Autumn 2023

Cross Country Festival

Teddy- KS2 completed a cross country festival at Edwinstree Middle School on Tuesday 14^th November.

Fenella- We walked there and back too so it was very hard.

Olivia- We ran all the way around a field that was bigger than our school field.

Ryan- We all had a lot of fun running the cross country, but it was very tiring.

Valerie- Every time we finished a lap, we received a sticker.

Rufus- You might get a stitch- I did!

Maci- The sports leaders from Edwinstree cheered us on. We even saw other children cheering us on.

Erica- Mr Rome, Mrs Gibson and Mrs Ballantyne all ran round too.

Summer Term 2023

Friendship ladders sports morning

KS1 and KS2 took part in a sports event for their friendship ladder morning. The four different year groups split into their mixed year group classes and rotated around eight different sport games/activities. The activities consisted of skipping activities, football warm up games, an athletics game, dancing, ball activities, duck, duck goose game, parachute games and free play in our new Eunice Woods area. Each activity lasted for 12 minutes.

Gold Sports Mark

Once again, we have successfully obtained the Gold Sports Mark for the past year of sport at Millfield. This shows our dedication in developing competition across our school and into the community as well as creating positive sporting experiences for all children. The six school games values of passion, belief, honesty, determination, team work and respect are at the heart of all our sporting activities. Obtaining this award ensures we are continually looking at enhancing our sporting experiences for children at Millfield.

Schoolympics

Year 3 children took part in a ‘Schoolympics’ event at KJAR school in Royston on Tuesday 11^th July. This was an opportunity for the children to experience a team sport and an individual sport. They chose the two activities that they would like to participate in from this list.

Football, Pétanque, Multi skills, Tag Rugby, Netball, Dance, Rounders, Athletics, Bowls, Dodgeball, Handball, Archery.

The children were placed in groups with children from other schools with a focus on all the School values throughout the morning.

Sports week

We had designated ‘Sports Mornings’ for Nursery, Reception, KS1 and KS2. The children competed in their house colours against each other. All the activities the children took part in were scored. The children had different activities to take part in where they would try to score as many points for their house colours as possible. The activities included:

1. Passing a basketball through a hoop – One point scored each time a ball passed through the hoop.
2. Beanbag throw – Each child threw three beanbags, the points were scored depending in which hoop the beanbag landed in.
3. Egg and spoon – Each child earned a point every time they walked from one end of the track to the other and passed it to their teammate without the egg falling off the spoon.
4. Relay changeover – Children ran the baton to one end of the track and passed it to the next person. Children earned a point for every successful changeover.
5. Cricket shot – One point scored each time a cricket ball was hit into a target.
6. Beanbag Relay – Children threw the beanbag to one another and had to follow their pass. If the beanbag successfully made it along the line without being dropped, a point was scored.
7. Hockey dribbling – Each child earned a point when they had dribbled the ball through the cones using their hockey stick.
8. Football target – Children had to pass the ball through the hoop to earn a point.

Each house worked for 5 minutes per activity before switching to the next activity. Once all the activities were completed, children competed in their track events. The first was a sprint to the finishing line and the second a hurdle race. The children that came first, second or third in these events received stickers and points for their house colour.

Tennis coaching

The children in Year 4 were fortunate to have a tennis coach visit for a PE session to coach and support the children with their tennis skills. As a result of this session, four children were invited to participate in a tennis competition at Royston Heath on Wednesday 14^th June. They played singles, doubles and mixed doubles competitions against children from other local schools. It was a fantastic experience for the children chosen to develop their tennis skills even further.

Gifted and talented

On Friday 9^th June, four pupils from KS2 were selected to represent the school at a gifted and talented festival against other schools. The children participated in three different events. They ran 800m, shot basketballs into nets and competed in a high jump competition. Theses tasks challenged children in different ways and allowed them to experience activities rarely completed in school PE sessions.

Dance coach

We had a visit from a dance coach who delivered a street dance taster session during a PE lesson to all of our Year 3 children. This was to promote a street dancing club that we will be running from September after school.  It was a super opportunity to witness exactly what the club will offer. The hour session consisted of a warmup, then learning some street dance moves which were put together to form a routine. All children got to perform this dance many times and develop some of their own moves and then there was a cool down.

Multiskills tournament

All of our children in Year 1 visited another local school to take part in a Multiskills tournament on Thursday 18^th May. The children enjoyed experiencing a variety of games and sports opportunities which allowed them to develop their throwing and catching skills whilst developing their teamwork.

Residential trip

Our Year 4 children had a residential trip to Hautbois in Norfolk. This is an outdoor physical learning experience that enables children to have many outdoor, active adventures. Each activity offers different challenges encouraging the children to use a variety of physical and mental skills. The children were able to experience these activities: Stand up Paddleboarding, Archery, Abseiling, Climbing, Raft Building, Crate stacking, Shelter Building and Orienteering.  They really enjoyed their trip and made some lasting memories.

Spring term

Hockey coaching

This term the children in Year 3 have received hockey coaching during PE sessions from a specialist teacher through the local sports partnership. They have learnt how to have the correct grip on a hockey stick, how to pass, receive, travel with the ball, tackle, and shoot. This has all been through practicing skills with partners and in small groups. They have then applied these skills in games of hockey. The children have played in their house colour groupings and competed in intra school competition.

Sports mentors for EYFS

While the Sports Coach was teaching his PE sessions to the Reception children, he noticed that they were struggling with learning to throw and catch. Therefore, the Year 3 children were used as ‘sports mentors’ to support the Reception children during their PE lessons. The Year 3 children supported the Reception children by working one to one with a younger child and encouraging them to throw and catch accurately. They were able to move further away from each other to make this more challenging as the skills improved and use different balls to differentiate accordingly.

Intra house tournaments

Intra house tournaments have taken place this term in a range of sports. The sports coach used the last lesson within his teaching block to ensure the children had a competitive element to their PE lesson. In KS1 this was in circuit training skills. The sports coach carefully selected a child from each colour house to complete against each other to earn tokens for their house colour. In Year 3, this was in tennis and in Year 4 this was in badminton. The KS2 children played matches in their house colours against each other.

Autumn term

Football festival

 KS1 children attended a football festival at KJAR academy on Friday 7^th October and KS2 the following week on Thursday 13^th October. This was alongside children from other local schools and organised through the sports partnership. The morning consisted of a carousel of different football activities in which the children rotated around. The children practised skills to include moving with the ball, passing, and receiving the ball and turning with the ball. All these skills also develop balance and of course, teamwork.

Race for life

We finally got to hold our Race for Life event that was meant to be held in 2020. All children from Nursery to Year 4 took part in this event at Millfield. KS1 and KS2 participated together and EYFS held their own event the following day. All children went outside and ran or walked at their own pace around a designated loop around the playground and field for 30 minutes. The children were full of energy and enthusiasm. Children’s awareness of this good cause was raised in an age-appropriate way. We raised a fabulous amount of money for this charity totalling £844.50 + £187.38 Gift Aid.

Speed stacking

Eight children from Year 2 attended a speed stacking event at a local school. The morning consisted of children playing games to develop their speed and hand eye coordination using speed stacking cups.  The children enjoyed the activities and then the competitive element of speed stacking at the end of the event.

World Cup assembly

The Sports Coach presented a World Cup Assembly for KS1 and 2 children. This raised awareness of countries around the world and teams competing in the World Cup. It allowed the children to get excited about a topical sporting event and understand the history of the World Cup. Children listened to the National Anthem and were able to empathise with how representing your country at a national event would be a special proud feeling.