Sunderland headteacher promotes children's activity in Westminster

Iain Williamson, Headteacher at Dame Dorothy Primary School, part of Northern Lights Learning Trust, was invited to a round table event in Parliament to share his expertise.

At the meeting Iain discussed the pioneering work being done at Dame Dorothy, including changing the uniform to sportswear, with three MPs, officials from the FA, Sport England, Ali Oliver, the CEO of Youth Sports Trust, CEOs of MATs and government policy makers.

“The invitation came through my ongoing involvement with Youth Sport Trust to discuss the decline in PE and activity for our young people and to look at possible solutions,” explained Iain.

“The consensus from the group readily acknowledged that childhood activity is decreasing and that this is negatively impacting the mental health of young people. The group debated potential solutions to breaking these barriers to inactivity in school and a large part of the discussions focussed upon our active uniform initiative at Dame Dorothy.

“It was pleasing to note that our uniform change was very well received by the MPs who were keen to understand the reasons behind our change and the benefits that it has brought. In fact, a significant part of the meeting was spent discussing how this could make a difference to activity in every school.

“Hopefully, there will be a follow up and a continuation to this debate in the coming months and a genuine attempt to take action to improve the health and well-being of children throughout the country.”

Dame Dorothy Primary School was chosen from schools across the country to launch National School Sports Week last week, attended by VIP visitors including the Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust, Ali Oliver and former world champion Thai boxer Rachael Mackenzie. The day in Sunderland began with an active ‘Let’s Dance’ session in breakfast club; the customary daily running; Year 6 canoeing in the sea and Girls Active leaders hosting a range of activities for their Key Stage 1 children.

Jo Heaton OBE, Chief Executive of Northern Lights, said: “We are very proud of Iain and the work being done at Dame Dorothy Primary School. It is great to see him representing the school and Northern Lights on a national level and his voice being heard on this important topic.”