Get Active Sports

A Message from Lord Pickles and Lord Blunkett, followed by Get Active Sports's best practice article

The ability to listen and learn from one another has always been vital in parliament, in business and in most aspects of daily life. But at this particular moment in time, as national and global events continue to reiterate, it is uncommonly crucial that we forge new channels of communication and reinforce existing ones. The following article from Get Active Sports is an attempt to do just that. We would welcome your thoughts on this or any other Parliamentary Review article.

Rt Hon The Lord David Blunkett

Rt Hon The Lord Eric Pickles

www.getactivesports.com/

1GET ACTIVE SPORTS |

BEST PRACTICE SPONSOR 2020

Managing Director

RobSherwood

Working with schools, parents

and children to have a lasting and

meaningful impact

Get Active Sports offers affordable childcare throughout

the year, visiting local primary and infant schools and

delivering Ofsted-approved childcare for children in

mainstream education, both before and after school. It also

offers schools high-quality extracurricular sports clubs which

are completely free to the schools and funded by the children’s

parents and guardians. Managing Director Rob Sherwood tells

the

Review

more.

Our primary focus is to provide sports-based learning for a range of schools,

creating solutions for educational establishments. We provide cover for teachers’

time away from children and are able to offer specific expertise which they may not

have regarding sports education. Based in Berkshire, we cover all across the south

of England including High Wycombe, Reading and Oxford. In the past year we have

begun to franchise the business in places including Northampton and Derby.

We also offer a young play leaders’ scheme for children in their early teens in order

to encourage them to develop leadership skills, in addition to providing a more

age-appropriate form of childcare and offering before and after-school clubs.

Three to one

Get Active Sports began life as three companies which merged into one. The

three founders each provide expertise from a different vantage point – something

that we believe makes us far stronger than we would be apart. Ryan is a qualified

FACTS ABOUT

GET ACTIVE SPORTS

»Managing Director:

RobSherwood

»Founded in 2012

»Based in Berkshire

»Services: Sports education and

after-school care

»No. of employees: 60 (up to

100 in the holidays)

»www.getactivesports.com

Get Active Sports

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

2| GET ACTIVE SPORTS

teacher who formerly taught in schools

and Shaun was previously a sports

teacher. I worked for Southampton

FC as Academy coach. We met at a

conference in 2011 and realised that

we were trying to provide very similar

services in a similar geographical area.

We endeavour to offer an education

which is engaging, motivating and

empowering for all involved. In

recognition of the fact that the work

we do impacts three distinct groups

– children, parents and teachers – we

bring these groups to the fore in all

that we do. We also understand that

sport can be used as a powerful tool

for rehabilitation, especially for children

who, for whatever reason, cannot

be in a classroom. Through offering

a different style of learning, we have

seen the benefits of the services we

offer for these children.

A healthy franchise

Having franchised the business last

summer, we have since sold two

franchises across the UK. We find that

it is at times challenging to take over

other businesses, particularly in terms

of cash flow; however, we appreciate

that this is an issue across the UK.

We recognise that if children are not

involved in sport at an early age, they

are less likely to pursue it in later life.

As such, we hope the service we

provide can offer a lifestyle change

for both parents and children. We

offer a grading sheet for children

to encourage them to track their

progress, using colour codes to mark

development. We find that through

self-grading, children are both

motivated and engaged, and we often

see evidence that they have been

practising the skills they have learnt

with us at home. Indeed, parents often

We provide extracurricular

and after-school sports

clubs

The importance of sport

at an early age

We endeavour

to offer an

education

which is

engaging,

motivating and

empowering

for all involved

“

3GET ACTIVE SPORTS |

BEST PRACTICE SPONSOR 2020

ask us for advice in terms of teaching

their children at home, considering

both exactly what the skill is and the

best way in which to convey it.

The education we provide is also

beneficial to teachers, who are able

to learn what children excel in and

struggle with. Through visiting schools

on a weekly basis, we are able to offer

a regular structure to the lives of both

students and teachers. When we work

with a school, we plan for an entire

year, which is especially important

when some have a member of our

team in every day.

Fiscally challenged

Our central challenge is one of finance,

especially due to the fact that we

are operating at a time when school

budgets are being cut more and more.

We find that the first thing that is cut

when a school is struggling financially

is the service we bring. In the last

few years, increasing priority has

been given to numeracy and literacy

withinschools.

We also understand that the holiday

camps we provide require payment

for attendance, which means we

miss out on children who are most in

need of the services we provide. In

2015, the local authority funded PPG

children to allow them to attend the

holiday camps, which was supposed

to be a lasting endeavour. However,

due to further cuts, this was not

thecase.

Alternative education

We are currently working to create an

alternative education system aimed at

children who have been excluded from

school, using sport as the basis for

everything. This has proven successful

in the past, and we believe it will going

forward too.

In future we hope to continue our

growth to further franchises. The

services we provide are of great

importance to children’s education, as

evidenced by our glowing testimonials

from children and teachers alike.

Overall, we would like to see our

style of education adopted across

the UK and used as an alternative

system to conventional education.

Through catering to more children,

we believe we can make a meaningful

and lasting change to the lives of

countlessindividuals.

The education

we provide is

also beneficial to

teachers, who

are able to learn

what children

excel in and

struggle with

“

A fun and welcoming

environment for all

www.getactivesports.com/

This article was sponsored by Get Active Sports. The Parliamentary Review is wholly funded by the representatives who write for it.

Rt Hon Michael Gove's Foreword For The Parliamentary Review

By Rt Hon Michael Gove

This year's Parliamentary Review comes at a momentous time for parliament, as we collectively determine the destiny of the United Kingdom.

On October 31, the UK will leave the European Union. The successful implementation of this process is this government's number-one priority.

Three years after a historic referendum vote, we will deliver on the decisive mandate from the British people. Trust in our democracy depends on it. Until that final hour, we will work determinedly and diligently to negotiate a deal, one that abolishes the backstop and upholds the warm and close relationship we share with our friends, allies and neighbours in the EU. But in the event that the EU refuses to meet us at the table, we must be prepared to leave without a deal.

As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, it is my job to lead on this government's approach, should that scenario happen. Preparing for Brexit is my department's driving mission. But while I am leading this turbocharged effort, the whole of government is committed to this endeavour.

Ministers across Whitehall are working together to ensure that every possibility is considered, every plan is scrutinised and every provision is made. A daily drumbeat of meetings means that we are holding departments accountable, so that preparations are completed on time.

The chancellor has confirmed that all necessary funding will be made available. And we have mobilised thecivil service, assigning 15,000 of our most talented civil servants to manage our exit from the EU.

We will make sure that on November 1, there is as little disruption to national life as possible. Our trade relationships will continue to thrive, thanks to agreements with countries around the world worth £70 billion. Our country will remain secure, thanks to nearly 1,000 new officers posted at our borders. And the 3.2 million EU nationals now living and working among us can remain confident, with absolute certainty, of their right to remain in the UK.

Above all, our goal is to be transparent. Soon, we will launch a public information campaign so that citizens, communities and businesses are ready and reassured about what will happen in the event of “no deal”.

In my first few weeks in this role, I have travelled to ports and tarmacs, borders and bridges, all across the UK –from the seaside of Dover to the rolling green hills of County Armagh. I have heard from business owners and border officials, farmers and hauliers. They are ready to put an end to uncertainty. And they are ready to embrace the opportunities ahead.

Our departure from the EU will be a once in a lifetime chance to chart a new course for the United Kingdom. Preparing for that new course will be a herculean effort. But this country has made astounding efforts before. We can do it again.

Rt Hon Michael Gove
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster