Melville Primary Sets The Benchmark In Fitness

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As we end the 2021 School year across Australia, one School in Western Australia has been a lighthouse of exceptional Fitness levels across over 500 students aged 6 years to 12 years.

Melville Primary School led by an outstanding Physical Education Specialist in Glenn McIntosh who has established benchmarks across all 7 Fitness Tests not seen since the research

Melville Primary P.E Specialist Glenn McIntosh (Left) receiving The Crocs Cup Trophy for the best Fitness program in WA with Sports Challenge Programs Coordinator Josh Chivell .

 

by Sports Challenge Australia’s CEO Dr Garry Tester was collected in the late 1980’s and 1990’s.

Now, in 2021 and over 66,000 students in the Sports Challenge data base, Melville have set the benchmark for others to follow in 2022 and onwards.

Incredibly the benchmarks established from the initial sample of 25,000 students showed 6-year-old students had a mean of 1266m (Females) and 1393m (Males). Now, Melville has means of 1671m (females) and 1881m (Males) for the 12-minute run. In fact many students ran over 2000m and only a few of the (88) 6 year old students stopped to walk in the 12 minute run test.

 

 

This is a Testimony to Glenn’s commitment and passion to daily P.E. , where cardiovascular training for 20 minutes is paramount, combined with stretching and  body weight exercises.

 

Another bench mark was established in maximum number of full Chin Ups reverse grip, where most year 1 students aged 6 years can do 1 to 2 full Chin Ups and this remains constant over all cohorts from year 1 to year 6 (6 years to 11 years) with mean scores greater than 2.

An excited Melville Primary student performing the Chin Up Test with support from her class mates.

 

The other Fitness Tests including overarm throw with feet fixed , Sit Ups in 60 sec, Squat Jumps in 60 sec, Standing Long Jump and the Reach and Stretch Test (Flexibility) all showed the 512 students tested had not only good knowledge of fitness, but could demonstrate excellent execution of every Test. More importantly they have been encouraged to want to develop personal bests ( PB’s) for themselves.

 

For our Sports Challenge coaches this has been a revelation in the post Covid-19 era, ( since 2019), where Fitness levels have fallen away significantly.

Melville Primary student performing the Sit and Reach Test with Mentor Ella Greville providing some guidance

Here is a cohort of 512 students who have a genuine desire to embrace their own personal fitness and have a positive attitude to enjoy physical activity.

 

We salute you Glenn McIntosh and Melville Primary for being an exemplar fitness school and providing great hope for a better and healthier community in the coming years. Well done!

 

Please contact us if you would like your school tested for Fitness & Skill in 2022.