The Primary School in Motion Award is a new provincial prize that supports schools in taking a realistic next step. The focus is not on achievements, but on ambition and feasibility. The winning schools receive a sum of money and professional guidance from Fontys Sport and Exercise to implement their plans sustainably.
Physical activity as the foundation for learning
The award supports the provincial objective of having 75 percent of the people of Brabant meet the physical activity guidelines by 2030. At present, only 55 percent of children in Brabant get enough exercise each day. For young people, this means at least one hour of moderate-intensity physical activity per day. Physical activity is important for children's physical and mental development. It contributes to concentration, processing lesson material and positive group dynamics in the classroom.
Bas Maes, provincial executive for Sport of the Province of Noord-Brabant: “Research and practice show that getting enough exercise at a young age is crucial for healthy development as well as academic performance. That is why, as a province, we deliberately focus on schools: they reach all children and can make a structural difference. With this award, we support schools in contributing to the 2030 objective within their own capabilities.”
Every school has its own route
Primary schools differ in their starting position when it comes to physical activity. Some schools focus on creating a more activity-friendly schoolyard, while others focus on more movement during lessons in the classroom. The jury therefore does not look at how far a school has already progressed, but at the quality and feasibility of the plans.
Impact extending to the home and neighbourhood
The physical activity habits children develop at school continue outside school. What becomes commonplace at school, children take home and into their neighbourhood. In this way, physical activity at school contributes to a more active and healthier living environment.
Dave van Kann, lecturer at Fontys Sport and Exercise and chair of the jury: “Physical activity supports not only physical health, but also cognitive processes such as concentration and memory. When schools integrate movement into their education, we see that children learn more actively and that the social dynamics in the classroom improve. That effect does not stop at the school gates: children take the behaviours they practise every day home and into their neighbourhood. It is precisely this wider impact that makes investing in physical activity at school so powerful.”
Part of Vibrant Brabant
The Primary School in Motion Award is part of the province's Vibrant Brabant programme and ties in with the motion for the ‘Most Sporty School in Brabant Award’. The prize encourages schools to give physical activity a permanent place in and around the school, tailored to their own situation.
Photo: Bas Maes on the left, Dave van Kann in the centre. Photo credit: Province of Noord-Brabant/Franc de Korte. Author: Franc de Korte in consultation with Ingrid Oonincx.