Oaklands School – Edinburgh, Scotland

Oaklands School

Fact File

  • Where we’re based: Edinburgh, Scotland
  • School roll: 55 students
  • Where do you run your Daily Mile? We use our school corridor
  • Month/Year we started The Daily Mile: November 2017

Sharon Humble, PE teacher, talks us through Oaklands School’s experience of The Daily Mile, thus far.

A brief description of your school?

Oaklands School provides education for children and young people with complex, long term additional support needs where the presumption of mainstream cannot be met and require a significantly modified learning environment. Needs of learners are primarily associated with learning disability and significant visual / sensory, health and medical needs.

Ryan using his walker

How many, and which, children in your school complete The Daily Mile?

The whole school are participating in The Daily Mile, from Nursery through to the Senior class.

Please, describe your school’s experience of The Daily Mile to date.

Oaklands launched their Daily Mile on Friday 3rd November 2017. Over 120 pupils, parents, staff and friends of Oaklands took part in this event. We were very lucky to be able to welcome Maria Lyle, Paralympian, along too! Maria spent the morning answering our questions, sharing her experiences and medals with us. Before helping to complete our first Daily Mile.

The ‚Oaklands Mile‘ is an adaption of The Daily Mile campaign.

It’s all about personal achievement, improving health and wellbeing, having fun and extending our opportunities to get out and about more during our daily school routine.

100 metres can be a rather ambitious distance for most of us, but in Oaklands we like a challenge! We are walking, running, cycling and rotating our way around the school.

Chloe recording how far she has cycled onto her record sheet

Did you face any barriers when implementing The Daily Mile? If yes, how did you overcome them?

Yes, it can be difficult to implement something new into the already cramped school day. Some staff were concerned about how we would fit it in, but somehow we have managed and now everyone is fully on board and seeing the benefits.

By adapting The Daily Mile to suit the needs of our pupils and incorporating it into our daily routine.

Dawid using his running bike

Since starting The Daily Mile, what differences in the school have you observed?

Even in just a few weeks, we have noticed an increased amount of activity in our corridors. Pupils are out more, socialising with other pupils and staff as they travel around the school. They are all enjoying clocking up their miles and recording on their record sheet.

It is having an impact on their behaviour, alertness and fitness. We are celebrating our achievements in weekly assemblies.

Do you have any individual success stories of pupils or staff members you would like to share with us?

We have also been using the ‚InnoWalk‘ for our pupils who have limited mobility. The InnoWalk is a motorised device, which gives our pupils the chance to experience assisted and repetitive movement in an upright, weight-bearing position. This device has allowed pupils who would not normally get physical activity in their school day the chance to participate in The Daily Mile with their peers!

Sophie using the InnoWalk to do her Daily Mile

Do you have any tips for other schools looking to get started?

Go for it! Our parents, pupils and staff have been amazed at the distances our pupils are achieving and the skills being transferred out of school to home with parents getting their children out more, cycling and walking as a family.

Any other comments?

Morna Phillips, Headteacher – „I can’t believe how quickly it has become embedded into everyone’s daily routine.“

Rebecca Vaughan, DHT – „One of my favourite parts of my school day is seeing the kids out doing their laps walking, on their bikes, walkers, etc.“

Elaine Weir, Parent – „I am so proud of Jack and his achievement(s) on the InnoWalk, being able to participate with his school friends is fantastic. I love when he brings his mile certificates home.“

Maria

 

Visit Oaklands School’s website for more information