From Jamie McDonald, Youth Development Manager, Scottish Athletics.

I am writing to you as Secretary of the Scottish Schools Athletics Association to make you aware of some exciting developments in Teacher Education for Athletics in Scotland.         

From the 1st February 2008 new teacher resources and courses will be available from UK Athletics and scottishathletics.

As you may be aware Elevating Athletics was first launched in January 2006 and is a new and modern method of teaching athletics for schools - for young people aged between 5 to 16 years old. The resources encourage the development of movement literacy and key athletics disciplines in students by providing activities that progress the core physical disciplines of running, walking, jumping and throwing.


From 1st February the revised resources will be launched with improved sections including structured lessons, development activities, and clear technical models, especially in the secondary school pack. The improved DVD contains examples of how to deliver the lessons, a warm up and conditioning section and comprehensive guidance on how to develop event specific skills for older pupils.  There will still be a primary pack (5 -12) and a secondary pack (11 - 16).


UK Athletics, working with scottishathletics, have agreed to place an Elevating Athletics resource pack into every school in Scotland FREE of charge.  After consultation with a number of organizations it was agreed, as a curriculum resource, that Learning and Teaching Scotland PE contacts in each Local Authority would be asked to be the central contact in each authority to distribute these packs.  I have written to each of these contacts to ask if they are willing to help in the distribution or to nominate another appropriate person. 


For your information additional resource packs can be purchased on line at www.ukashop.co.uk <http://www.ukashop.co.uk/> .  The cost of these comprehensive packs is now £20 each.


Furthermore to support the new resources there are a number of training opportunities for teachers, schools and other relevant groups.  The options available are now as follows:

*          Certificate in Teaching Primary Athletics
*          Certificate in Teaching Secondary Athletics
*          In addition you can oraganise - Courses to meet your specifications

Further information on these courses is attached to this email and hard copies are available from myself on request.

To book these courses or for any further information on the above please do not hesitate to contact me on the details below.


Kind Regards

Jamie



Jamie McDonald
Youth Development Manager
scottishathletics ltd
9a South Gyle Crescent
South Gyle
Edinburgh
EH12 9EB

Tel: 0131 476 7324
Mobile: 0777 637 0199
Email: jamie.mcdonald@scottishathletics.org.uk <mailto:jamie.mcdonald@scottishathletics.org.uk>