Step 2

Step 1

Not on my radar Pre-contemplation

Thinking about it Contemplation

Planning to do something soon Preparation

Getting started Action

Sticking with it! Maintenance

Step Change

in Teaching Methods

▪ Baby Steps Model

▪ Choose 2 Ambassadors

▪ Trial ideas in class over 6 – 12

weeks

▪ PE Lead to monitor (5 mins with

each teacher)

▪ Evaluate and gather feedback

Your Active School Classroom

Declutter Layout

Standing DesksNo Chairs Tuesday

Chairs and tables

Standing Desks

Floor space

Chairs and Tables

Floor space

Chairs and

Tables

Chairs and

Tables

Chairs and

Tables

Chairs and

Tables

Chairs and

Tables

Chairs and

Tables

Chairs and

Tables

Chairs and

Tables

Chairs and

Tables

floor space

floor space

Prep and Delivery

Pre-prepared resources

▪ imoves

▪Super Movers

▪Your own ideas

Delivery

▪Small changes in delivery

▪Start with Active Blasts

▪ Layer in short active learning

sections into lessons

Today’ s Journey

▪ Exercise positively effects our

brain

▪ Developing an active literacy

programme - classroom layout to

resources

▪ Strategies for getting all teachers

teaching actively

Package Content Cost per year

Active

Classrooms

• Literacy and Phonics

• Languages

• Science

• PHSE and Mindfulness

• History and Geography

• Daily Active Challenges

• Maths (September 2018)

Up to

£795 + vat

PE

• Dance

• Gymnastics

• Pilates

• Skills for Games

• OAA

Up to

£595.00 + vat

Dance• 50 different styles and topics Up to

£495.00 + vat

Active

Schools All the above

Up to

£995.00 + vat

Sports

Premium

Funding