Minsterworth Primary Develops Links With Finland

Minsterworth Primary School ( 57 on roll ) has developed close links with a school in Finland through the Comenius Project*.

It has involved term time teacher exchanges and regular contacts between the children.

In Finnish schools the children undertake some form of aerobic exercise for fifteen minutes in every hour. Minsterworth are currently experimenting with a Finnish timetable adapted to fit in with our teaching time requirements.

The timetable, with some variations for KS2 or KS1 children and allowing for some flexibility, is organised like this :-

• Morning 1 hour teaching time

• Normal morning break

• 40 minutes teaching time
• 5-10 minutes exercise break
• 50 minutes teaching time
• 5-10 minutes exercise break

• Lunch Break - 50 minutes

• Afternoon 1 hour teaching time
• 5-10 minutes exercise break
• 1 hour teaching time
• 15 minutes ‘fruit & vegetable’ break

• 3.15 pm End of school

It allows the school to:-

• increase exercise time each week as the exercise breaks are in addition to PE lessons and extra curricular sport e.g. clubs.
• take part in the ‘Fruit and Vegetable Scheme’.
• promote their ‘Healthy School’ ethos.

Benefits noted have been that the children are :-

• enthusiastic about the new timetable.
• more alert, lively and motivated in the classroom.
• able to concentrate for longer periods of time.

For more information on Minsterworth’s experiences contact the headteacher, Jackie Etheridge, head@minsterworth.gloucs.sch.uk or 01452 750283.

*The Comenius Project is a European Commission initiative to promote co-operation between schools across Europe and for teachers and children to develop an understanding of the culture and traditions of other countries within Europe. The projects last for three years and funding is available for between four and six teachers to travel to project meetings each year. The majority of Gloucestershire schools taking part have been primary; several of them small.

For more information contact the International Education Office at the Hucclecote Centre 01452 427270