An event took place at Craigiebarns Primary School to celebrate 28 schools across Dundee that have received a prestigious national award from sportscotland in recognition of their commitment to putting sport at the heart of the school ethos. The schools have achieved the prestigious Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards, showcasing their dedication to nurturing the next generation of active, confident, and healthy young people.
Funded by the National Lottery, the sportscotland School Sport Award is presented for innovation and achievement in delivering school sport and physical activity, with over 1000 schools in Scotland now engaged in the award across all 32 local authorities.
Towards the end of 2022, sportscotland relaunched the award with an emphasis on providing schools the opportunity to focus on continuous improvement and self-evaluation. Following a self-assessment tool process, each school must complete an action plan that would inform their goals and actions to develop sport across the year and would be the primary consideration for whether they achieved the award.
Ten of those Dundee schools have achieved the Gold Award. Those are Ballumbie PS, Claypotts Castle PS, Clepington PS. Longhough PS, Craigiebarns PS, Our Lady's PS, Rosebank PS, Baldragon Academy, Braeview Academy and Grove Academy.
A Gold School Sport Award is awarded to schools that demonstrate exceptional commitment and dedication to promoting physical activity, sports participation, and overall well-being among their students. The School Sport Award provides a framework for all schools to be recognised across gold, silver, and bronze levels and enables the Active Schools networks and schools to work effectively together. The total number of gold schools now stands at an all-time high, with more schools putting young people at the forefront of decision making and planning of school sport and PE, while also increasing participation opportunities for all.
James Fenna, Active Schools Dundee Manager at Active Dundee, said
"The importance of sport in school life cannot be underestimated and being awarded sportscotland School Sport Awards are testament to the hard work and effort of pupils, teachers, and volunteers across the 28 schools.”
Scott Urquhart, Head of Leisure, Sport and Physical Activity Services at Active Dundee, said,
"The School Sport Award has been a great opportunity for all the schools in Dundee to know exactly how active they are. This is a fantastic sportscotland initiative which we are proud to support through our Active Schools team. Staff and pupils have all contributed to achieving the awards for their schools and this has helped with a whole school approach to sport across the city."
Children, Families and Communities Convener Stewart Hunter said,
“It’s great to see so many schools in Dundee being recognised for their sporting achievements and ambitions.
“I want to thank SportScotland and Active Schools for their support as we work together to provide opportunities for our young people to take part in sport and physical activity.”
Dundee City Council Spokesperson for Culture, Sport & History Councillor Lynne Short said
"It's so important for our children and young people to be active and to have a positive relationship with sport, which is why I'm delighted to see so many schools receiving this prestigious award."
To find out more about Dundee Active Schools visit www.activeschoolsdundee.org.uk
Pictured are representatives of Craigiebarns Primary School, Active Schools Dundee, Leisure & Culture Dundee, Dundee City Council and sportscotland.