Background

Ladyloan Primary School serves the southern area of Arbroath. The school benefits from a new building, completed in 2019. It is in an urban area, with a rich and varied pupil demographic.

The school has a roll of 289 and most children and their families live in areas of high deprivation. The school catchment covers the most deprived area in Angus with £127,400 of PEF allocated. This is the third highest in the local authority.

Attainment Scotland Funding

Pupil Equity Funding (PEF), the Sea Green Fund and Changing Lives funding (Tayside and Fife Partnership via Sports Scotland). The cost of the programme was under £25,000.

Rationale

The school has used data and evidence to understand the needs of their learners. They ensure that learner voice informs plans to improve pupil wellbeing.

Learners participated in surveys to share their views. These showed that girls in Primary 6 and 7 took part in extracurricular sports less than boys at the same stage. The data also indicated that pupils from Ladyloan Primary were least likely to take part in secondary sports. This was in comparison with data from other Arbroath High feeder schools.

What Ladyloan Primary School did

The school shared a survey to find out what barriers were influencing participation. They also held focus groups with learners to discuss their participation in sport. Barriers identified included:

• access to sanitary and hygiene products
• access to sports clothing
• routine and self-care
• diet and exercise

The school wanted to create interests that could continue into secondary. They wanted to ensure all learners felt empowered and confident to take part. To do this they reduced barriers to improve access to opportunities.

Research from the Dartington Service Design Lab underpinned the school's approach. This helped them share evidence with those working to improve outcomes for children.

In August 2022, the school started the 'Ladyloan Without Limits' (LWL) programme. This was created n partnership with Active Schools, Vibrant Communities and community partners. The programme sought to inspire girls to take part in sport. It provided new and fun experiences for the girls in P6 and P7.

The programme created a culture which encouraged team spirit and reduced barriers to participation by providing all girls with what they needed to take part.

Clothing and equipment

All girls received a full kit, including t-shirt, long-sleeved zip top, leggings and a bag. The girls worked with a sports kit designer to select the style and design of their clothing. All the kits were washed and stored by the school. Each week kits were hung in the changing rooms. This mirrored the experience of being part of a professional sports club. The programme provided all participants with a Fitbit to encourage an active lifestyle. The initiative also supplied trainers, socks and sports bras to those that needed them.

Activities

The group experienced a broad range of activities, including:

• a trip to Glasgow to watch the Scotland netball team play against Gibraltar at the Emirates Stadium
• boxing and fitness activities with the fitness coach from Reactive Gym
• a trip to Tynecastle stadium in Edinburgh to watch the final of the Women’s Scottish Cup
• shotokan karate
• football sessions and lunchtime club provided by Arbroath Community Trust
• roller skating
• archery
• lacrosse
• dancing
• yoga
• beach volleyball

The girls received inspiring visits and messages from athletes. The school established strong links with local sports clubs. This supported the sustainability of longer-term outcomes. Not all participants enjoyed every activity. Participants were encouraged to reflect on the experience and extract the learning.

Food and nutrition

Food and nutrition sessions were provided in the local church where the group learned lots of new skills. Families were invited along, and the girls prepared a three-course meal for them. The group also used a smoothie bike to make their own smoothies whilst cycling.

Hygiene and self-care

Girls had access to health and hygiene products and were able to take what they needed, such as shampoo, deodorant, wipes, hairbrushes, body wash and sanitary products. This encouraged team spirit and reduced barriers to participation.

Wellness

A youth worker provided health and wellbeing sessions to the group. They worked with the girls on self-esteem, body confidence and stereotyping. The group also took part in arts and crafts and mindfulness activities.

The school used the principles of 'Cost of the School Day' and modelled a social justice approach to instil a culture of self-worth, ambition and achievement.

Impact

The confidence and self-esteem of the girls increased. LWL provided an opportunity for girls to experience and learn new skills. This helped them to recognise personal strengths and attributes. The group challenged misconceptions and perceived stigma. This included sports considered elitist by the group, including lacrosse and horse riding.

As a result of the experience with LWL:

• perceptions changed of certain sports being beyond the realms of capability
• personal, social and economic barriers were overcome
• continued engagement in sporting activities benefits health and wellbeing
• girls joined community sports clubs available to them outside of school
• where finance was a barrier, the school paid to continue the membership
• the group reported increased ambition and increased understanding of transferable skills
• sports clothing removed barriers relating to the Cost of the School Day
• access to hygiene products removed barriers relating to period poverty

The LWL model is being used to provide targeted support to other groups of learners.