Influencing the Decision Makers - NAHT & Beyond

We're excited - this week we're heading to Harrogate for this year's NAHT annual conference. 

Cue a 'blast from the past' reflection from 2018. With the support of the Bradford branch of the NAHT and the Executive Committee, we were able to formulate the wording for a motion proposal: 

Conference notes the growing body of research showing children who are physically fit are better at absorbing and retaining new information. Conference asks National Executive to signpost such research to members and to explore how schools can best be supported to make Physically Active Learning (PAL) an integral part of a school’s approach to teaching and learning.

The proposal was voted on. 6% abstained but 90% agreed, meaning the motion was carried with a large majority. In other words, 9 out of 10 school leaders believe they should be signposting their colleagues towards research into PAL!

Needless to say, we were rather happy with the outcome in Liverpool. There seemed to have been a shift in attitudes, with movement heading in the right direction. More people were beginning to stand up and take notice of the overwhelming research that PAL impacts on standards in education as well as impacting positively on health. At the time, we hoped that NAHT members could then influence their own schools as well as Government ministers and policy makers.

What did the Media Say? What was their Influence?

Back in 2018, the media coverage was an interesting mix. We appreciated this article by Eleanor Busby in the Independent. At the other end of the scale was the Telegraph with their rather mischievous headline, 'Let Children Run Around in Class, Headteachers Told'. Needless to say, this was not what was proposed at all.

We were intrigued - but not entirely surprised - by the online comments made by the readers. Needless to say, most of the comments about using PAL were negative to say the least:

• “Who will pay the damages and compensation when one of the little darlings gets hurt running around a full classroom? Stupid idea.”
• “How stupid. I suppose the next advice will be to let employees run round the office?”
• “What an utterly stupid idea. How is it that when kids sat in regimented rows of desks 50 years ago, there was hardly any obesity?”
• “What happened to school breaks in the playground and PT lessons? This man is an idiot, thank god he has no influence over my child's education.”
• "This man is insane. One of the most important lessons we've discovered about learning in recent years is that our working memories have very limited capacity, and that you can't do two things at once. In other words, multitasking is a myth. At best, we can switch rapidly from one task to another, and then only when each task involves familiar problems.”

Responding with Research

We asked our friend, Professor Andy Daly-Smith to respond to the online comments.

"Why on earth would you want children to run around in classrooms? Well, the short answer is that you wouldn't, it is far too dangerous and would lead to absolute chaos. Yet...... that was not the focus of the motion at the NAHT and the Telegraph has taken the proposal out of context."

"I am a researcher into physical activity and behaviour science; specifically specialising in physical activity and education in children and young people. I would urge people, before throwing stones, to review the evidence."

1. "Children who have a higher level of physical fitness and are more physically active do better in maths, reading and overall academic scores." To find out more, click here.

2. "Physically active learning - which seamlessly combines movement and learning - does not have a detrimental impact on academic performance, and in many cases has shown to improve academic performance."

3. "Longer term studies, where children have learnt in active ways have shown four months of additional learning gains in maths and spelling compared to those who learn while sat down." To find out more, click here.

4. "There is growing evidence that movement, when it is combined with learning facts information, can enhance the recall of such information when tested three-to-seven days after the event."

"Finally, in response to the statement that children should just sit down and concentrate, I replied that “after being physically active, children have a greater focus on the task in hand. For evidence of this, please see this article in the British Medical Journal - Sport and Exercise Medicine that summarises the evidence on acute effects of physically active learning.”

"I am passionate about helping children achieve their potential. The question for me is how much PAL is right and how do we help teachers integrate it within the learning experience. Lots of exciting work is currently taking place on this, the outcomes of which will help your children achieve their potential.”

Looking Ahead

If any NAHT members would like to find out more about the research or practical ideas, do contact us.