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Now in its sixth year, Premier League Primary Stars (PLPS), a Premier League-funded programme, is designed to use the power of football to engage pupils in primary schools across the country.

Nottingham Forest Community Trust coaches have been delivering the programme since its launch and provide classroom support in key subjects such as English and Maths, and PE delivery, with sports ranging from football and cricket to athletics and dance to eighteen schools across the city and county.

Nottingham Forest Community Trust’s PLPS coach, Mai, worked alongside Year 4 teacher, Miss Sheikh at Arnbrook Primary School in the first two terms of this academic year. Mai helped Miss Sheikh improve her PE delivery through building her confidence and understanding of the delivery techniques.

Miss Sheikh talks about her PE delivery prior to working with Mai and said “I lacked a lot of confidence and ideas on how to deliver PE. I felt I never had the chance to take a step back and just watch how it could be delivered more effectively and engage the pupils more.” The programmes coaches work closely with teachers to help them improve their PE delivery. They offer training sessions and practical support to teachers, helping them to develop lesson plans that are engaging, challenging, and tailored to the needs of their pupils.

Resources that the programme offers to partner school teachers are designed to be adaptable, so teachers can tailor them to the specific children in the class, whether that is by adapting the activities to make them more challenging or by simplifying them to make them more accessible.

Teachers who participate in the PLPS programme report that it has a positive impact on their own professional development. By working with the coaches at Nottingham Forest Community Trust, teachers are able to develop their own coaching skills and gain valuable experience.

Miss Sheikh went on to say how she feels she has improved since working with Mai; “I 100% feel like I have been able to develop my PE delivery for not only myself but the children. I think one of the main reasons is, I got a chance to focus on the management of the class, looking at how Mai breaks down different skills that need to be taught with simple steps.”

She continued, “I also think the planning side, equipment usage and the ability to communicate with Mai on why she is doing what she is doing has helped massively.”

The coaches understand the challenges that teachers face and are there to provide support and guidance to help teachers deliver high-quality lessons that engage and motivate their pupils. This has helped teachers to improve their confidence in delivering PE, which in turn has had a positive impact on the pupils’ learning and enjoyment of the subject.

Mai said, “Working with Miss Sheikh during the first two terms at Arnbrook was an insightful experience as it allowed me to share my knowledge in order to upskill her delivery. It was great to see Miss Sheikh engaging within the PE lessons, but also asking myself numerous questions for the benefit of herself in her future lessons.”

The guidance Mai has given Miss Sheikh is something she will always take forward with her in developing her PE delivery as she said, “I feel I am getting there slowly. It’s like a never-ending journey and Mai has contributed to my support in PE greatly. I really am thankful to her.”

For more information on our Premier League Primary Stars delivery, or to get involved with your School, email jordan.ferrer@nottinghamforest.co.uk