Accolade for school's top quality sport

The Association for Physical Education handed the school a Quality Mark with Distinction – the highest accolade available to the department.

Headteacher Jennifer Templar said:“I’m incredibly proud of our PE department on achieving this fantastic award.

“PE and sport have been a real strength of the school for many years.

“We are particularly proud of the incredible opportunities students have to develop their own leadership skills through sport.”

Pupils at the school are encouraged to run their own clubs and teams with support from teachers.

Ms Templar said: “None of this would be possible without the extraordinary passion, energy and commitment of all the staff involved and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all for everything they do to provide so many fantastic opportunities for our students.”

Director of learning for performance Richard Hirst said: “We are particularly proud of the range of sports and activities we offer, both in the curriculum and through extra­curricular clubs and the way we are able to use sport to develop our student’s confidence, team work and leadership skills.”

The school said that the benefits of good physical education include emotional wellbeing, decreased poor behaviour, increases in attendance and a healthy and active lifestyle.

Among those who have benefitted from the school’s PE department is diver Lois Toulson, who is in Rio competing in this year’s Olympics with Team GB.

The 16-year-old won the Turnsteads Avenue school’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Sport for four years running.

See page 5 for more on how Lois did in Rio,