Games Legacy for Scotland

Schools in Linlithgow are going to hold their own Games in May.

As a result of the Olympics being held in London, they have developed the Linlithgow Games 2012.

The existing Developmental Physical Education programme has been expanded to incorporate the Olympic and Paralympic theme into the curriculum across the Linlithgow Academy cluster schools (9 primary schools, 1 secondary school and Donaldson’s).

Each school has chosen a country to investigate for the duration of the school year and this will culminate in a whole-cluster mini-Olympic and Paralympic Games on the 9 May 2012.

All schools have been encouraged to develop a range of activities across all stages to develop the theme, and they have adopted the values of the Olympics and Paralympics to meet many experiences and outcomes particularly in health and well being, literacy, numeracy, expressive arts and social subjects. This process has involved working with the pupils in a variety of different ways including investigating their chosen country, designing menus, writing biographies of athletes, enterprise projects, and creating blogs to name a few.

One of the main components of the Linlithgow Games are sports festivals with a total of 19 festivals being organised throughout the academic year. The festivals that are offered are, where possible, linked to a local sports club, and include rugby, netball, gymnastics, tennis, athletics, football, cricket, hockey, cross country, handball, dance, benchball.

On 9 May 2012 when the Linlithgow Games are held approximately 1700 school aged children take part in a series of competitions. The day will commence with an opening ceremony at the local football club. The ceremony will consist of the final leg of the torch relay tour, an Olympic Choir, a display by Linlithgow Academy pupils and Firework Display. Each school will walk into their national anthem with the mascots that the pupils chose and designed. Following on from this each year group will participate in a sports festival.

Andrew Miller, education councillor at West Lothian Council, said: “The Linlithgow Olympics will capture the excitement of the games and increase participation in sporting activities within the community. It has so many different strands to it and there’s a real sense of community spirit that brings together pupils from across Linlithgow.”