Sporty Sheffield school secures gold award for PE provision

A sporty Sheffield junior school is celebrating after securing a gold award in recognition of its excellent PE provision.
A futsal club at Deepcar St John's Junior SchoolA futsal club at Deepcar St John's Junior School
A futsal club at Deepcar St John's Junior School

Deepcar St John’s C of E Junior School received the gold Schools Games Mark Award for its commitment to the development of competition, both across the school and into the community.

This means that the school, which is based in Deepcar, has also been recognised as offering pupils a wide range of sporting opportunities and providing them with at least two hours of physical education each week.

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It also fulfils the Schools Games Mark criteria in the areas of participation, competition, workforce and clubs – with over half of the pupils signed up to after-school clubs.

A pupil from Deepcar St John's Junior School playing football in the playgroundA pupil from Deepcar St John's Junior School playing football in the playground
A pupil from Deepcar St John's Junior School playing football in the playground
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Executive headteacher Louise Jones said: “With having such young children in primary education, we really set them up with the fundamental skills but also signpost them to clubs in the community so it has a positive impact there. There is a range of children that have signed for Stocksbridge Park Steels Football Club, Stocksbridge Rugby Club the Stocksbridge Cricket Club as well.

“Then, wider afield, children have gone to Sheffield Sharks and Sheffield Wednesday so it's having that impact in terms of that competitive sport but also providing a sustainable model. The men’s cricket team in the area has really struggled to recruit players so the school is providing something sustainable for the future of the community.

“Also it’s not just about the competitive side. I think, most importantly, it’s about raising the profile of physical education but also to develop the amount of physical activity that children do.”

Deepcar St John's pupils playing futsalDeepcar St John's pupils playing futsal
Deepcar St John's pupils playing futsal
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Every day there is a range of after-school clubs on offer for students at Deepcar St John’s, offering everything from football and basketball to gymnastics and martial arts.

And, as these have proved so popular, the school now holds morning clubs three times a week in which pupils can get involved in a variety of sport.

Each class also participates in ‘active 15’ in which children either run, walk, jog or do another form of exercise to ensure they all participate in at least 15 minutes of physical activity a day.

Miss Jones added: “What we don’t want to do is force sport onto children. If we were just saying do more they can often resent exercise so if you get them to choose a game that’s tapping into them being enthusiastic about exercise and physical activity.

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“It’s about broadening their horizons and sport is very much embedded into the ethos of the school. It’s not just about their physical wellbeing it’s also to do with their mental wellbeing. Exercise provides so many positives, it makes their junior school life fun and exciting.”

The School Games Mark is a Government led award scheme launched in 2012 and facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition both across their school and into the community.