School Sports Partnerships or 'SSCo Partnerships'

The School Sport Coordinator programme was launched in September 2000 with an initial 600 School Sport Coordinators (SSCos) being funded through Sport England's Lottery Fund. These were targeted at areas of greatest deprivation.

With its announcement of £459 million for the PE, School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL) strategy, the government has ensured that SSCos are now an integral part of every LEA and school's PE and school sport strategy. Along with Sports Colleges, the SSCo partnerships will be the key to ensuring that 75% of all children will spend at least 2 hours a week on high quality PE and sport by 2006. This target is being driven by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) as part of a joint PSA. Its overall aims are to raise standards and narrow the achievement gap in schools, improve the health of the nation and ensure that the UK competes successfully on the international stage.

£224 million of the £459 million has been set aside for the development of the SSCo partnerships and a national CPD strategy for all primary and secondary schools.

What do they look like?

The structure of these partnerships builds on the good practice demonstrated by the first few phases. Wherever possible, Sports Colleges will be at the hub of the SSCo partnerships and be given funding to employ a full time Partnership Development Manager (PDM), who is responsible for the strategic development of the partnership and liaison with other agencies.

Around each Sports College there will be 4 secondary schools in the first instance, rising to 8 after two to three years. Each of these secondary schools will have a School Sport Coordinator (SSCo), an existing teacher that is released from the teaching timetable for 2 days per week, who is responsible for the co-ordination and development of school sport in their own school and family of primary / special schools.

Each secondary school (and the Sports College) will be linked to, on average, 5 primary or special schools. Each of these will have a Primary Link Teacher (PLT), an existing teacher that is released from teaching for 12 days per year, who is responsible for the development and delivery of high quality PE and sport in their own school.

Funding is provided to enable the schools to release these teachers to undertake the SSCo and PLT roles. In the case of the secondary schools, the partnership can use the funding to employ full time Specialist Link Teachers (SLT) to provide the cover for the SSCo release time. This enables the schools to enhance their PE provision, by recruiting SLTs with specific skills e.g. in dance, gymnastics, inclusion etc.

What do they do?

The PDM, SSCos and PLTs work together to produce and implement a 3 year development plan that addresses 6 aims:

• Strategic planning: to develop and implement a PE and school sport strategy, as part of school development plans, through working in partnership with key strategic organisations and providers in the area.
• Primary liaison: to improve PE and school sport programmes by establishing and developing links within and between families of schools (particularly around the KS2/3 interface).
• Out of school hours: to provide new and enhanced out of schools hours opportunities for all young people in the partnership, including out of school hours learning, non-competitive participation and competition.
• School to community: to increase all young people's participation in community sport through creating and strengthening links with sports clubs, leisure facilities and community providers.
• Coaching and leadership: to provide training, support and deployment opportunities in leadership, coaching and officiating for senior pupils, adults other than teachers (AOTTs) and teachers.
• Raising standards: to raise standards of pupils' achievement in all aspects of their school life, through increased participation and improved performance, motivation and attitudes.

Supporting the structure

The role of Kent Sports Development Unit

• To support schools through the School Sports Coordinator application process and the writing of the development plan.
• To work with School Sports Partnerships to help them develop sporting provision and ensuring that appropriate links are developed with community sport and sports development.