Physical Education and sport are part of everyday life at Albyn School, and it has always been known as a ‘sporty school’.
PE and games are prioritised so that the entire school community can enjoy the many benefits that sports can bring.
Through Albyn’s curriculum provision and co-curricular sports programmes, it strives to maintain a high standard of PE and promote this at all levels to help pupils stay fit and healthy.
Staff and older pupils act as role models for younger pupils, inspiring them to take the next step in their sporting journeys.
The overall aim at Albyn School is to ensure that all pupils have equal opportunities to participate, equipping them for a healthy lifestyle and lifelong enjoyment of physical activity and sport.
Children who take part in PE and sports will enjoy better physical, social, mental and emotional health which is why widespread participation is always encouraged, even during the lockdowns and while restrictions have been in place.
Albyn’s PE and Games programme is fun, diverse and high-quality so that children of all abilities – from L1 right up to U6 – can get involved.
A rich co-curricular programme and first-class facilities help the school maintain and increase participation while also encouraging children to play and engage in competitive sports.
Albyn pupils can take part in a host of activities and popular sports including football, netball, hockey, skiing, athletics, cricket, gymnastics, basketball and swimming.
The school also offers more unusual activities like table tennis and laser run/modern pentathlon which the upper-school pupils love.
Academic success is only possible with good mental and physical wellbeing and since Covid-19 hit, pupils have been under enormous pressure.
Over the past year or so, Albyn has worked to engage everyone in physical exercise to help relieve stress and anxiety and provide an outlet for heavy emotions.
Throughout the lockdowns, classes were delivered virtually through Microsoft Teams. It held interactive live teacher-led circuits, triathlon challenges, sports quizzes, Olympic challenges and even juggling.
Staff and pupils kept connected through live lessons and collaborated on Teams. This allowed them to maintain contact whilst also keeping an eye on pupil engagement.
The school found it easier to hold virtual lessons when the weather was great and everyone wanted to get outdoors. While it was trickier to get pupils outside during the winter, the school managed to maintain interest through inventive ways and pupils adapted well to the fun challenges thrown at them.
A school first was delivering a live virtual sports day – this went down a storm. The school set challenges for pupils, their families and even former pupils.
During the morning of events, it streamed live interviews from various sports stars including former Scotland rugby player, Kelly Brown.
This event was fantastic for bringing the whole Albyn community together at a time when families felt very isolated.
PE and games have helped everyone stay together and remain active, while also boosting mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Now that everyone is back in school, it’s still so important to promote the importance of health and fitness to the wider Albyn community and the school has some fun activities, including a Family Fun Weekend.
Find out more about the opportunities Albyn School has to offer your child, online here.