Back to School

Helpful tips and ideas for doing The Daily Mile in your school.

Read on below

It’s clear that, while most children will be happy to return to school and eager to see their friends and teachers again, many will be returning with poorer physical and mental health. The Daily Mile can help schools to rebuild their children’s fitness and improve their emotional and mental health – all outdoors in the fresh air. It costs nothing and there is no extra workload for staff. Children and their teachers can both enjoy being outside together, taking a break from the classroom before learning resumes.

2021/2022 New Academic Year Resources

New Bingo Sheet  A3 School Year Calendar A4 School Year Calendar

The Daily Mile x Place2Be Mental Health Resource

Back to School Mental Health Resource

Rebuilding Fitness

Children returning to school who are feeling unfit should be encouraged to run and jog at an easy pace and to stop to get their breath back as much as they need to.

Our tip: For a gentle start, children can be advised to run 20 paces and then walk 20 paces. Or walk to a marker and run to the next marker. They should find their stamina builds steadily after the first few runs.

Social Distancing

The Daily Mile can be done while maintaining social distancing and we have prepared a few options which you might want to try. The ideas have been kept as simple as possible so that you can fit it into the school day with the minimum of fuss. Hopefully you will find these ideas helpful and will adapt them, as necessary, to suit your setting.

Our tip: This time may give you the opportunity to talk with individual children, helping them to settle in again.

The ideas are designed for use by class groups or ‘bubbles’, as decided by the school. We call them Pitstops, Parallel Pairs, Two Routes and Passing Places. All of them are available as a free resource for you to download – just click on Social Distancing Guidance to see them all. We hope you enjoy them.

Our tip: The children may also enjoy choosing an achievable destination to ‘run to’ as a class, E.G. Land’s End or John O’Groats.

Social Distancing Guidance

Recommendations and Research

Children who do The Daily Mile enjoy a number of benefits to their health and wellbeing. It is regarded by many people as a valuable option for schools who are looking to offer all children access to regular physical activity and better health.

Here are some links to helpful information:

Research Hub   Free Resources   UK Childhood Obesity Strategy   PHE Active Mile Briefings

Sport England Active Lives Survey   Place2Be   PHE Physical Activity and Attainment

Please ensure when you do The Daily Mile, you are following the latest guidance issued by the government.