Pupils sit for seven hours a day

Pupils spend a large part of their time sitting at school. Schools therefore play an important role in encouraging pupils to exercise. At present, this is still happening too little. Research shows that children aged 4 to 12 sit for seven hours a day, three of which are spent at school. There is therefore still a lot to gain. Especially when you consider that there are many reasons to encourage pupils to exercise more and better. By working in a structured way, we can offer every pupil an active future.

From sedentary education to a dynamic school day

But how do you shape a dynamic school day? Sedentary education is still the norm, while there are countless opportunities to integrate more exercise at school. There are opportunities to join national or regional approaches, or to develop a tailored approach with the help of a community sports coach or JOGG coordinator. In any case, a dynamic school day requires a structured approach and cooperation, both within and outside the school, in order to reach all children.

Working together through an integrated approach

In practice, implementation often proves difficult. Nevertheless, there are successful concepts that schools can use, such as:

The Healthy School approach

Healthy School helps education professionals make a healthy lifestyle at school the obvious choice. Using the Healthy School approach, schools can work on health themes, including the theme of Exercise and sport. They can follow a useful step-by-step plan for this. If they do this properly, they can earn a theme certificate – and thereby also the Healthy School quality mark.

Many schools are already doing various things related to Exercise and sport. To gain insight into what is already happening and what can still be worked on, you can carry out a theme scan for your school. Looking for inspiration? View good examples of Exercise and sport with practical tips.

The 2+1+2 model

The 2+1+2 model is an overarching exercise concept that focuses on helping primary school pupils exercise more and learn to move better. It provides a framework for the guideline of five hours of exercise for children and offers various organisations a tool for implementing interventions.

The first ‘2’ consists of two hours of physical education (2 x 45 minutes). The ‘+1’ stands for additional exercise during school hours, such as active transport, active learning, additional exercise breaks, or a structured break programme. The ‘+2’ stands for two hours of organised activities after school, such as extracurricular exercise activities or activities through cooperation with sports clubs.

The organisation and implementation of the 2+1+2 model is in the hands of exercise teams. These can be put together according to the needs of each neighbourhood and consist of various professionals in the fields of exercise and health, such as a specialist physical education teacher, community sports coach and municipal policy adviser. In this way, they work together on a tailored exercise programme. You can find more information about 2+1+2 at KVLO.

Three tips for getting started

With a good approach in which cooperation is central, your school can take steps towards a dynamic school day. You can start small. Here are three tips to help you get started.

Use the guide

Would you like to work together with the local community? The Knowledge Centre for Sport & Exercise provides knowledge and inspiration in the Guide to encouraging more and better exercise for schools and their surroundings. It provides a scientific foundation and practical tips on how exercise can be encouraged in primary education. The importance of local cooperation is also discussed.

Scan physical education

The physical education scan provides an in-depth insight and advice for your school in the area of exercise and physical education, based on eight themes. Discover what your strengths are and where further development is possible. The scan is a useful tool for schools that have already been awarded the physical education boost and innovation grant, but schools without a grant can also use the scan for free.

Get inspired

The Johannes School in Arnhem was one of the finalists in the 2022 Sportiest School in the Netherlands competition. At the Johannes School, the 2+1+2 model is used to encourage exercise in and around the school. In addition, there is good cooperation between the community sports coach and the specialist teacher to ensure that physical education, sports during breaks and extracurricular activities are coordinated as effectively as possible. Curious to learn more? Watch the video about exercise and sports at the Johannes School in Arnhem.