Physical Activity and Healthy Lifestyle in European Primary Schools

<< Background >>EUPEA as the project coordinator has as a main slogan “No Education without Physical Education”. Thus, all activities including those in European projects turn around this main idea of education that always has a physical component. This includes not only the school subject Physical Education (PE), but also any physical activities during a school day, as well as a healthy lifestyle in general. The main motivation for this project was that participating teachers and other school staff members learn from each other, with the most important aim to make their schools even more physically active and healthy for the most important target group: their students.Finally, as the settings and needs of primary schools and their students (aged 3-12 depending on the European countries) and teachers (either generalist teachers teaching all subjects or specialist teachers) are different to those of secondary schools and their students (aged 10-19 depending on the European countries) and teachers (usually specialists), this project was focusing on primary schools, while a different, complimentary project proposal was implemented with secondary schools.<< Objectives >>The main objective of the PAHLEPS project was to bring together 4 European primary schools (PS) from 4 European countries in a small-scale partnership for the exchange of good practice in the four HEPAS (Healthy and physically active schools in Europe) dimensions (PE: Physical Education, PA: Physical Activity, SS: School Sport and HL: Healthy Lifestyle) under the lead of EUPEA (European Physical Education Association), with the aim:- To map the current situation with regard to best practice related to physically active and healthy PSs in alignment with the HEPAS framework in participating PSs;- To exchange amongst partner schools about their initiatives and best practice related to PE, PA, SS and HL;- To support the participating PSs when applying to the MSA (Moving Schools Award);- To strengthen the relevant professional competencies of the involved participants;- To facilitate the development of an international network of physically active and healthy PSs.<< Implementation >>Project partners implemented five project activities in the form of five combined project meeting and staff training events of three days each, during which practical experiences and best practices form all partners were shared and discussed. The final meeting, project closing meeting was connected to a EUPEA HEPAS Seminar for Primary and Secondary Schools in Europe, linking this project to a complimentary project for secondary schools in Europe.Thus, each project partner hosted one project activity in the form of a combined project meeting and staff training event (M1-M5):M1: hosted by Colégio Pedro Arrupe in Lisbon (Portugal) on the topic Physical EducationM2: hosted by Scoil Bhride Cailini in Dublin (Ireland) on the topic School SportM3: hosted by Mamerschoulen in Mamer (Luxembourg) on the topic Physical ActivityM4: hosted by Ceip Novenes de Calatrava in Borriana, Castelló (Spain) on the topic Healthy LifestyleM5: hosted by EUPEA in Luxembourg (Luxembourg), connected to a EUPEA HEPAS Seminar in March 2024.Each partner school will prepare and organize the respective meetings in their countries in close cooperation with EUPEA as the project leader.<< Results >>The main expected outcome of the project was capacity building in order to facilitate the implementation of the idea of HEPAS in the participating PSs. It was agreed among the professionals from the participating PSs, that in order to reach these aims, exchange of examples of good practice, would be vital. Furthermore, outputs from the HEPAS project were presented to the participating PSs during the project lifetime as additional examples of good practice. Thus, the participating PSs as educational institutions were additionally trained and they received all the necessary tools to work on an internal strategic action in the frame of school development to raise and improve activities related to PE, PA, SS and HL underpinning the acquisition and further development of the competencies of primary teachers and other staff. In order to valuate these efforts, the PSs applied to the Moving School Award, with the support of EUPEA, as well as peer support from the other PSs, during the project lifetime.