WEMBLEY Downs Primary School children are on their way to exceeding the recommended levels of physical activity for kids, thanks to a free parent-led running club.
In three years, the club has grown from a small group to more than 40 students from Kindergarten through to Year 6.
The group, led by parents Claire Gray and Rita Moar, aims to improve the overall fitness of the children at the school and give them confidence.
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Ms Gray said the club was not just for children who were good at running and it was about giving all kids the confidence to have a go.
“Our groups have a complete mix of ability,” she said.
“When we first started, many kids could barely run a lap of the oval, and now we have a lot of the kids beating the parents on a 2-3km run, while other kids are doing shorter distances suited to their ability.”
Principal Doug Cook said he noticed an increase in concentration in class of those children who attend the running club.
“It’s great to see these kids finish up running club and arriving to class sparkly, energetic and ready to go,” he said.
“Research shows that physical activity can have an enormous impact on concentration and learning in the classroom, and it is amazing to see this research translate into practice in our school.
“We’ve also seen a massive improvement in our interschool sport rankings, with Wembley Downs significantly improving its overall position in the inter-school cross country and athletics events this year.”
The club was just recently recognised for its impact on the Wembley Downs community by receiving acknowledgement and funding from Space Real Estate, Cottesloe enabling them to purchase equipment.