Burnley school is leading the way in sporting excellence

A Burnley school has become one of the first in England to win a coveted sports award.
Wellfield Primary School pupils and teacher Mr Andrew Peyton are jumping for joy after being presented with a prestigous sports awardWellfield Primary School pupils and teacher Mr Andrew Peyton are jumping for joy after being presented with a prestigous sports award
Wellfield Primary School pupils and teacher Mr Andrew Peyton are jumping for joy after being presented with a prestigous sports award

Wellfield C of E Primary was one of only 104 schools in the country to receive the School Games Platinum Award which is awarded for making a commitment to developing students to be the best they can be in competitive sport.

The award is part of the School Games Mark, a government led awards scheme launched in 2012 and administered by national charity the Youth Sport Trust, which had close to 9,000 applicants this year.

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Its aim is to reward schools for a commitment to the development of competition across schools and into the community.

Participating in this process allows schools to evaluate their PE provision, grading them either bronze, silver or gold, and assists schools in developing an action plan for future progress.

The Platinum Award is the new fourth level of the award scheme, introduced to celebrate schools who had shown consistently high-levels of enthusiasm and commitment to school sport.

Applications are only open to those schools who achieved five successive gold awards and to gain this they must meet a certain set of criteria, which includes engaging a high percentage of young people in both curricular and extracurricular activities, participating in a minimum number of competitions across different sports, and reaching out to target groups including young leaders, volunteers, and those previously identified as the school’s least-active pupils.

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The driving force behind Wellfield gaining this prestigious accolade is PE teacher Mr Andrew Peyton who has coached the pupils and encouraged them to try a range of new sports.

Headteacher Mrs Janet Pay said: “This award is a fantastic achievement for our school and we are very proud of it especially as we are among one of the first in England to receive it.”

Ali Oliver, Chief Executive of the Youth Sport Trust, said: “Schools like Wellfield are really leading the way.

"At a time when young people are becoming less healthy and less active, the School Games provides opportunities for millions to participate in sport and reap the benefits of an active

lifestyle.”

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