OACT work daily across the Oldham borough in partnership with a number of primary schools, delivering a bespoke and tailored service to each individual school through both the Premier League Primary Stars project (PLPS) & OACT Schools Programme.
Our PLPS project is split into four key areas:
1. School Staff Support
Delivered across either a half, or full day, OACT will specifically mentor school staff to improve the confidence & increase the knowledge of teachers to deliver high quality national curriculum PE. Alongside the ongoing mentoring of staff, OACT can provide documentation to help ensure a long-term legacy.
2. Physical Education
Delivered across either a half or full day, OACT will provide the opportunity for all school years (EYFS through to year 6) to access high quality PE which compliments the requirements of areas of the national curriculum and are tailored to suit each individual schools requirements. This will run alongside the school staff support, providing live mentoring opportunities.
3. Physical Activity
Research shows that children who take part in quality before and after school sports activities have a greater chance of thriving within the school learning environment, as such we ensure that extra-curricular clubs play a key part in our PLPS project. We can either run open access clubs, or work with more targeted cohorts, to ensure high quality physical activity opportunities are available alongside the schools PE timetable.
4. Targeted Interventions
OACT can provide schools with classroom based targeted interventions, focusing on either:
- Numeracy
- Literacy
- Life skills, which can include workshops on diversity, pass on plastic, tram/trainline safety, healthy eating, respect, anti-bullying & CP.
OACT Schools Programme
The OACT Schools Programme provides high quality PPA Cover offer, built around our three core values (professional, dedicated & inclusive). This provision is accessible to all students from EYFS through to upper KS2.
Why become an OACT school partner?
- Links with a passionate, dedicated and inclusive local charity.
- High-quality delivery from professional sports coaches.
- Exciting opportunities with the boroughs only professional football club.
- Entry into OACT competitions.
- Signed OAFC merchandise (availability dependant).
- Opportunities to visit Boundary Park.
- Staff CPD and training opportunities.
- School community support.
For further information, please email:
Primary School Engagement Manager
Emily.Ashworth@OACT.org.uk
See what current partners and teachers say about us below!
Zaira Cook – Head teacher, Horton Mill Primary School.
“OACT has worked in partnership with Horton Mill for five years now, providing coaching in a wide range of sports throughout all key stages. The quality of the coaches is excellent and they enable our children to fully access the complete breadth of the PE curriculum. OACT coaches also provide an after school club for our children which is consistently well attended and which the children thoroughly enjoy.
Coaches have also provided CPD sessions for colleagues and this has meant that our children receive high quality provision even when the coach is not delivering the session. I would highly recommend OACT both for their exceptional coaching but also so that pupils of Oldham have that community link with their grass roots football club, Oldham Athletic.”
Rob Hollingsworth – Head teacher, Whitegate End Primary School.
“The Oldham Athletic player visits are a fantastic benefit of our partnership with Oldham Athletic Community Trust. In the past 12 months we have been visited by 4 first team players, over 2 occasions, who have been a pleasure to host and have always been open to answering the wide range of questions that our children have.
The visits have been integral to raising the aspirations of our children and families and the Community Trust are always keen to compliment the work that we are doing in school.
Alongside the visits, there are countless other benefits of being a partner school of Oldham Athletic Community Trust and we are proud of the work that we are doing together to improve our local community.”
Jonathan Bell – Safeguarding Trustee Director and Principal at Werneth Academy.
“My name is Jonathan Bell and I am the Principal at Werneth Primary School, Director of Primary School Development at The Pinnacle Learning Trust, a Latics fan, dad of two and Trustee of Oldham Athletic Community Trust since December 2021.
I am really proud to be a Trustee at Oldham Athletic Community Trust because of the ethos, values, range and quality of community and school-based provision. As Trustees, we strive to raise the aspirations of the children and communities we serve by investing in our staff team so that they can deliver high quality teaching and sports opportunities.
Our values-led approach means that we have successfully sought funding to broaden our range of community-based activities, worked with schools to maintain value for money and enhanced our schools provision through before and after school provision, lunchtime activities, player visits, inter-school competitions and staff training opportunities.
Our Trustees, Trust leaders and fantastic coaches would welcome the opportunity to work alongside you, your children and school community.”
Neil Cavanagh – Head teacher, Hodge Clough Primary School.
“Hodge Clough Primary have worked in partnership with OAFC in the community in a variety of guises for a number of years. Ranging from Holiday Clubs, After School Clubs, Football Tournaments (the
children particularly love these, they are for both boys & girls and different age groups and are thoroughly enjoyable). Having these tournament opportunities for all year groups and genders allows the children to engage with new event and with new people from other schools across Oldham. They undertake P.E. following the P.E. Scheme with two-year groups and lead an After School Club every week.
During our partnership I have nothing but praise for the organisation and staff involved. They ensure that the lessons are engaging, fun and productive. The staff are flexible, friendly and professional, ensuring that the children both enjoy the activities but also achieve the desired outcome. The partnership is very ably organised by Emily Ashworth who has a high standard of organisational skills, very thoughtful, flexible and always has the needs of the children at heart.
The partnership works really well for the school, and I look forward to its continuance over the following years.”