The Valley Leadership Academy wins gold for sporting provision

Pupils of all ages and abilities have been pursuing their passion for sport by participating in a plethora of inter-school competitions across Rossendale and beyond as part of the school’s efforts to earn the School Games Mark Gold Award for the 2023-24 academic year.

Founded in 2012, the School Games Mark is a government-led scheme facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust that rewards schools for their commitment to engaging in and developing sporting competitions in their school and throughout the local community.

Tournaments in football, rugby, netball and badminton have all been on the sporting schedule for pupils over the past year and the calendar of competitions was rounded out in style with the Star Athletics Competition and Star Football Tournament - inter-school events that saw pupils from seven schools in the Star Academies trust compete against each other – which took place in the summer term to coincide with this year’s Olympic Games and European Championship.

To achieve the Gold Award, particular emphasis is placed on PAN (Panathlon) competitions – which are suitable for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) – such as PAN Ten-Pin Bowling and PAN Sports Hall Athletics – as well as transition festivals to allow Year 6 pupils to compete against pupils from different schools before moving up to Year 7.

Many of these competitions would not have been possible without The Valley Leadership Academy’s passionate Sports Leaders - dedicated pupils who volunteer their time to contribute to the running and organisation of sporting events throughout the year. Taking on roles including officiating, scorekeeping and timekeeping, pupils are able to further develop their confidence, leadership and communication skills.

Beyond the variety of inter-school competitions on offer, pupils also take part in a range of enrichment activities aimed at promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles thanks to funding from the ‘Opening Schools Facilities’ initiative. These include sessions in judo, kickboxing, yoga, dance and even hula hooping, all of which are delivered by specialist coaches.

The Valley Leadership Academy had previously earned the School Games Mark Bronze Award for the 2022-23 academic year and both pupils and school staff were determined to achieve the Gold Award 12 months later, which they succeeded in doing after satisfying a stringent criteria in the areas of participation, competition, workforce and clubs.

After its shining success, the school looks forward to applying for the School Games Mark scheme again for the 2024-25 academic year - retaining its Gold Award and continuing to offer the best possible sporting provision for its pupils.