Read the passage carefully, and then answer the Question on the Question Paper.
In this speech to parents, the headteacher expresses concerns about the health of school children.
Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds
As parents, I hope you will agree with me when I say that the state of children’s physical health has
never been more a matter of concern. You might think that, as your child’s headteacher, all I care
about is healthy brains generating academic excellence. Yes, it has been shown that physical health
is linked to academic performance. But my concerns are broader than this.
Over the years I’ve seen parents’ ability to promote healthy choices for their offspring decline. It’s all
too easy to take the path of least resistance and let your child sit quietly in front of the television. It’s
exhausting trying to coax a reluctant teenager into physical activity. And as for participating in an
activity alongside them, how many parents can be bothered to make the effort? It’s obvious too that
we can’t rely on young people themselves to take responsibility for their physical health. Social
media and computer games are more attractive to youngsters than leaving the house for physical
exercise.
Our children’s lifestyles have never been more sedentary. It’s not just their lifestyle at home that’s to
blame: school too is a place where students spend the majority of their time sitting down. As
parents, you should know that spending so much of their time in a state of physical inactivity has a
negative effect on children’s health. It slows the metabolism, which affects the body’s ability to
regulate blood sugar, blood pressure and break down body fat. It’s no wonder so many youngsters
are overweight. I can’t control the nutritional quality of the food you allow your children to eat but I
can, and will, take steps to promote their physical fitness in school.
It is my intention to introduce a programme of compulsory fitness sessions. We will start the school
day thirty minutes earlier to facilitate this. The emphasis is on the word compulsory: you and your
children need to understand that if you will not make physical activity a priority then I, in my role as
headteacher, must impose a regime to benefit each and every young person in my care. To maintain
a basic level of physical health young people need to participate in at least sixty minutes of physical
activity each day. Our school playground is the ideal environment for half of that recommendation
to take place.
The World Health Organization advises that young people should participate in a range of activities
of both moderate and vigorous intensity. My proposal is that our students have a circuit training
session involving sit ups, press ups, skipping and running. There will be no need for expensive
equipment and the benefits will be significant. Every student will be expected to work to their full
physical capacity. Those who don’t will be named and shamed in front of their peers – a lesson to all
youngsters.
Most importantly, circuit training promotes aerobic fitness. This means that heart rates will be
raised, calories will be burnt off and, in the long term, there will be a decrease in obesity levels. The
other benefit is that circuit training exercises strengthen bones and muscles, providing not only
immediate health benefits but helping to counteract weakness in later life. However, the benefits
aren’t just physical. Studies have shown that physical activity promotes social development, building
self confidence through interaction with friends outside the classroom.
As your child’s headteacher, I am of course keen to promote academic excellence, and physical
fitness can help here too. Physical activity increases the oxygen flow to the brain and this leads to
improvements in the areas responsible for learning, memory and higher thinking skills. We all want
the best examination results possible – teachers, parents and pupils alike. I firmly believe that having
a compulsory fitness session each day is a way to achieve this. Physical activity will also lead to
better levels of concentration and behaviour – a positive outcome for all of us.
All in all, I am sure you will see that the benefits of my proposal are wide ranging. Yes, it would be
wonderful to think that youngsters have the foresight and dedication to make healthy choices for
themselves, but we know that, sadly, this is not the case. I hope you will join with me in promoting
the benefits of my scheme. Healthy minds and healthy bodies: what more should we desire for the
children in our care?
Directed Writing
Imagine you are the parent of a student at the school.
Write a letter to the headteacher of the school in which you should:
• identify and evaluate the issues raised in the speech
• explain your views on whether the headteacher’s proposals are the best way to benefit pupils at
the school.
Base your letter on what you have read in the speech, but be careful to use your own words.
Address each of the bullet points. Begin your letter, ‘Dear Headteacher…’. Write about 250 to 350
words