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Every weekend, families up and down the country travel to watch their favourite football team. It’s a ritual that unites generations, providing a lifetime of memorable matches, amazing goals as well as fantastic displays of great teamwork and sportsmanship. But have you thought about how the power of football can be woven into not only PE lessons, but can also inspire pupils to engage with Maths, PSHE and English classes too?
Today marks the start of Schools’ Football Week. Premier League Primary Stars – a totally free programme created by the Premier League to use the power of football to inspire pupils to learn, be active and develop important life skills – features a wealth of resources that can be used across the curriculum. Already used by more than three-quarters of schools across England & Wales, the interactive lesson plans include worksheets, videos and goodies for your classroom such as wall charts and posters, which all serve to bring key curriculum subjects to life in a way that captures pupils’ attention.
All of the free resources are centred around the four key Premier League Values: be ambitious, be inspiring, be connected and be fair.
The Premier League Primary Stars website is not just for schools. Parents and carers who are homeschooling their children can also download an array of resources by visiting the home learning section, filled with resource packs specifically curated for a home environment. It’s also a great way for families to sustain the attention of children who are self-isolating at home, away from their friends and you, their favourite teacher.
So, have you thought about using football as a tool to inspire? Let’s delve deeper into the Premier League Primary Stars website.
#MathsIsFun
Have you thought about embedding your Maths lesson with a bit of football magic? Pupils can access the Premier League Primary Stars Season Stats Dashboard, a first-of-its-kind Maths resource which uses real-life Premier League data to help get the classroom bursting with energy. It features Premier League players and is updated every week with the latest statistics from the weekend’s fixtures covering everything from goals scored to tackles made on the pitch. It enables pupils to increase their understanding of statistics, practise the use of mathematical symbols as well as mental and written calculations.
Activities can be played against an online timer where individuals or teams compete to win and score goals. And if that’s not enough, maths legend and friend of the programme, Bobby Seagull, shares his tips and tricks of how football plus maths equals a whole lot of fun.
Back to you in the studio…
For those budding reporters in your English class. With the Premier League Primary Stars programme, pupils are able to master their literacy and writing skills while finding out just what it takes to make a great journalist. The Roving Reporter resources feature insight from experts at Sky Sports News as well as the Daily and Sunday Telegraph. Pupils can use the accompanying activity sheet to plan and draft a report that brings every twist and turn of a match to life.
If you’re looking for something to keep pupils’ literacy skills sharp, there are plenty of activities to keep them busy. Why not see how many football related words they can spell with a bespoke, fun and football-based spelling challenge that has accompanying videos of players and pupils taking part.
Train like your heroes
PE has come a long way since the days of endless attempts on the climbing walls and cross-country runs in the pouring rain. The Premier League Primary Stars programme is packed full of activities and teaching methods that will have pupils looking forward to their PE lessons.
Using a series of PE training films designed by teachers for teachers, you can create a lesson that meets the needs of individual pupils. The PE Planning Toolkit sits perfectly alongside the video. The values-based way of learning allows you to learn more about how to create an inclusive environment that works for everyone, and how to incorporate the three learning domains, differentiation, modelling and demonstrations, questioning and discussion, and assessment for learning into your PE lessons.
Thousands of girls and boys dream of training like their footballing heroes and Premier League Primary Stars enables dreams to come true with its Train like a Footballer resource, enabling pupils to practise different movements and improve their technique, just like the pros.
Play the Right Way gets pupils to think about how they can demonstrate positive behaviour traits when playing football.
Diversity makes our society stronger
Giving pupils insight on the importance of equality, diversity and inclusion is vital. Tackling issues surrounding anti-discrimination in the classroom has also become a priority for teachers who look to create a positive and inclusive environment for pupils to learn. The Premier League is committed to creating an inclusive atmosphere for all – from fans and players, to young people and those in the community.
Why not facilitate classroom discussion with a set of films featuring young people talking to Crystal Palace FC and Liverpool FC football players about the impact and consequences of racism. They are great for demonstrating to pupils how to be an ally and support their friends. The most recent No Room For Racism – Youth Voices is where you will find this empowering resource.
At the end of last year, Premier League Primary Stars launched a new resource titled ‘Rainbow Laces – This is everyone’s game’. It features an educational film, and supporting resources, that celebrates LGBTQ+ football fans and showcases the power of football to bring people together.
Author Terry Pratchett once said: “The thing about football – the important thing about football – is that it is not just about football.” This Schools’ Football Week, head over to the Premier League Primary Stars website where you can find an abundance of brilliant resources using the power of football that will ignite your pupils imagination.
Professional football club staff work with teachers to deliver fun, educational sessions across a range of subjects within local partner schools. For more information about Premier League Primary Stars, and to sign up for free, please visit www.plprimarystars.com