A Day in the Life of a Premier Education Activity Professional
While the average day of an Activity Professional can vary from person to person, all of our coaches can be sure that they will be delivering a fulfilling, action-packed day to children in their community.
Some coaches work full days, some only work before and after school and some just work during school holidays. But whatever role you choose to take, you can rest assured that it is an important one.
Keep reading for a report from one of our coaches, Georgia Pallett, describing what a full working day looks like for her:
7.00 – Start the day right
Every day before work I like to start my day right with a nutritious breakfast and a series of warm-ups to ease into the day. Whether this is a 10-minute yoga session or a workout at the gym. It is important to follow the mantra that we teach to children throughout the day. This morning I opted for overnight oats and a HIIT workout tutorial before starting with my day.
7.45 – First off, breakfast
While I’ve already had mine, there are still children waiting for their breakfast! I head off to my first setting for the day for one of our wraparound care breakfast clubs. Here, children are provided with a healthy start to their day as well as a chance to get active before school. After making sure each child was feeling energised with a low-sugar meal, we played some gymnastics mini-games to get their day started just as positively as ours.
9.00 – Planning physical activities for the children
Next, I’ll head home for a morning of planning. While this may sound like one of the less exciting parts of the job, I find it so rewarding. One of the things that I love about working for Premier Education is the freedom they give to coaches to remain involved in the lessons we deliver. After all, it’s us who needs to teach them!
Using the School Portal, I can see what lessons need to be delivered, input my ideas and review past lesson plans to see if they fit with the group I am working with that day. Not only does this make the job more rewarding for us, but children often learn more as their coach is passionate about what they deliver.
It is extremely important to us that we deliver top quality lessons to the schools we visit, so this stage of the day is not one to be rushed. It can be so rewarding to see a lesson that you have taken time to plan come to life in a school session. This is also the most creative part of the day, giving you a chance to genuinely have an individual impact on the physical education of children.
10.30 – Head out to school
The next part of the day is simply getting in my car and heading over to the next setting where I am delivering. Premier Education believes in keeping things consistent, as this allows a bond to form between coaches and children. In turn, confidence grows as both parties feel comfortable in each other’s presence, often leading to more successful outcomes.
While you will work with the same groups of children on multiple occasions, it is also important to note that it isn’t the same group all week long! I can work with up to 10 different groups of children in a week, and sometimes even more. The variety of skills and personalities I meet through this makes it such an enriching career.
Premier Education delivers to over 2,500 schools, so there are always settings near you.
12.30 – Make sure to get a healthy lunch
All that planning is hard work, and so by this point, I am hungry! I make sure to get in a good lunch before an afternoon of active work.
13.00 – Deliver a full afternoon of PE activities
This is where the action starts. On this particular day, I delivered sports activities in two schools throughout an afternoon, one group of year one pupils starting their archery journey and another group of year fours who were continuing their development in netball.
The sessions are always varied and aim to develop children’s skills in a specific sport each time. It is amazing to see the children develop over time in these skills and, who knows, you may spark a passion for a child’s future in sport.
My favourite thing today, for example, was watching as one of the children turned out to be a natural at the archery skills I was teaching. Even though it was their first session, I could tell that they would be good at this. I cannot wait to see how they improve over my time teaching them.
These lessons aren’t just about developing sports skills. You will be helping to keep children active and to develop their confidence in themselves and among their peers. Mini-games and lessons about keeping the body healthy are just as valuable as learning to score a goal!
15.15 – School’s out – but I’m not!
After a successful afternoon of PE delivery, it was time to deliver an after-school club. Today, the session was at the second school I taught in so I could stay put! These extracurricular activities take that passion-finding part of the job to the next level. Here children will come to weekly sessions to develop their skills in a range of sports from football to fencing. Not only do we offer sessions in sport, but in performing arts and dance as well.
These activities often run for about an hour after the school bell rings and can offer an exciting way for children to find their new favourite hobby. Going to an after-school club like this one was actually where I discovered my love for basketball, something I now play twice a week. It is amazing to give back that same opportunity I had to kids I teach, knowing that someday they may still be playing because of the sessions I ran at their school.
Today I ran a dance club, teaching a street dance routine for an hour. At the end of the session, all the parents came in to see their children performing together before taking them home. The smiles on everyone’s faces said it all.
16.15 – Wrap up with wraparound childcare
While my day ended with an extracurricular activity today, some days I will come out of teaching to deliver fun, energising activities to children who are in wraparound care.
Working parents can find it tricky to balance work and school pick-ups, so this vital service means children will stay at school with us until around 6pm.
We offer a nutritious snack and then a chance to get outside. While these sessions aren’t specifically for developing a child’s skill in a sport, it doesn’t mean it is not possible! We can still offer a variety of sports and games to keep children active until home time.
There is also the chance to sit down and have ‘quiet time’ with the kids after a busy day. Yesterday, for example, I sat with a child to help her with some maths homework she had been working on. That said, it was never my favourite subject, so she knew more than me!
I have colleagues who work part-time and wraparound care works perfectly for them. While I work full days, this isn’t possible for me. With both before and after-school clubs, you still have the chance to deliver meaningful childcare, just at a time that works for you regardless of your schedule.
18.00 – Home time
The day is over and I feel great after providing valuable lessons and keeping my body moving all day, but also tired. I make sure to have a restful evening before another day of action-packed delivery. On the agenda for tonight, is an episode of The Bear (my new favourite TV show) and a bit of yoga before bed!
If this has sparked your interest in becoming an Activity Professional with Premier Education, why not get in touch today?
