Rutland County Council announces changes to school sports offer
We've outlined changes to school sports across the county, as part of its ongoing commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of young people.
Rutland County Council is outlining changes to school sports across the county, as part of its ongoing commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of young people.
The introduction of the council’s new Communities and Prevention service has brought together a range of services, including libraries, leisure, and the family hub. This new integrated approach, led by the Community and Wellbeing team, will address physical activity alongside emotional and social wellbeing, promoting healthy lifestyles and resilience for all age groups. This will allow the council to focus its resources on the most vulnerable members of the Rutland community.
Currently, school sport in Rutland is coordinated through a Schools Games Organiser (SGO) which is part funded by a Sport England grant and delivered by Rutland County Council. Some schools also subscribe to a Schools Sports Partnership (SSP), which includes several schools outside Rutland. The council cannot continue to subsidise the current schools’ sports programme but is eager to collaborate with schools to develop a sustainable and inclusive model for school sports in Rutland. A time-limited working group of school representatives, council officers, and Active Together Leicestershire will be convened to ensure that the new model builds on best practices and meets the needs of all children and young people in the county.
The council has written to schools inviting them to submit expressions of interest to Sport England to take on the role of host for the coordination of both the SGO and SSP.
“We are committed to tackling issues around accessibility to sports to support healthy and active lifestyles. We want to reassure residents that despite these changes, we will continue to work closely with schools and Active Together Leicestershire to maintain a sports programme during this transition period.”
Rutland County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Transport, Environment and Communities, Councillor Christine Wise