England Touch Association - Annual Report 2014 England Touch Association - Annual Report 2014 | Page 32
ETA Annual Report
SCHOOLS/YOUTH (Review)
Overview / Intro
With the growth of Touch across the country and the new U18 development squad recently announced, England
Touch is taking the next steps to develop a Schools Touch programme and we need your help. Touch is an ideal
school sport, with minimal contact year groups and boys and girls can be mixed. In addition, no specialist
equipment is required, just a ball, making it so simple to deliver in PE lessons or as an After School Club.
Numerous schools across the country are already playing Touch, and the sport is now being played at the School
Games in some counties.
With the potential for the sport to be huge at secondary school level, England Touch is developing specialist
resources for schools to deliver Touch in line with the National Curriculum, to meet the needs of PE teachers and
to engage more players than ever. An Education Group has being established, consisting of a range of current
Touch playing PE teachers to shape the programme. We have had interest from about 20 teachers interested in
delivering Touch in their school, to try resources, provide feedback and help facilitate the growth of Touch in
their region, through competitions
2014 - Review
Started to strategically plan on how to successfully deliver Touch in schools.
Created a schools development role, Paul Farrington is the lead.
o Paul has over 10 years of Touch experience, having played and coached at the highest level of the
game. Having developed adult competitions, devised the original NTS format and coached at the Touch
World Cup in 2011, he is now turning focussing on developing the next generation of Touch player. He
is overseeing the delivery of a Touch programme in schools in the Berkshire area, and has successfully
launched Junior Touch Camps. Paul now works in education, and is bringing together a team of
education experts to deliver a Schools Touch programme.
Created an educational panel of current Secondary school PE teachers to assist in creating quality
content.
GCSE Curriculum conversations with EdExcel discuss rewrite
2015 - Plans
Create Teacher resources/Toolkit, training and guidance to help deliver the sport in line with National
Curriculum, whilst reflecting the specialist techniques and ethos of the game, inc guidance for Primary
and Secondary delivery (rules, formats, recommendations for delivery).
Trial group of children using resource
Recruitment and expansion of team to create a network of teachers in regions who can contact each
other to develop local competitions (possibly through School Games/SSP/CSP support) and share
knowledge.
Develop a Competition structure (local, regional and eventually National).
Input on the Edexcel GCSE Touch paper
Touch Community Coaches Course as a CPD programme for teachers
Paul Farrington
Aims and objectives for 2015 and beyond
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Develop a National schools Touch event as a player/referee pathway.
Input on the FIT Children and Youth Commission.
England Touch Association
Schools Liaison