Skip to main content
[ placeholder image ]

Teachers’ notes

Active Kids Get Talking is a new initiative from Sainsbury’s who are keen to build on the success of the Active Kids voucher redemption scheme.

We set up our original Active Kids campaign to inspire and help kids to be more active and healthy – over 31,000 schools have received sports equipment and experiences since it began.

Find out more about Active Kids

Tell us how we can support schools

To develop a new Active Kids programme for the future, we don't just want to decide what we think would be best for schools and groups. We want you – schools, groups and especially the kids – to work with us to develop some truly original and valuable programmes that will benefit schools and groups all over the country.

We are looking to launch a new Active Kids schools' and groups' programme later this year. There will be a consultation phase, and a development phase. This Active Kids Get Talking website is designed to support 7–11 year-olds, 11–14 year-olds, and Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Guides in running an effective and enjoyable consultation in their schools, groups and communities.

We have provided some outline Active Ideas for programmes we could offer to schools and groups. We'd like your school and groups and your pupils/Scouts/Guides to feed back to us about one or more of those ideas, or to send in your own completely new idea.

Schools and groups should submit their entries online using the entry form. Judging will take place on a regional basis and 90 shortlisted schools (15 for each of the six regions) will be chosen as regional consultants. Representatives from these schools and groups will be invited to a regional Active Conference where they will work with the Sainsbury's Active Kids team to develop the ideas further.

Over the summer, Sainsbury’s will draft the Active Kids Manifesto, which will lay out the future of Active Kids based on the regional conferences attended by the regional consultants. Selected schools and groups will then be chosen as national consultants, and representatives will take part in a national Active Conference in September to ratify the manifesto.

There are some great Prizes for the regional and national consultant schools and groups, including invitations to the Active Conferences, and cash prizes for use on school council projects.

Why should schools and groups get involved?

Active Kids Get Talking is an ideal way of delivering one of the key objectives of Every Child Matters – to provide young people with opportunities to take responsibility for the things that shape their own lives. Active Kids Get Talking gives them the opportunity to have a real say in how a business could enhance the quality of their learning and lifestyles.

Active Kids Get Talking supports the role of the school council as a part of the wider community. By taking part in this project, young people can develop their skills for communicating with peers, staff, Governors and members of the community. This consultation itself will give your school council a good idea of what things it could be concentrating on over the coming year.

The project is also a great way for the school council to gain more recognition in the school or group. It could be used as a preparation to take part in the accreditation for councils to be launched by School Council UK.

The Active Kids Get Talking consultation phase can be used to support curriculum areas including:

  • PSHE/PSD/PSE
  • Citizenship
  • Enterprise education
  • Key skills
  • Thinking skills
  • Literacy
  • Numeracy

Over 31,000 schools in the UK have benefited from their participation in Active Kids so far. Active Kids Get Talking is a chance to receive additional resources and to enhance teaching and learning.

How much time will it take and who’s going to organise it?

This is up to individual schools and groups to decide, but the suggestion is that the Active Kids Get Talking consultation would be an ideal, real-life project for the school council (or an action group) over several working sessions.

However, it could also be run as a special Enterprise or PSHE/PSD/PSE day, or in tutorial time for 11–14s.

For 7–11 year-olds, individual classes could work on the ideas over a few weeks or as part of a special day, perhaps linked to the Healthy Schools initiative where relevant.

The overall aim is to give young people real control over the process, and to encourage them to take responsibility for it. They will of course need support – and status – from lead adults.

Closing date for entries is 23 May.

Find out about How to enter

Are there support materials on the website?

This Active Kids Get Talking website offers two toolkits to support 7–11 year-olds and 11–14 year-olds in running the consultation process in their schools, groups and communities.

Toolkit for 7–11s

  • Get talking, get going!
    A guide to the whole process, step by step
  • Active Kids Get Talking in assembly
    Notes for children to use to tell their peers about the project
  • Active Kids Get Talking in the school council
    Handy hints for running the project through the school council
  • Active Kids Get Talking action planner
    A worksheet that walks students through how to go about asking the right questions.
  • Active jobs
    Suggestions for assigning a range of ‘jobs’ to team members
  • Project co-ordinator's checklist
    A handy task list to make sure all aspects of the consultation and entry process have been addressed
  • Active Kids Get Talking questionnaire
    To find out what everyone thinks about the Active Ideas and to collect new ideas
  • How to enter
    Entry form and tips on how entries will be judged

Toolkit for 11–14s

  • Get talking, get going!
    A step-by-step introduction to the process,
  • Active Kids Get Talking in assembly
    A guide for talking about the project in assembly
  • Co-ordinating Active Kids Get Talking in school or group
    A guide to surveying opinion, collating ideas and submitting an application in time
  • Active Kids Get Talking action planner
    A worksheet that walks students through how to go about asking the right questions.
  • Project co-ordinator’s checklist
    A checklist to help organise who does the different tasks and by when
  • Active Kids Get Talking questionnaire
    To find out what everyone thinks about the Active Ideas and to collect new ideas
  • Active Kids Get Talking research methods
    A quick guide explaining what data is and how to collect it.
  • How to win friends and influence people
    Guidance for involving members of the wider community
  • Active Kids Get Talking questionnaire
    To find out what everyone thinks about the Active Ideas and to collect new ideas
  • How to enter
    Entry form and tips on how entries will be judged

Skip to navigation