Find out about all the activities our pupils do to keep fit, build skills, grow in confidence, have fun and learn to be good sports.
Skipping with Gail
Gail the skipping coach came to visit our school to see how we got on with Skip into Spring. Gail was very impressed with our progress and instead of teaching us to skip, she was able to show us tips and tricks to improve and make our skipping more impressive. At one point, Gail couldn’t believe she was showing us one of the skipping steps to try – usually reserved for year 4 pupils! As always, we enjoyed our skipping day with Gail and hope she comes back again and again and again. Thank you, Gail.
Skipping Festival
The lockdown restrictions didn’t stop our annual skipping activities this year. We just had online lessons each day from Chris and Jodi instead and then took part in the Schools Skip into Spring Festival at the end of the week. We were part of 8000 school children skipping on Friday. It was great fun. We could show off our new skills and many of us achieved a personal best for big rope skipping. Just goes to show that practice can make perfect….well, improvement, definitely.
Year 2 QuadKids Sports Competition
Class 1 and Class 2 took part in the QuadKids competition organised by the Durham and Chester le Street Schools Sport Partnership. Called QuadKids as it called on 4 sporting skills: speed, endurance, jumping and throwing; revealing to the children that being good at sport doesn’t always have to mean being the fastest – good lesson and a boost to self-esteem.
Zumba
What a joyful activity. Our Year 2 loved getting some new moves from Gemma of the SSP: throwing some shapes, striking a pose and giving it attitude.
Destination Judo
Destination Judo visited school – this is one of the activities we really look forward too each year. Everybody gets involved regardless of how tall or small and it is always tremendous fun. Judo isn’t about fighting each other but about fitness, self control and respect….still fun though.
Skip Along
You know how we love skipping so today was good day because the lovely Gail came to put us through our paces. She is always surprised how good we are at skipping and even has to use some of the junior school techniques as we progress so quickly.
Intraschool Sports Festival
Intraschool Sports Festival? What’s that? Well, intraschool just means something taking place within our school and we all know what a sports festival is.
A number of our Year 2 pupils were chosen by the Durham Sports Partnership coach to organise a sports event within school for all classes to take part.
Here are our organisers: 
And here are some of the activities they organised and delivered. The leaders were very good at explaining the activities and were also very supportive to pupils a little nervous or unsure the would do it well.
The result was a great event enjoyed by all and our Year 2 leaders practised a lot of new skills too.
Hoopstarz Day 2019
The whole school took turns to be active with Faye from Hoopstarz. From Reception to Year 2 everyone had a really good go and amazingly managed to keep their hoop going … or very nearly. Our active Fun Day was rounded off with a whole school gathering with some children from all the years demonstrating the skills they had acquired in just this one session.
Mini Olympics 2019
Year 2 had a short trip up to New College one fine morning to take part in the Mini Olympics event. There were lots of schools taking part in improving their skills in basketball, football, throwing and athletics. There was also a competitive element as two teams from the same school tried to get the highest scores. As always, the children put their heart, soul and determination into every activity.
Meadowfield Climbing Wall
This was a sporting trip with a difference. It was wonderful to see our children’s confidence grow as they climbed up, around and down the climbing walls. We saw different sides to their personality too; quiet ones suddenly exploded with attitude to conquer the wall, louder ones became quiet with concentration as they dug deep to find their inner strength to meet this new challenge. All the pupils agreed though that they didn’t just like this activity…they LOVED it.
Spring Multi Skills Festival
Another trip to Maiden Castle to improve our technique in field athletics, team games and ball skills.
Gymnastics Carousel at Sherburn
Class 4 took part in a really good sports event hosted by Durham City Gymnastics Club at Sherburn. They had a go at trampolining, spring travellator, bars, beam, tumbling and an obstacle course. Everyone found something they enjoyed and something new to try. Please can we come back?
On yer bike!
The Durham Schools Sports Partnership visited Reception and worked their magic enabling children to chuck out their bicycle stabilisers in time for the school holidays. Children first learn to balance their bike just pushing it along with their feet (no pedals). Once they are confident with this stage (which takes no time at all), the pedals are put back on and within a blink of an eye they are pedalling away – ON TWO WHEELS!!! To give the children their due, a little perseverance is required on their part. As the old saying goes, if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again. Success came to those who tried. Well done, boys and girls.
Year 2 Sports Leaders
Class 1 and Class 2 showed themselves to be excellent sports leaders when they delivered athletic and field skills to the Reception classes in preparation for their PE festival at Blue Coat Junior School. With some last minute advice from our sports development coach, Mr Beveridge, the pupils set up the activity stations and lead the reception children around the activities; demonstrating and encouraging them on.
Change for Life
Some of our Year 2 children have been attending the Change for Life after-school club to discover how keeping fit and eating healthily can keep us well and strong. The Change for Life programme finished off with a full-on activity session at Freeman’s Quay with Hoopstarz!
School Sports Festivals
It’s the time of year for outdoor sports – well when the weather allows. Some of the Outdoor Adventure Activities had to be done indoors but the Multisports Festival went ahead outdoors despite the very chilly day. We just had to keep moving to stay warm but it was worth it to improve our PE skills. Take a look at just a few of the things Class 4 and Class 3 got up to. By the way, the coach from Sunderland Football Club said he was very impressed with our ball skills.
Judo
The annual visit from our community judo experts to share their skills went down very well. All the school took part with differentiated activites.
Gymnastics
Class 3 were lucky to have the opportunity to visit a gymnastic event organized by the School Sports Partnership at the Louisa Centre in Stanley. This is one of our favourite sporting events and Class 3 really focussed on improving their skills.
Working together
Our Reception children had the opportunity to work with and learn from some of our Year 2 sports leaders. In return, the Year 2s gained the opportunity to practise their leadership and supporting skills, mutually benefitting each other. This is a wonderful example of some of the school sport values we endorse in our school.
Sports Day 2017
A few photographs and Year 1 accounts of our hastily arranged Sports Day on a fine sunny day (at last!).
Sports Leaders
As part of the young sports leaders programme, the SSP worked with members of Year 2 to deliver PE activities to our reception pupils. The morning started with a discussion about what makes a good leader. Children were introduced to the activities to be delivered and then, as they say in the film industry, “Action!”. Reception pupils did the activities in turn under the instruction and with the help of our young sports leaders. As you can see the teachers were able to relax and enjoy the view. Well done to everyone who took part.
Hoopstarz
Hoopstarz is one of our most popular after school clubs with both boys and girls. This half term the hoop starlets put on a little display for their parents to showcase the skills they had learned.
Soccertots 2016
On a horrible wet, windy, cold day Year 1 went to Meadowfield to learn some soccer skills:
Change for Life Festival
Some lucky children who had taken part in the Change for Life after school club were able to accompany Mrs Gallon to Freeman’s Quay Leisure Centre where some very sophisticated equipment had been set up to measure their fitness and compare themselves with sports people such as Usain Bolt and Chrisian Ronaldo. Needless to say, they all really enjoyed themselves.
Tag Rugby at Maiden Castle
Fortunately summer weather arrived in time for an enjoyable afternoon at Maiden Castle brushing up our rugby skills.
Star Turn at the Gala Theatre
Class 1 brought the house down performing to “Cheerleader” at the Durham Schools Dance Festival at the Gala Theatre.
Trying our hand at Basketball
Skipping Stars 2016
Class 2 represented us in the Skipping Schools Festival at Framwellgate School. Really this event is for junior schools (Year 4) but once again we were given special permission to take part. Oh when will they learn? We might be regarded as the little school but we are big WINNERS. The children won gold in 5 events, took silver in another and bronze medal places in two other events. WOWEEEEE!!!
For skipping aficionados, the events consist of speed skipping, double bounce skipping, side swing skipping, the very complicated pretzel skip, skipping in face to face pairs, pairs skipping using two ropes called the butterfly, and team skipping events using the big rope.
As you can see, there is much more to skipping than meets the eye. But best of all it’s tremendous fun.
Keep skipping Class 2, you are marvellous.
Infant School Sports Award – GOLD!!!
Big pat on the back for all our children who have worked so hard and shown lots of enthusiasm for their PE lessons and to the staff for delivering interesting and enjoyable lessons, all of which adds up to us achieving the gold standard sports mark award in County Durham. We are one of three schools to be given this award and we are the ONLY infant school to be recognised. Quite an achievement so well done everyone and keep it up.
The picture shows Emma Nichol from the Schools Sport Partnership who came to our assembly to present the award.
Olympic Long Jumper, Chris Tomlinson
What an inspiration and thoroughly nice guy – Chris Tomlinson, Team GB and Olympic long jumper came along to encourage our children taking part in the sponsored circuit training. After all the activity Chris spoke to the school about being enthusiastic, taking part and following a passion, whatever the activity, to the best of their ability. The children listened attentively and then asked Chris a whole variety of questions which he was happy to answer. Did you know? Chris runs up to take his jump at 41mph! His longest jump (so far) was 8m 35cm! and his shoes are very comfortable – such was the range of questions.
Thank you to all the families who have sponsored their child. We will let you know in due course how much we have raised. Meanwhile take a look at the gallery for a slide show of some of our participants.
Outdoor Adventurous Activities
Year 1 at the Outdoor Adventurous Activity session at Meadowfield on a very cold, very windy but sunny day. The activities were fun and needed lots of team work to succeed.
Soccertots
On a lovely day in April Class 5 and 6 set out on an adventure; they had never been to the sports ground at Maiden Castle before. The trip was to Soccertots organised by the Sports Partnership and run by big boys and girls from Belmont and Durham Johnston school. Our pupils arrived all ready for action in their colourful tracksuits and sports kit. Soccortots had 11 stations to visit in turn. Some of the stations taught skills that are useful in football such as dribbling, shooting at the goal, passing the ball and being fit and one of the stations was a proper game of football. Everyone in Class 5 and 6 had a really good go at everything and must have really enjoyed it because there wasn’t one whinge or whine all morning! But then they are not a whingy, whiny lot. Good sports that’s what they are. Take a look at the photographs to see our budding soccer stars.
Gymkidz
The Gymkidz team from the Abbey Sports Centre came to give our children a thorough workout. View the photos below to see how they got on and you can also read what some of Class 2 thought of the session.
