Suffolk schools celebrate being awarded with gold School Games Mark
Whatfield Primary School celebrates being awarded gold level school games mark. Picture: GREGG BROWN
Whatfield CEVC Primary and Bildeston Primary have been awarded the gold level School Games Mark.
Whatfield Primary School celebrates being awarded gold level school games mark. Picture: GREGG BROWN
Two Ipswich schools are celebrating after being awarded a top level sporting award.
The mark is a government led awards scheme which was launched six years ago.
It recognises schools who develop their competition across their school and community over the course of the academic year.
In particular the scheme looks at the levels of participation, the amount of competitions entered as well as links the school may have with clubs or establishments in the area.
Around 20,000 schools in England are registered with the School Games. Schools have the chance to be awarded with either the bronze, silver or gold level marks.
Out of these schools only 2,000 schools were awarded the gold mark . Placing the schools in the top 10% nationally.
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Amongst some of the criteria to achieve this level is the need for at least 50% of pupils at the school to be engaging in extracurricular sporting and physical activity each week as well as providing all pupils with two hours of PE lessons as well.
To mark the achievement gold plaques were handed to pupils by Ali Furlong, school games organiser for the Westbourne partnership.
Ms Furlong also recognised the hard work of staff and parents in making the sports clubs, festivals and tournaments a success.
Lynne Golding, the executive headteacher across both schools said: “We have worked hard over the years to encourage pupils to enjoy and participate in PE and sport, and on previous years we have been proud to achieve the bronze and the silver award.
“We are delighted that this year both schools have been awarded the gold award, and pupils and parents are thrilled at the recognition of the hard work and organisation it takes for small schools such as ours to achieve it!”
The award comes only a week after the schools marked becoming officially joined as the Partnership of Bildeston Primary and Whatfield CEVC Primary Schools.
Ms Golding added: “We have been working collaboratively since September 2014, and there is every reason to expect this extremely successful partnership to go from strength to strength.”
