St Helens schools add skateboarding to timetable
Jul 2 2009 by Ben Turner, Liverpool Daily Post
MERSEYSIDE schools have unveiled a new weapon against childhood obesity – skateboard lessons.
Every primary and secondary schools in St Helens has added Vigorboarding to the timetable.
It is a form of skateboarding that teaches children balance and gives them a cardiovascular work-out.
Education chiefs are using the trendy pursuit in a bid to boost interest in PE and fight rising obesity levels.
It followed a pilot at Sutton High, where it proved so popular it was credited for cutting truancy.
PE teacher Paul Lane said: “We have pupils who have been persistent non-attenders who are now regularly in school as they don’t want to miss the Vigorboard sessions.
“Many of the pupils involved had never been to an after-school club before, and the feedback from them has been so positive that the PE staff have produced a scheme of work to incorporate the Vigorboards into curriculum PE.”
And, since the introduction of the Vigorboards at St Aidan’s CE primary, Billinge, 80% of pupils aged nine to 11 have increased their physical activity by 40 minutes each week.
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