Multi Skills Festival Leaders

Over two consecutive days at the end of February our year 10 BTEC sport students received training for and then delivered a primary aged multi skills festival. Over 130 children from 10 different North Somerset primary schools attended the event and this was a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase what St Katherine’s School is all about.

Thursday 23 February – Training Day

On the first day the group received an intensive 2 hour training session that would give them all of the information they needed in order to completely run the festival the following day. The training was delivered by Mr German, North Somerset School Sport Manager and Mr Excel who is still very much involved in school sport and supporting PE in North Somerset Schools.

The leaders were given 2 hours to familiarise themselves with the risk assessment, learn their games, set-up their games, understanding how to officiate, coach and score their games and run the festival independently. The games are all designed first a foremost to be fun, but also to encourage students to develop fundamental sports skills that they can build upon as they get older.

The best way to learn how the games work is of course to play them and although the games are designed for 5, 6 and 7 year old pupils it didn’t take our year 10s very long to get into character!

Friday 24 February – Festival Day

The daunting prospect of being responsible for over 130 children aged between 5 and 7 must have made some of the year 10 students nervous as they came down to PE in the morning. If they were apprehensive it certainly didn’t show as they got straight down to business setting up their games ready for their visitors. Students met and greeted the primary schools and walked them down to our sportshall ready for the competition briefing.

With all of the schools ready to go it was time for our year 10 leaders to step up and showcase themselves. I could not have been prouder of the way that every single one of the leaders took to their jobs and immediately assumed responsibility. On the morning we were joined once again by Mr German and Mr Excell but also by Sue, Kim and Laura – all of whom work in North Somerset Schools. I was absolutely delighted that every single member of staff had absolutely nothing at all because our leaders were doing everything themselves! This freed them up to wander around, enjoy the event and speak to the visiting students and staff.

It was a pleasure to stand back and watch the leaders grow in confidence during the morning!

I simply could not move from one end of the sportshall to the other without being stopped by accompanying adults from primary schools wanting to compliment the quality of our leaders. You only had to walk into the hall for a matter of seconds to pick up on the buzz! The competitors were 100% into their games and so were the leaders.

For me the real test of a leader comes when you have been on your feet from 8.50 until 12 midday without any break, nothing to eat or drink and you have explained the same game 11 times. When you approach rotation number 12 with the same level of enthusiasm and energy you did right at the start of the morning (if not more!) then you know you’ve nailed it. Every one of the leaders nailed it!

The end of the morning saw the leaders & competitors gather together to celebrate their achievements.

The benefit to the young leaders who experience this type of event is simply not quantifiable. All too often as a society we are guilty of highlighting when young adults don’t quite get things right but this morning was a perfect example of how students at St Katherine’s really have so much to offer!

I could not be prouder!

Brendan BENNETT, Leesha COLEMAN, Matthew CRUTCHLEY, Lauren DUN, Samatar ELMI, Shaigh GAYNOR, Megan GRIFFITHS, George HARRIS, Bailee HARRISON, Tara HARVEY, Bo MARSHALL, Dexter MOTT, Caolan PEARCE, Kieran PHILLIPS, Edward POWELL, Paul RICKARDS, Samuel SANDERS, Louis STRATTON, Lauren TOMS, Mickey TRENEAR-CHITTEM, Nabil WARSAME, Elise WEAR, Kai WEST, Jasmine WHITE, Hao Hao ZHANG

The PE Faculty

… they were one of the best groups that I’ve ever worked with in relation to leading events …

… they were attentive, polite & keen to learn; if they are like this in their lessons they can’t fail to achieve their potential …

… St Katherine’s students were outstanding …

… there was no need for the adults to be in the room …

… your leaders are exceptional …

… they are so mature and really understand how to talk to our students …

… I’ve been to a lot of these types of events and you guys are one of the best groups of leaders I have seen …