The Tipping Point is one of my favourite books. As the name might suggest this book is all about what makes things tip. This year Malcom Gladwell released Revenge of the Tipping Point, expanding on his original text. In this book, he considers what can ‘change the overstory’ to change our wider perceptions.
For years, the overstory for fitness testing in schools has been old school PE teachers, focusing on the more able children, using poorly administered practices that were insensitive and demoralising – especially for those children less fit, more inactive and more disengaged. I have written much on the positive value of fitness testing done well. I firmly believe it is time we changed this overstory.
Ten years ago, I left a wonderful teaching position to set about supporting more children to move more, move well and build fitter futures. With a strong focus on children aged 7-11 – when many physical self-perceptions begin to form – I created a movement program, as one part of a wider PE offering.
The unique feature of this program is a framework for monitoring every child’s physical progression (or fitness testing). Involving five carefully considered physical challenges, I have personally delivered this peer assessment 1,000+ times in 100+ school settings in the UK and abroad. Last week, I delivered this fitness assessment in the following contexts:
-Year 2-6 in a challenging school setting with 30%+ SEND children
-NHS CEW program (for children with complications from excess weight/obese children)
-Year 1 & 2 classes with Year 5 & 6 classes supporting as fitness leaders
In each of these scenarios the children flourished. Unanimous feedback from teaching and support staff, and from the children, was that every class, many with complex needs and low self-esteem, were more motivated and engaged than ever before within these assessment experiences.
This is fitness testing done well and I believe this is the norm in schools today:
-Inclusive and purposeful
-Focusing only on comparison with former and future self
-Challenging individual physical boundaries
-Appreciating diversity of body types and competencies
-Building focus and perseverance, cooperation and leadership, trust and compassion
-Celebrating progression with a simple award badge system
-Reflecting on how to become a better mover
I am tired of defending the inherent process of fitness testing to adults who had negative experiences in their own PE lessons and to academics referencing journals alluding to prior negative experiences of fitness testing. PE practices have moved on. Perhaps the key is the WHY behind fitness testing in schools (I could talk about this all day).
In summary, we can reframe ‘fitness testing’ to ‘monitoring physical progression’ and ask two questions. 1. Is ‘monitoring’ a positive educational tool? 2. Is ‘physical progression’ a positive educational tool? If the answer to both questions is yes, then ‘monitoring physical progression’ is a powerful educational tool.
Therefore, by definition, ‘fitness testing’ is a powerful educational tool.
In the schools in which my movement curriculum operates every week, with a physical fitness assessment woven in 2-3 times annually, we have evidenced a remarkable impact on fitness, physical competence and movement confidence (especially with less active/more disengaged children).
We are building fitter school cultures, while positively impacting wellbeing, academic learning and resilience. Meaningful, physical literacy informed fitness testing is at the core of this work.
