School strikes gold with its PE programme
A Staffordshire primary school rounded off a fine sporting year in style by receiving the Sainsbury's School Games Gold Mark award.
The Gold Mark is a Government-led scheme which rewards schools for their commitment to and development of competition, school sport and physical education.
To achieve this, staff at the Hill Ridware-based Henry Chadwick school had to provide all children with a minimum of two hours of physical education each week and engage at least 50 per cent of pupils in extracurricular sporting activity every week.
The school has also shown its dedication to competitive opportunities as 90 per cent of children in Key Stage Two have represented Henry Chadwick in an inter-school competition.
In June, the school reached its second county final of the year, competing for Rugeley Schools at the cricket county finals.
To support inter-school opportunities, staff have created a team of students who act as sports leaders and help to run competitions and activities.
They also promote sporting values and reward children who display them in celebration assemblies.
PE and sport co-ordinator Andrew Stanton said: "PE and sport has gone from strength to strength this year as we have increased both participation in school and competitive opportunities for the children.
"We have benefitted from a very dedicated group of year six children who have fully embraced the
sporting opportunities available and supportive parents who regularly provided transport to and from events."
The school have also provided several other memorable sporting occasions for its pupils this year with trips to some of the country's top stadia.
Highlights have included playing tag rugby at half-time in front of 5,000 fans at Sixways Stadium, the home of Worcester Warriors Rugby Club, as well as enjoying an evening at Wembley Stadium to watch England take on Lithuania in a Euro 2016 qualifying match back in March this year. England won the match 4-0 with Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane netting on his debut for the Three Lions, just 79 seconds after coming off the bench.
Anthony Bunn, school games organiser for Cannock and Rugeley said: "This school has an outstanding attitude towards school sport and its benefits, and hits all necessary criteria to achieve the gold mark."
