With the country basking in the afterglow of London 2012 and the Paralympics continuing to impress, Bosworth Academy is learning lessons from elite sports and applying them to the world of education. And with rugby 7s set to be an Olympic sport in Rio, who better than Emily Scarratt, England and Lichfield full back and centre, to help staff learn from top coaches and athletes?

Scarratt, 22, is a former pupil of Bosworth Academy and has been capped over 20 times. She will address over 100 of the Academy’s teaching and support staff at the first training day of the new academic year on 28 August 2012, sharing insights into team working, athlete centred coaching, the use of feedback and the role of analysis in performance improvement.

“Just as we saw the cycling or swimming teams supporting each other to achieve fantastic results, we want to create a team culture within the school leading to continuous improvement in teaching standards,” explains Chris Parkinson, Academy principal. “I want the staff here to achieve their personal best. Not in terms of time or distance, but by giving our pupils the best start in life.”

Staff will be encouraged to develop a questioning style and coach each other to improve their teaching. Emily will explain that ‘statistics don’t lie’ and show how the use of GPS tracking in rugby has transformed performance, likewise the latest web based technology will have a similar impact on teaching, so that staff can analyse their lessons and get peer review.

The school achieved Academy status earlier this year and has just seen its best ever exam results. Chris concludes: “By looking outside of education for inspiration, our staff can learn from world class performers. This day will set the tone for the year ahead and will keep the Academy at the forefront of education.”