Many schools choose to prioritise core subjects for the morning, pushing PE into the afternoon. But why not plan a morning of activity so your pupils can reap the benefits?
Early morning activity is associated with better focus, alertness, and comprehension in the classroom, and there is significant evidence that moving PE lessons to the morning can deliver real benefits in terms of health, wellbeing, behaviour and even academic achievement.
Here are the top benefits of embracing early morning activity and how you can use your PE Premium to make it a reality.
Improve your pupils’ productivity
Exercise in the morning is a great way to improve classroom productivity. Pupils benefit from increased blood flow and oxygen to the brain, which helps them stay focused in class. Teachers who employ early morning activity in the classroom or children who get in active travel in the mornings, have largely seen better comprehension levels and focus for between 4 and 10 hours.
That kind of focus could leapfrog test scores in your classroom. But why not hit two birds with one stone with Active English and Maths? Easy to add to the school day, use the time for your teacher’s professional development whilst working on those core arithmetic and English skills.
Better focus & alertness
Children get a real, measurable boost from early morning exercise. No more yawning and sluggish starts; give them the boost they need that can help build a better memory. Exercise has a proven capacity to help you build new brain cells and support protein production that directly supports decision-making, higher thinking and learning.
Exercise also fights that lull in energy towards lunch, giving them greater focus and a better start to their academic lessons. Now that all schools are expected to provide a minimum of 2 hours of PE per week, you can add that dose to your mornings. We can support an activity programme including yoga to help improve mindfulness, cognition and concertation in the classroom.
Boost healthy eating throughout the school day
You don’t want a set of children crashing in the middle of the day. Low energy tends to hit just before lunch, and it tends to inspire unhealthy snacking. Exercise, especially in the morning, can boost that metabolism. Just a brief degree of exercise can regulate your appetite better, meaning far fewer cravings for that short, sharp shock of sugar!
Primary school obesity levels went up more than 10% in the years 2021/22. It’s a serious health risk for long-term conditions like diabetes and can make it harder to get back into physical activity. Moving before lunch can create a calorie deficit, meaning more fat burn and a better ability to make healthy lunch choices.
Improved wellbeing and mood
Children like to be active, but with school targets, we tend to be focused on subjects that keep them sedentary. If we want to create happy, focussed children and prepare them for modern life, we need to make sure that we give them the activity levels they need to make them feel good.
First Step PE offers PE lessons designed to boost their mental health by reducing stress levels and anxiety. Our activities encourage teamwork and help them problem-solve in ways that show them how to achieve their goals. Give them a path to those goals in the morning so they develop a more positive outlook for the rest of the day.
Improved classroom behaviour
One of the best ways to harness children’s excess energy and reduce disruptive behaviours is through early morning activity. The importance of incorporating physical activity into the school day cannot be overstated. That’s why we’re excited to introduce our Life Skills Programme, a comprehensive solution that combines impactful physical activity with essential life skills.
By utilising your PE Premium, you can shake up your school’s timetable and introduce our engaging early morning activities. We’ll work closely with you to tailor the programme to your school’s specific needs, ensuring a seamless integration without any additional hassle on your end.
