The third objective was to understand what can ensure that the active education approach becomes sustainable and embedded into school development plans. Schools received funding for implementing the programme within one academic year, and they are then required to consider how they continue the programme. Given all pupils who completed the pupil’s survey said they would likely recommend attending sessions to someone, it shows a desire from children for the sessions to continue. Given the challenging locations of many of the schools, it is important that the safe and stimulating activities outside of traditional school hours continue as to not revert the positive away from the positive momentum achieved. School staff also highlighted that school staff wanted to be involve in the programme and that community cohesion with the wider community had improved.
Schools recognised further funding is required to continue the programme, although many have identified innovative ways (e.g. volunteering, train-the-trainer approach with pupils) or will be allocating school budget to the programme delivery. Local authorities should work with schools to consider what resources (financial and in-kind) can be made available to the schools to help. In a school forum, where attendees were encouraged to share their practices, it was suggested that schools who used the funding to purchase equipment and/or change the school’s physical infrastructure as opposed to paying for external providers would find it easier to continue the programme. Working with schools to create a toolkit on how to become an active education setting and sustain the setting could be beneficial. The suggestions of further support and top tips for transforming a school could be incorporated.
One aspect not considered within the pilot project evaluation, but highlighted within one school’s expression of interest, was the concern of the impact the programme would have on existing provision and opportunities already in the communities (if they exist). For example, in a rural 3-18 year school, concerns were raised on how new school facilities would affect the leisure centre. In this instance, the concern was alleviated as the facilities were to be complementary to the leisure centre’s facilities, but this would not always be the case. Programmes do not function in isolation, and the wider impacts, including non-purposeful ones, should be monitored, where possible. It will be important that schools and local facilities collaborate, with the core focus being providing communities with physical activity opportunities, to ensure the programmes are mutually beneficial and not detrimental to one another, for example, decrease in memberships at the local leisure centre.
