Birmingham celebrates National School Sport Week in style

23 June 2014

With exactly one month to the start of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow school pupils from across Birmingham have taken part in a special event to celebrate the Games and mark the National School Sport Week which begins today.       

National School Sport Week is delivered by the Youth Sport Trust and takes place from 23-27 June, 2014. Seven hundred primary school pupils from 20 Birmingham schools have taken part in a special Opening Ceremony, before competing in a range of sports including handball, hockey, fencing, seated volleyball, decathlon multi skills and Tri Golf.

The event, held at Kingsbury School, was supported by 100 secondary school leaders from Erdington, Kingsbury School & Sports College, St Edmund Campion, Stockland Green School, Bournville College and Birmingham Coach Academy students. School reporters also got involved in the day conducting interviews and writing reports on the action as it happened.  Stockland Green Year 8 and 9 students helped run the track events during the festival and had the chance to meet Olympic Silver Medallist Gail Emms.  They even appeared on BBC news that evening.

Gail Emms and Commonwealth gold medallist Kelly Sotherton were among the sporting stars at the event and offered support to those taking part in the day.

Gail Emms, who is an ambassador for the Youth Sport Trust, said:

"I have been involved in National School Sport Week for many years and every time I am extremely impressed by the young people taking part and the importance that schools place on delivering fantastic events for their pupils.
"The event in Birmingham today has been a very special occasion and I am delighted to have been lucky enough to have been part of it. Congratulations to everyone that took part you - should all be very proud."

Stockland Green students get on their bikes

Over the past half term at Stockland Green School some of our Year 7 students have enjoyed Bike Club, run by Bike North Birmingham Instructors.

Bike Club runs once a week after school, and has allowed students to gain valuable cycling skills, road safety awareness and bike maintenance along with also getting some exercise. For the more advanced cyclist there were tricks, ramps and obstacle courses.

Some students were complete beginners, but in just a few lessons others could confidently ride a bike without any support.

Mrs Harding, Head of Year 7 said ‘the confidence the students have gained, in such a short space of time is amazing. I am very proud of them’.

Year 7 were also lucky enough to complete their Bikeability training earlier this term, all achieving a Level 1 or Level 2 certificate showing their ability to ride safely on public roads and cycle paths.

Mrs Harding went on to say ‘The instructors have been great, and really inspired some of the group to cycle more often either for pleasure, or as a means of transport’.

Next week they will embark on a group cycle to Sutton Park before signing up again for next year’s Bike Club.

Stockland Green secondary school receives history lessons from Professor Carl Chinn

CLASS ACT: Birmingham historian Professor Carl Chinn meets
Stockland Green School pupils (clockwise from top left)
Marsela Qazimi, Chloe Mahon, Elliot Wilkes and Reece Arnold
 during his recent visit.

A WELL-KNOWN Birmingham historian has been helping to bring the past to life for youngsters at an Erdington secondary school.

Pupils from Stockland Green School have been enjoying extra history lessons from none other than famous academic Professor Carl Chinn.

Prof Chinn was invited to the school in Slade Road as part of its recent alternative curriculum education day to give a lecture about the importance of history and why it matters today.

The popular historian talked about how Birmingham has developed since the industrial period using tales from his own family's history to help bring the lecture to life.

The writer and radio presenter, who is chair of Birmingham Community History at the University of Birmingham, also answered questions on the background of the Stockland Green area, his views on education and, of course, his beloved Aston Villa Football Club.

Damian Leese, head of humanities at Stockland Green School, said: "Our students gained so much from Professor Chinn's visit.

"He is passionate about raising the aspirations of young people – who share a similar background to his own – by giving them an understanding of their histories."

The school's alternative curriculum education day is held to allow students to explore and develop a wide range of areas that often time constraints of regular lessons do not allow.