Children and Young People

Upshire Primary School OSF

Increasing physical activity through sport and infrastructure development.

Upshire Primary School, located in Epping Forest, has embarked on a project to create a welcoming and safe environment for the community after school hours. By addressing the increasing childhood obesity rates and economic challenges faced by parents and carers, the school aims to provide more sport and physical activity opportunities for students and their families.

Thanks to the first year of funding, Upshire Primary School has automated the main gates, allowing external users to access the school grounds without staff supervision. This sustainable investment helps keep hire fees low. Additionally, the school has expanded its football club to include KS1 students and introduced a new Archery club.

Who's it for?

School students and their families from the area

Prime Objective:

to provide sport and physical activity opportunities

Second Objective:

to improve school safety and support mental health

The Archery club is open to all ages at the school, offering 15 spaces which are currently filled by 4 girls and 10 boys. The KS1 football club has 20 spaces available which are currently taken up by 5 girls and 11 male students.

The Opening Schools Facilities Funding has helped strengthen connections amongst Epping Forest District Council (EFDC) and Active Essex. The strengthened connections are thanks to collaboration which has worked to improve safety, reduce anti-social behaviour on the grounds and improve students and the local resident’s health and wellbeing. The implementation of these new after school clubs has increased pupil attendance as well as contributing to the start of positive discussions to develop further after school clubs, widening their offer.

£24,495

awarded in total across the three years of funding

243

recorded attendances by 29 school students

spaces made available through OSF funding

Throughout the application and delivery process, Active Essex has worked with the primary school to help bring their aims and ideas to life. Upshire Primary School have also been working closely with their main sports provider Super Star Sports, who are keen to offer holiday activities, but the facility has not been suitable for a safe and accessible service. Thanks to the funding, the school can now explore how they can help with the health and wellbeing challenges that their pupils face in the ward.

The after-school sessions have been absolutely fantastic. It has enabled me to work for longer. For my daughter Maddie, it has been great for her to get some extra fitness in.

Parent of child that attends the Archery club

The Upshire Primary School Community Initiative has successfully increased physical activity opportunities for students, strengthened community ties, provided a safe environment that the community can benefit from.

We have improved our approach to designing clubs by involving parents and children more in the process. Instead of imposing our own ideas, we listen to their preferences and needs. We also try to connect with other community groups that share our vision and values, but we recognize that they may face challenges in terms of resources, staff, and capacity. We are thinking ahead about how to make our clubs sustainable and relevant for the future, by creating community links and pathways for further participation. We want to showcase our work to the wider community and demonstrate how we have learned from the local context and how we can contribute to it.

Julie Hockley, Finance and Personnel Manager

Next Case Study:

PCS - Youth Unity