Fundamental skills programme launched for regional primary schools
Lower Hutt Mayor, Ray Wallace and MP Paul Quinn have officially launched the KiwiSport Fundamental Movement Skills Programme this Tuesday at Fernlea Primary School in Wainuiomata.
Hutt City Council has been awarded KiwiSport funding from Sport Wellington to deliver a fundamental movement skills programme to 12,000 primary school aged children across the Wellington region. Starting with a one year pilot, with potential extension of two more years if the pilot is successful. The programme starts in the Hutt Valley but will expand to include the greater Wellington region.
The programme aims to improve the fundamental movement skills of primary aged children across the Wellington region. Build the capability of sports to deliver at grass roots level as well as to support the professional development of teachers and volunteers to ensure sustainability for the project.
Mayor Ray Wallace says KiwiSport is a fantastic initiative designed to give our children the building blocks to lead active, healthy and confident lives.
"It’s about making available the facilities and expertise for primary school students to learn fundamental movement and sports skills they might otherwise miss out on.“
"It also means developing teachers and coaches so they have the skills and knowledge to continue on with the KiwiSport spirit when they get back to the classroom ," he says.
The programme offers learn to swim, Move Mprove (the GymSport NZ foundation skills programme) and football. Every child will receive at least one block of eight lessons.
About 1300 students have already taken part in learn to swim classes with positive results.
Principal of Epuni Primary School, Bunnie Willing acknowledges the success of the recent swimming programme offered to her students.
“The swimming programme is just the best thing our students have ever experienced in my twelve years in Epuni (Primary School). Absolutely amazing!”
The swimming programme allows lessons in small groups with an experienced instructor allowing school staff to observe the instructors and learn up-to-date swimming techniques.
With the learn to swim and Move Mprove programme now running, the next major phase of the programme is a football skills programme lined up to start in term one next year.
The KiwiSport Fundamental Movement Skills Programme has a total investment of $550,000 in year one, of which $334,000 is from the KiwiSport fund with the rest of the funds coming from Water Safety NZ and the participating schools. To deliver this programme Hutt City Council is partnering with Sport Wellington, GymSports NZ, Water Safety NZ, Swimming NZ and Capital Football.