Oak Hill Students run out for Sports Week!

Pupils at Oak Hill Academy enjoyed a range of activities and challenges as part of National School Sports Week recently.

National School Sports Week, backed by Sports Direct, is dedicated to promoting the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of children and young people through daily provision of PE, sport, and play. The enterprise is in its second year at Oak Hill under the leadership of PE Coordinator, Stacey Monks.

Activities including tennis, skipping, archery and dodgeball were put in place for all year groups to take part in during break times, with staff and student leaders lending a hand to supervise them. The challenge to complete sixty minutes of activity each day meant that lunchtime staff were also enlisted to encourage children to pick up a ball or a skipping rope and to get active during their lunchtime.

Oak Hill Academy is operated by Aspirations Academies Trust which places a high value on power skills such as team work, collaboration and communication. All schools within the trust aim to equip pupils with the skills for success in future life, and teachers at Oak Hill seek to inspire all children with a life-long love of sport and physical activity. All children participate in PE sessions twice a week and have the opportunity to take part in 12 different sports.

“PE provides powerful learning opportunities,” explains Stacey. “Children learn fundamental skills along with social, emotional and power skills that will be needed later on in their life. As PE is so popular at Oak Hill, we have an extra-curricular club every day after school that changes throughout the year. We also take children to a variety of sporting competitions that target different abilities in sports.”

National Schools Sports Week has been embraced by the school and has received an enthusiastic reception from the pupils:
“Taking part in National Schools Sports Week has helped raise the profile of PE and why PE is so important to us. The children understand the physical benefits but also the social aspect too,” adds Stacey. “We put a sporting carousel for National Sports Week in place, held by our sports provider, Premier Sports, and our Personal Best pupil leaders from years 5 and 6 were their role models and coaches. Inclusivity is a big part of the week and we wanted to make sure there was something for everyone.”

Year 3 pupil Aarvi, was excited by the new activities on offer: “ National Sports Week was fun and physical to do. I liked that we could learn new skills!”

“We are so pleased with the development of PE at Oak Hill,” commented Principal, Laura Taylor. “It is great to see the children having fun and enjoying the benefits of activity. We’ll certainly be repeating the exercise next year!”