Prince William praises benefits of outdoor play for children

Source: Business Insider UK

Date: 31-January-2018

Britain’s Prince William has praised Sweden’s embrace of the great outdoors, in particular the physical and mental benefits of outdoor exercise for children.

Speaking Wednesday at the end of a two-day visit to Sweden, William said that „one lesson that we will take home with us, is that the children are actively encouraged to spend time outdoors, whatever the weather.“

During the visit, William and the Duchess of Cambridge sought to meet Swedes from all walks of life. At a medical institute, they discussed with academics Sweden’s approach to managing mental health challenges, a subject the royals have campaigned about.

The Daily Mile Foundation whole-heartedly supports this message, and recognises that the weather is a benefit, not a barrier to outdoor play and physical activity for children. Similarly, we find that 15 minutes of daily physical activity can be transformational – improving not only children’s fitness, but also their concentration levels, mood, behaviour, and mental health & wellbeing.

This article has been reproduced with the kind permission of the content creator, Business Insider UK. To continue reading, please click the link below.

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Deanburn Primary School – Bo’ness, Scotland

Deanburn Primary School

 

Fact File

  • Where we’re based: Bo’ness, Scotland
  • School roll: 364, including 55 in the Nursery
  • Where do you run your Daily Mile? We run around the perimeter of the playground with 5 laps = 1 mile. We are hoping to have a track painted or marked out later this session.
  • Month/Year we started The Daily Mile: August 2015 – We started this initially as the ‚Road to Rio‘ with the stimulus of the whole school walking to Rio in Brazil before the Summer 2016 Olympics.

Laura Beattie, Depute Head Teacher (Acting), talks us through Oaklands School’s experience of The Daily Mile, thus far.

A brief description of your school?

Deanburn Primary School is a medium sized, non-denominational primary school located on the west side of Bo’ness, which is approximately 7 miles from Falkirk. The school provides education from Nursery to Primary 7, with currently a morning and afternoon nursery session and 12 classes. We also cater for pupils with ASN through our two Enhanced Provision classes. Our school motto is ‚Believe and Achieve‘.

How many, and which, children in your school complete The Daily Mile?

The whole school from Primary 1 – Primary 7, with the minimum expectation of 3 times per week. Some classes do it everyday. The Nursery takes part on occasion.

Please, describe your school’s experience of The Daily Mile to date.

When the pupils had a target of completing a certain distance, this motivated them to go that bit further and their enthusiasm to reach the target was evident. Following on from last year’s success with the ‚Road to Rio‘, classes in the Upper School this year have picked their own destinations to walk to and are working in pairs / groups to achieve this over the year, tracking their performance regularly and updating their class display boards.

It has worked well also with the children having a set time each time, and everyone trying to achieve a mile (or as close to this as they can, and trying to improve their distance each time).

Also, using stop watches to time themselves running / walking a mile and trying to beat their score.

Have you experienced any successful links to the curriculum?

Mrs McKay P5 – Used it effectively last year with her P5 class linked to data handling.

I.E. What is the total of laps / miles at your group?

What is the mean number of laps in your group?

What is the mode / median for the class?

Miss Furmage P7/6 – In my class, pupils have been really motivated to reach a goal which they have decided in their group. E.G. One group want to get to London, another to Madrid or Paris, and are keeping track of how many miles they complete towards their target as a group.

Pupils are keen and some often ask if we can go out for The Daily Mile. It is particularly motivating for a pupil with challenging behaviour who loves to sprint around and is very proud of the number of laps they complete.

Mrs Brown SflA – During playtimes the children (P5-7) would ask me if they could still do The Daily Mile, and I gave them a book which tallied how many they did. They were very enthusiastic about it then (had a target for Rio).

Mrs McAllister P2 – I found that when I link The Daily Mile with French (on the completion of each lap, every child had to pass me and give me a day of the week / month of the year / phrase we had been working on in French) the children were really engaged and enthusiastic. Sometimes we do this with our spelling words for the week or addition / subtraction facts, too.

Nursery – I wanted the Nursery class to do a „weekly“ mile, ensuring all children go outdoors daily, even if just for a walk around the school grounds. This doesn’t happen everyday, though. I do think it is a positive experience for the children, however. It also helps on our weekly trip to the woods, that the children now have the stamina to walk without complaining of being tired.

Any comments or quotes?

Erin and Morgan, P4 – „It is fun to collect as many laps as you can.“

Logan and Skye, P4 – „It is exhausting but really fun.“

Josh and Kai, P4 – „It is all about fitness and it keeps you strong.“

Zara and Ella, P4 – „It is exhausting but keeps you happy.“

Mason, Brody, Dylan and Jessica, P4 – „It keeps us strong and fit.“

Zara and Blair, P4 – „It keeps us healthy.“

Molly and Sydney, P4 – „It can sometimes be tiring.“

Brooklyn and Eva, P4 – „It is alot of fun and keeps us fit and healthy.“

Caleb and Faith, P4 – „It is good to get 5 laps or more.“

Adam and Mary, P4 – „It keeps us strong and healthy.“

Roni and Adam, P4 – „It is exciting because you don’t know how many laps you will get.“

Robbie and Emily-Louise, P4 – „It is exhausting but good to beat your last score.“

Visit Deanburn Primary School’s website for more information

Twitter: @DeanburnPS and @DeanburnPS_P4JB

Queen Elizabeth Public School – Renfrew, Canada

Queen Elizabeth Public School

Fact File

  • Where we’re based: Renfrew, Ontario in Canada
  • School roll: 300 students
  • A brief description of your school: A small town school (population of Renfrew is 8500). Children come from the town and the surrounding rural area, which is a mix of farms and forested land.
  • Where do you run your Daily Mile? We run around the perimeter of our yard. The perimeter measures 500 metres, so we encourage our students to complete 3 laps which is approximately 1 mile. Along the way, the students also tackle obstacles such as leaping over boulders, climbing over tractor tires, and swinging across monkey bars.
  • Month/Year we started The Daily Mile: September 2016

Anne Lefebvre, Grade 6 teacher, talks us through Queen Elizabeth Public School’s experience of The Daily Mile, thus far.

How many, and which, children in your school complete The Daily Mile?

We have two classes doing The Daily Mile, this year – Grade 5/6 and Grade 6 (10-12 year old students).

Please, describe your school’s experience of The Daily Mile to date.

The two of us (Joy Pilgrim, Grade 5/6 teacher, and I, Grade 6 teacher) started The Daily Mile in September 2016 with the goal of improving our students‘ fitness. We had observed in previous years‘ gym classes that many of our students displayed a lack of cardio endurance and weak muscles.

By their own admission, many of our students, despite living in a rural area with access to acres of lane to play in, spend hours each day on some type of screen. But they haven’t lost their love of play. So we created our version of The Daily Mile, using our school yard and the obstacles in it, to improve our students‘ fitness. We included obstacles on our running course because we wanted to also develop our students‘ strength, agility and coordination in addition to their endurance.

We have seen great improvements and and our students love to have their Daily Mile break each day. We inserted it into the middle of a two-hour block of learning, so the timing works well. They come back inside refreshed and ready to get back to work. Since winter has arrived, the snow creates its own set of obstacles and has made the running much more challenging, but our students have persevered. We are very glad that we’ve introduced this programme!

Any comments or quotes from students?

Brandon – „I can now do 2 laps of non-stop running / jogging. Probably the first week of The Daily Mile I couldn’t even do a full lap without stopping for a rest and that’s a huge improvement.“

Cameron – „I have improved! At the start of the year I could barely run 1 lap; now I’m running 3-4 laps and for me that is a lot. Also, I’m alot more active and I’m getting faster. Thanks Daily Mile!“

Aiden, on his Winter Goal – „I will power through the snow and do three laps!“

Maria – „I’m getting more exercise every day and it’s really fun to do. I love it.“

Zoe – „Through all the sweating, I’m having a lot of fun!“

Danica – „I have improved so much in the last few months. Running is so much easier than it used to be because it helps you learn to run longer.“

Landen – „My favourite part about The Daily Mile in the winter now is the snow banks, because they get bigger every time and it gets harder every time.“

Oliver – „I like getting to talk to my friends while running. It makes me feel refreshed, free and happy.“

Chloe – „It makes me feel good because I know I’m working towards progress.“

Danica – „The Daily Mile makes me feel happy, good, and proud of myself to exercise. The challenging part about The Daily Mile is pushing yourself to do more and more each day. I think I have progressed well because I am doing more laps than usual. The Daily Mile has helped me improve in my physical activity and school work.“

Calen – „…And, I will keep on running on and on and I will never give up.“

 

Visit Queen Elizabeth Public School‘s website for more information.

Daily Mile is given a star send-off

Source: Guernsey Press

Date: 17-January-2018

Alun Williams, Education’s Lifelong Learning Manager and Coordinator of the ‚Be Active Forum‘, said the idea was not to promote competition but for the children to gain the benefits of regular exercise.

Launching the initiative at Beechwood, Mr Williams was joined by Great Britain athlete and former Beechwood pupil Alastair Chalmers.

This article has been reproduced with the kind permission of the content creator, Guernsey Press. To continue reading, please click the link below.

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Guernsey schools ‚jumped at the chance‘ to join mile scheme

Source: BBC Radio Guernsey

Date: 15-January-2018

Schools in Guernsey jumped at the chance to join a scheme asking children to run or walk every day for at least 15 minutes, according to the Guernsey Lifelong Learning Manager –

„It gets them ready for school more, it gets them engaged for learning. The schools have jumped at the opportunity and we are really pleased.“ stated Alun Williams, Lifelong Learning Manager.

This article has been reproduced with the kind permission of the content creator, BBC Radio Guernsey. To continue reading, please click the link below.

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Cornwall’s Daily Mile Launch – Rainbow Runners!

Source: Cornwall Council

Date: 15-January-2018

Rainbow Multi-Academy Trust commits to The Daily Mile

Schools in the Rainbow Multi Academy Trust (MAT) have all been out running their Daily Mile today, as part of a launch with the Cornwall Council Wellbeing and Public Health Service. Samantha Jones, CEO of the MAT, has been working with the Headteachers on the initiative as part of Rainbow MAT’s commitment to healthier lifestyles. Some of the schools in the MAT, such as Penponds and Troon, have been already taking part for over a year and for others, such as St Meriadoc, it was something new and exciting.

St Meriadoc

Bethan Anderson, Headteacher, says that she is very much looking forward to taking part after hearing about the benefits from other schools in the Trust. In the launch assembly today, the children learnt more about the benefits of getting outside and increasing their daily exercise. Imogen, Year 4, said she can’t wait to get fitter. Kieran, Year 4, talked about how he thinks that running each day will make him happier after learning from Mrs Anderson all about endorphins. Today, Mrs Anderson took part in The Daily Mile with the children. She is excited to spend time with the children in a more informal setting – and getting out of her office, each day!

Penponds

Adam Richards, Headteacher, states that running The Daily Mile, no matter what the weather, really gets the children invigorated for their learning. The children and teachers there agree and say that they really look forward to their ‚brain break‘ and some fresh air in the afternoons.

Troon

Julie Lamb, Headteacher, believes her children at Troon School are very passionate about the benefits of this quick, easy and fun way to get the children more active. Julie has been impressed by how easy it has been to fit into The Daily Mile timetable and rather than taking time out of learning, it has shown increase on the children’s concentration following the session. The children obviously agree, as Scott, Year 6, tells us that he is not the faster runner in Year 6, so he sets his sights on his friend George and trys to keep up. Oscar, Year 6, says „It’s a great way to keep fit and you don’t need any resources. It’s so convenient, as we don’t even have to change into PE kits!“

If you still need convincing that The Daily Mile works, you should listen to Amber and Lily’s progress in Year 6. Amber was very proud to share that at the start she could only run half a lap, but now she can do 9! Lily started being able to do 7 laps and can now do 35! Julie Lamb says that she believes the run has really helped with the school’s Cross-Country and the children from Troon now do really well at the events held with other Primary Schools.

Photos and article reproduced by kind permission of Rainbow Multiple Academy Trust.

Schools encouraged to take part in The Daily Mile challenge

Source: Cornwall Council

Date: 12-January-2018

Schools across Cornwall are being encouraged to sign up for The Daily Mile in a bid to tackle physical inactivity and childhood obesity.

Cornwall Council is encouraging every primary school in Cornwall to introduce The Daily Mile from 15th January 2018.

Councillor Hawken said, „The Daily Mile is a really quick and easy way for everyone to get more active. Even gentle physical activity daily can have a positive impact on mental health, concentration levels as well as reducing weight. Small steps can make a big difference, and it’s important we work towards reducing the health impacts from obesity in Cornwall.“

This article has been reproduced with the kind permission of the content creator, Cornwall Council. To continue reading, please click the link below.

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Generation of active Scots heading to the gym and ditching football

Source: The Scotsman

Date: 05-January-2018

A new generation of fitness-conscious Scots is driving a rise in the number of people heading to the gym as part of their daily routine – but a fifth of adults still do not get the exercise they need.

Public Health Minister Aileen Campbell said the rise in walking and exercise is being „championed“ by the Scottish Government through its ambition to make Scotland the „world’s first Daily Mile nation.“

She added: „By walking just one mile a day, people can make huge changes to their lives. Something as simple as a 15 minute walk each day and being more active generally can improve mental and physical health.

„It is cost-effective and demonstrates that prevention really is better than cure. The health risks are stark: seven Scots die every day due to inactivity, often long before they have to. 2018 is the year to get Scots more active.“

This article has been reproduced with the kind permission of the content creator, The Scotsman. To continue reading, please click the link below.

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Press Release: „Every London Primary School to run The Daily Mile“ says the ADPH

„EVERY LONDON PRIMARY SCHOOL TO RUN THE DAILY MILE“, SAYS THE ADPH

THE DAILY MILE HAS BEEN FORMALLY RECOMMENDED TO THE MAYOR OF LONDON!

The Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) recently issued a response to the Mayor of London’s draft Health Inequalities Strategy. The report repeatedly encouraged the implementation of The Daily Mile across London, as a means to improve the health and attainment outcomes for children across the city.

London’s Directors of Public Health have called on the Mayor to partner with London Boroughs to organise London-wide school based Daily Mile activities and events. A recent Daily Mile celebration in Manchester was praised for helping more than 42,000 children from over 160 schools to take part in a special Daily Mile.

We’re thrilled that the many benefits of daily physical activity are being recognised by high level government bodies across the United Kingdom. Together we can ensure that all children reap the benefits of improved physical, mental, social and emotional health and wellbeing.

ENDS


 
For more information about the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH), please visit their website.

To read the ADPH’s full response, please click the button below.

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For media enquiries, please contact The Daily Mile Foundation’s Media Agency, Media Zoo on (+44)207 384 6980, at Joseph@mediazoo.tv