Ready Set Move Active Schools is about enabling schools to make the most of every opportunity for children to be more active during the school day.
We work with headteachers, middle leaders, school staff and young people to reimagine how movement can be woven through every part of the school day, helping children and young people to move more, feel happier, and engage more deeply in their learning.
While schools already provide valuable opportunities through PE, sport and play, we still don’t seem to be shifting the dial in terms of physical activity levels of our young people. That’s why we’re taking a different approach – one that focuses on changing behaviours, mindsets and environments across the whole school system, not just creating more one-off interventions. Read more about how this direction was shaped.
To better understand what influences children’s movement behaviours, we partnered with Edge Hill University to learn from real data and use these insights to inform meaningful change in schools. Read more about the research.
Through our learning, we’ve designed a set of practical tools and opportunities that support schools on their journey – including our Ready Set Move Middle Leaders Programme, connection events, and accreditation framework. Together, these help schools share, connect and continuously improve as they embed movement across the whole school day. Read more about each work area below.
Ready Set Move Middle Leaders Programme
The Middle Leaders Programme is a professional development opportunity designed to support aspiring future leaders to lead physical activity change across their school.
The programme invests in personal and professional growth, whilst empowering participants to lead confidently, influence others, and embed movement into everyday school life. Through a series of practical workshops, schools are supported to make changes to their own practice, culture and whole school policy.
What do we do?
Understanding context and planning for change
Using the Creating Active Schools (CAS) framework through our programme enables schools to review, assess and prioritise areas of focus for long term change. The CAS framework is designed by education practitioners and public health experts – a trusted and recognised tool to inform whole-school, evidence-based decisions. Read more about CAS profiling framework.
Investment in the person
• Active pedagogy practice – building skills & capabilities to embed movement into teaching and learning
• Leadership development – developing the individual to recognise their strengths, build confidence and understand their unique leadership style
• Creating time and space to think differently – space to reflect on mindsets, beliefs and behaviours to see opportunities for change
Sustaining momentum
Once the programme finishes, Middle Leaders are able to join the Alumni Network – a peer led community that provides continued opportunity to share, connect and learn together as they progress through their own leadership journey.
Read how Broadway Primary has transformed their approach to movement.
Stories of Change
Each middle leader who completes the programme documents and shares their story of change, celebrating how their work has influenced others and shaped their school culture. Explore their journeys below:
Move to Improve (Active Learning)
Embedding movement into classroom practice to boost engagement, memory, and enjoyment.
Cherry Fold School – Burnley
Sacred Heart – Colne
Simonstone – Ribble Valley
St Edward’s – Darwen
St James – Burnley
St Leonards – Burnley
St Peters – Newchurch
St Wulstans – Gt Harwood
Water Primary – Rossendale
Whitefield Infant – Pendle
Newfield – Blackburn
Policy in Motion (Leadership & Whole-School Strategy)
Change driven by formal policies, SLT direction, strategic CPD, and data-driven reform.
St Josephs – Burnley
St John the Baptist
Northern Primary, Bacup
Casterton Primary
St Annes & St Josephs
Holly Grove, Burnley
St Mary’s, Burnley
Belthorn Primary
Playspaces with Purpose (Play & Physical Environment)
Creating engaging physical spaces for structured, inclusive, and fun movement opportunities.
Avondale
Briercliffe
Broadway
Christ the King
Lower Darwen
St Bartholomews
St John the Baptist
St Pauls C of E
Whittlefield and Stubbins
All Together Now (Stakeholders & Collaboration)
Staff, pupils, families and governors driving and sustaining change together.
Barden
Crawshawbooth
Lois Sanderson
Newchurch
Newchurch
St Mary & St Josephs
Lois Sanderson
Connecting Schools
Connecting schools is at the heart of how we learn and grow together. Through our in-person learning events and regular newsletters, we create opportunities for teachers and leaders to share ideas, celebrate progress and continue learning long after the event has ended.
Learning Events
Our Active Schools learning events bring together school practitioners, leaders, and wider partners to create the time and space to learn, explore, reflect, and connect.
So far, we’ve hosted two Active Schools CoL/Labs and several Headteacher Connect events. Each event gives schools the opportunity to deepen their understanding of how to embed physical activity across the whole school day and within their wider school culture.
Our events are designed to:
• Support ongoing professional and leadership development
• Create shared spaces to learn and grow together
• Inspire new thinking and practical action
• Share learning from the Middle Leaders Programme, bringing their work to life and celebrating impact
Active Secondary Schools Leadership Programme
Bringing an active school culture into secondary settings
Building on our work in primary schools, and seeing the great results and impacts it’s been having on children, we’re now starting to work with secondary schools to explore how movement can support learning, behaviour and wellbeing across the whole school day.
What we’re doing
We’re supporting a small number of secondary schools through a fully funded leadership development programme, helping leaders to:
• Embed movement across the school day
• Align physical activity with learning, behaviour and inclusion
• Create sustainable, whole-school change rather than one-off initiatives
What this looks like
We work with 3 leaders at different positions across the school to explore how movement can make a difference in their context, from rethinking PE to embedding more active, engaging approaches across lessons. The focus is on supporting leaders to influence culture, practice and systems across the school.
Ready Set Move Accreditation
The Ready Set Move Accreditation acknowledges, rewards and celebrates good practice for schools who are demonstrating a commitment to the development and implementation of physical activity opportunities for their young people.
The accreditation has four levels and is designed to be progressively developmental, reflecting the stage that the school is at in their physical activity journey.
Schools are able to apply for the accreditation at any time throughout the academic year, on successful completion, the school will receive their accreditation rewards to use and display within their school.
Ready to apply? Click on the stage below to go to the application form!
Schools can apply for ‘Ready’, ‘Ready Set’ and ‘Ready Set Move’ at any stage providing you can demonstrate the criteria for each previous stage. To achieve ‘Ready, Set, Move… More!’ you must first apply for and achieve Ready Set Move.
Your school acknowledges the importance of physical activity and has pledged a commitment to making daily physical activity a priority for their children. We’re ready to start becoming an Active School!
Your school has identified and set priorities. You have begun to implement changes that provide more opportunities for all children to move more throughout the school day.
Your school is moving towards long-term change to practice and policy that will enable children to move more. These changes are embedded across the whole school day.
Your school has a strong physical activity culture. The school commit to invest more time and more resource into physical activity as a whole school priority.
To find out more or for any questions email Helen on competitionmanager@btrcc.lancs.sch.uk or contact her on 07854 350748