Giffard Park Primary School

PE

Physical Education, School Sport & Physical Activity at Giffard Park Primary School

Here at Giffard Park Primary School, we believe that physical education, school sport and physical activity (PESSPA) not only contributes to the physical aspects of a healthy lifestyle, but also enhances health and mental wellbeing. We deliver a high-quality physical education curriculum, inspiring all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive and non-competitive sport as well as other physically-demanding activities.  Through the use of PESSPA, we look to provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness.  We use this as an opportunity to encourage values such as fairness, solidarity and respect. Our children are encouraged to engage in sports and exercise outside of the school timetable and to engage in choices that promote healthy lifestyles.

Sports Teams at Giffard Park Primary School

We are lucky to have such amazing athletes that allow us to participate in a range of different sports such as: Football, Dodgeball, Athletics, Tug of War, Cross Country, Badminton and many, many more. We like to reward the hard work and determination of our pupils, who display co-operation and wear our badge with pride whenever representing our school in sports. We run a variety of extracurricular activities offering our children more opportunities to remain active and engage with others by developing friendships, social skills and understanding of sports.

Sporting Events Attended:

MKSSP Cross Country Championships 2019

On Saturday 16th October 2019 we participated within the MKSSP Cross Country Championships at MK Bowl. Despite the rain, mud and extremely slippery course, all of those involved did an amazing job! Each member of our cross country team managed to complete the race in personal best timings and finishing within the top half of every race on the day.  The course was very hard and our team had to dig deep to keep going but everyone managed to put 110% into their race and displayed real resilience. Well done to everyone involved within the race, Mr Hobley is extremely proud of your performances. Also, a big thank you to all the staff and parents that came to show their support on such a miserable day! 

MK Dons EFL Kids Cup Tournament (Boys)

On Friday 13th December 2019 we took 8 of our year 5 and 6 boys’ football team to Woughton on the Green to compete in the EFL Kids Cup Tournament. After securing a win of 5-0 in the first game we looked strong and confident going forwards. The boys not only displayed teamwork, but also the value of friendships and encouragement by remaining positive through any mistakes made. By doing so, we managed to win all of our games despite being behind at some points. We ended up finishing top of our qualifying group which sent us into the final 16 in January and in with a chance of representing MK Dons in the national finals! I cannot express how proud I am with the attitude, effort and commitment you all displayed today. Regardless of what happens in the net round, you are all amazing athletes and should be proud of the way you have all conducted yourselves throughout the process. 

MK Dons EFL Kids Cup Tournament Quarter Finals (Boys)

After our success in the first qualifying tournament, on Monday 10th January 2020 we went back to Woughton on the Green to compete in the quarter finals of the EFL Kids cup. The competition was even harder this time as schools from Leighton Buzzard and Aylesbury were now involved, offering new challenges. The boys managed to hold their own in what was deemed one of the hardest groups of the competition with a record of W2 L2 D2. Unfortunately, we lost out on qualifying for the semi-final playoffs by just 1 point! The boys were understandably gutted but were all proud of the achievement they had accomplished by getting that far in the first place. Once returning to school, a few of the boys had a surprise in store as Mr Hobley offered them invites to MK Dons regional trials! I’m so proud of each and every one of you; you’ve been a pleasure to coach. Thank you MK Dons SET for having us and also a big thank you to all of the parents, carers and families that came to support, we all appreciate you being there.

MK Dons EFL Kids Cup Tournament (Girls)

This time it was our girls turn to take on the EFL Kids Cup. The tournament was a perfect opportunity for us to support the This Girl Can campaign and let the girls showcase their talent. The girls had an extremely tough group to get through and found out, very quickly, just how physically demanding playing 5-a-side games were! We ended up finishing 4th in our group with a record of W2 D1 L3. The girls all played extremely well and for some, this was their first time ever playing a competitive game of football. Despite being disappointed with the result, the girls all showed a great attitude by cheering for other teams and socialising with other schools during rest periods. Thank you to all the girls that participated for making it such an easy, pleasant day out. I’m very proud of you all and look forward to taking you to events in the future!

Upcoming Sports Events:

MKSSP Athletics Heats at Stantonbury International School – Monday 8th June 2020.

MKSSP Tug of War Championship at Sir Herbert Leon Academy – Tuesday 7th July 2020.

Latest In-School Sports News:

MK Dons SET sessions –  Year 5 were lucky enough to have MK Dons SET come in and run sessions each Friday throughout Spring 2 on the importance of physical activity and the value of teamwork. During these sessions children engaged in different sports, such as handball and football giving further knowledge on the team principles of the games as well as the physical aspects. Year 5 have enjoyed their sessions and look forward to having more in the future!

Sport Relief week –  During Sport Relief week, we went completely off-timetable with PE and engaged in different sports that we would not normally get the opportunity to participate in. Our focus was on disability sport and international sports. During the disability sessions, children engaged with wheelchair basketball, sit down volleyball, goalball and completed a mini Paralympics. During the international sessions, we looked at American football, Korbo (Ethiopian aiming game), Daria Bandha (Bangladeshi tagging game) and Elastico (Brazillian skipping).