West gate school case study

West gate school is a popular, oversubscribed setting for 4-19 year olds with a range of learning difficulties and disabilities. The school believes that ‘Learning for Life’ should apply to everyone so they are a professional learning community who never stops learning to improve. Their vision is for every pupil and staff member to achieve their potential

Further information

Since starting the daily mile, the school has noticed the children are:

• excited to get out and do the daily mile
• calmer and less anxious
• alert and the Daily Mile wakes them up!

What has been the reported impact of the daily mile on the children’s learning, concentration, focus, behaviour, mood and relationships?

One teacher stated “I think it helps them release excess energy and concentrate better for example a couple of students when they come in will gallop around the room after they have arrived but will generally sit calmly for the rest of the morning after we have done the daily mile! Some of the students sit on the bus for over an hour before they arrive at school, so it is something they need”.

Another teacher said “the daily mile helps students who have just come off the bus with lots of energy to be a lot calmer in the classroom and have less anxiety to start the day. Fresh air also wakes the students up”

The school has made the following successful links between the daily mile and their curriculum?

• Maths – distance and time.
• PSHE- Social and emotional wellbeing.
• Science- health and exercise.

Some individual success stories of pupils that the school would like to share:

Leo didn't like going out for the daily mile. Now he tries to increase the number of laps that he does and will sometimes run a bit.

Quite a few of the students started off by walking for the 15 minutes but now a few of the students are starting to run around.

Final word from the school to others who may be thinking of implementing the daily mile.

Definitely start the daily mile, it is easy to start and do, the students enjoy it and they are calmer and more prepared for the day ahead.