Healthy Schools Week

Once again, we kicked off the week with our Healthy Travel Card scheme, where students and staff were encouraged to cycle into school and obtain stamps. Each person was then entered into a prize draw. We had two lucky winners: Nathaniel 11.4 and Harshan in 7.9, who were awarded a £10 voucher from Sustrans along with Mariyah in 7.3 who was also awarded a £10 voucher for her dedication and commitment to Cycle club.

The bike kit sales on Monday and Thursday gave everyone the opportunity to purchase basic essentials for their bikes at a reduced rate. Lots of freebies were also donated by Jeremy, our resident Bike-It Officer from Sustrans. Jeremy also runs our girls cycle club after school which is a great initiative.

Tuesday saw the launch of our first KS3 pedometer challenge where students in Years 7, 8 and 9 competed against each other to see which class could rack up the most steps around the school. Competition amongst classes was fierce and it was great to see this carrying through to PE lessons as well. Even our SLT members took up the pedometer challenge, with Ms Butcher winning first place and 7.3, 8.4 and 9.9 winning the student challenge.

The Youth Health and Travel Ambassadors were instrumental in coordinating the pedometer challenge and running the Change4Life table during lunch times. Well done to all the girls for stepping up and showing their leadership qualities throughout the week!

Once again there was an amazing spread of lunch-time activities laid on by our cook Sue, Peter and our fabulous catering team. Monday’s scary lunch gave students the chance to see the high fat, sugar and salt hidden in every day foods; a real eye opener for most students. On Wednesday, as always, lots of free fruit was available and the popular smoothie bike was back. Staff and students queued patiently to get the chance to hop on and make those very tasty smoothies. The highlight of the week was the omelette challenge. Staff and students were in competition to see who could make the best omelette in the fastest time. Well done to the winner Yasin in 9.4. On Thursday staff and students were rewarded with a healthy breakfast for cycling to school.

The PE department hosted a wide selection of after school sports tournaments. Students took part in football, handball, basketball, table tennis, a rowing challenge and a girls cycling challenge. All competition winners were presented with gold medals and a great time was had by all.

This year saw our first staff yoga session and what an incredibly refreshing session it was! The combination of ambient lights, calming music and a fabulous instructor meant that the staff felt thoroughly relaxed at the end and have requested a regular yoga class to be considered to improve provision for staff wellbeing.

Our final event on Friday was the student, parent and staff badminton session hosted by our superb coach Mr Dave McQueen which was a huge success. A brilliant turn-out by both parents and staff made the session extra special for the students. Parents, staff and students had a great time competing against each other, everyone engaged and having fun...a great way to end a really positive week!

Thank you all for making Healthy Schools Week such a great success!