Schools Fantasy League

content and design

Design and navigation

Key Stage 2 children found it difficult to fill in both the paper and web team entrant forms. Perhaps a fewer number of fields would make it easier for Key Stage 2 children to enter team manager and player details more independently.

Once details were entered children found it easy to access the site, follow their teams (and other pupil's teams!) and use player/team information provided to make use of the transfer windows.

Planning

The nominated chairman at each school needs to receive information early in order to plan and organise the implementation of SFL across the school.

If the whole school signs up to SFL, then the SFL website and resources can be built into lessons and can be featured in teacher planning as a teaching resource. The Educational Resources sheets themselves are for teacher planning use.

Schemes of work supported

Schemes of work are not provided although links to QCA schemes can be made in a range of curriculum areas. Educational Resource sheets are provided for the following areas of the curriculum: citizenship, English (literacy), maths/numeracy, science, DT, ICT and history. For example in the literacy area there are links to non-fiction, particularly report writing can be addressed. Some of the year 6 pupils were able to prepare reports on the league results to present in assembly. It also provides a good topic for discussion, persuasion and argument, again linking literacy and PSHE.

Obvious links in ICT are made, i.e. credibility of information provided on the internet, internet use, databases and spreadsheets.

In D&T children consider how footwear, kit and balls are made, linking to several D&T and art units of work.

However, I felt that these resource sheets are not produced in a particularly stimulating format. In the evaluation school, which already has Gold Sportsmark Award, the activities are already embedded in the curriculum.

Literacy

The SFL website is easily navigated, children simply click the link required, e.g. league table or their own team. The site appears as designed by SFL, no alterations can be made or audio provision available to support specific literacy needs. SFL can be used to write and read reports, newspapers, magazines and articles; it can also be used as a topic for discussion based work and drama.

Numeracy

When entering a team for the first time or making transfers children are told immediately if the value of their team is over £60 million and asks them to go back and make changes. There is no specific on-screen calculator provided by the website, however if children know how to, they can use the one provided by schools software. Children need to use addition strategies to have a feasible team (i.e. £60 million or below). They can use information provided on the website to make effective transfers during transfer windows, this involves elements of probability, data handling, subtraction, addition, decimals and real life problem solving.

Ease of installation

Children logged onto the site by simply typing in the web address then entering their team's personal pin. If a child could not remember their pin they can access information by using a shorter school pin that formed the first 4 digits of their personal pin. Children set up their own passwords and were sent new passwords for each transfer window via e-mail. The chairman was also sent a copy of each child's pin, team and password to distribute in paper form.

Support materials

Chairmen are provided with information about SFL prior to the season commencing. Each participant (manager) is given a form to fill out prior to entering their team online. This form has information on each player, their cost and performance in the previous season. Once the league is up and running chairmen are sent regular updates, including newsletters, certificates for manager of the month, player performance charts and league tables.

Downloadable teaching resources are available to use with pupils in lessons. Resources are available for KS2, KS3 and KS4 for citizenship, numeracy, ICT, science, literacy, D&T and humanities. Each gives a list of suggested activities and possible resources from the SFL website.