Wells Sports Foundation - Athletes 4 Schools

The Athletes 4 Schools scheme developed by the Wells Sports Foundation brings young people face to face with Olympic athletes preparing for London 2012. The athletes visit your school and engage with your pupils through the values of sport. They deliver fun and inclusive content to inspire your pupils to follow their own aspirations, as well as encouraging them to be more active and healthy.

The visit can be tailored to fit in with your school's curriculum and enhance your teaching objectives. It is available to primary and secondary schools, years 5 to 11 and the visits are delivered to free of charge for state schools.

How the scheme works

The visit requires full commitment from your school to make the experience worthwhile. The Wells Sports Foundation will provide support throughout the planning stages and will prepare appropriate content for the visit based on your school's curriculum and timetable.

The entire visit should be no less than around 3 hours and during this time the athlete can take part in a year group assembly and deliver up to two 45 minute workshops, one per lesson, involving up to 50 pupils in each. This approach is flexible to meet your school's needs.

What is involved?

Before the visit

The Wells Sports Foundation will plan key areas with you to get your school ready for the visit. They will provide your pupils with a task sheet to complete in advance of the visit related to the athlete and London 2012. This task will be referred to during the visit.

During the visit

The visit itself involves the athlete talking to your pupils about different aspects of his or her life, highlighting appropriate themes, the importance of goal setting and London 2012.

Your pupils are encouraged to get involved in a discussion with the athlete around these aspects which will promote further engagement, using the task sheet completed in advance. The athlete will also engage your pupils in a fun and simple activity session reflecting their sport and training. The visit will require support from a teacher and can involve young leaders if appropriate.

After the visit

The visit content should be used to inspire follow up lesson plans in order to create further impact. In the planning stage, the Wells Sports Foundation will require your ideas on this in relation to furthering the visit's objectives once completed.

To find out more and to book a visit for your school, please visit www.wellssportsfoundation.org