Sport is an important part of the Holly Park curriculum. Please look at the drop down menu to see some of our sporting fixtures, timetables, uniforms and policy.
We are delighted to have been awarded a Quality Mark for Physical Education and Sport by the Association for Physical Education. The award is valid for three years and we will get a glass trophy to commemorate it. The inspectors made these comments:
- Class teachers have been upskilled over the years, using a coaching company. Specialist coaches have been commissioned to work with selected teachers.
- Both subject leads work hard to make sure the coaches develop teachers and, as a result, it is considered that, should the funding cease, the class teachers would be in a position to teach independently. They have enjoyed being an ‘additional adult’ in PE lessons working with SEND and other groups of children and commented how this would have been more difficult if they had been on their own.
- Standards in gymnastics look good.
- Since the last Quality Mark the curriculum has become broader and it has also become a Forest school.
- There are more opportunities for children to be engaged in school sport with the introduction of intra-school competitions. Those that want to wear a team strip are encouraged to.
- Holly Park is a small school and is relatively successful when competing against other schools.
- The headteacher recognises the impact the subject has on whole school development.
- Two dedicated subject leaders lead and manage this subject well.
Here are our play leaders – they encourage physical activity at playtimes.
GOLD School Games Award
We are delighted to announce that Holly Park has achieved the School Games GOLD Mark Award for the 2023/24 academic year. The School Games Mark is a government-led award scheme launched in 2012, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust to reward schools for their commitment to the development of competition across their school and into the community, and we are delighted to have been recognised for our success.
Our sporting achievements this year include: cross country, dance, athletics and football with many young people competing in local inter-school competitions this year, we are extremely proud of our pupils for their dedication to all aspects of school sport and to the staff who made our competitions possible. As part of our application, we were asked to fulfil criteria in the areas of participation, competition, workforce and clubs, and we are pleased that the hard work of everyone at our school has been rewarded this year. A special thanks to: Mr Bourne, Miss Yiannaki, Mr Reid and Mr Carini. We look forward to applying once again in 2024!
Outside PE
Please make sure that your child has the outdoor PE kit. Like all other schools, PE continues in cold weather. Cold weather does not cause colds. In terms of infectious diseases, germs make you sick, not the cold weather itself.
You have to come into contact with rhinoviruses to come down with a cold and influenza virus to contract the flu. Most viruses are transferred and amplified in our heated indoor areas, and risks are greatest to sedentary people.
So indirectly, going outside and exercising does reduce your risk of getting a cold and can actually stimulate the immune system. Cells that fight infection in the body actually increase if you go out into the cold. Cold temperature doesn’t affect immune system strength. The common cold is commonest in winter because the harsh weather prompts people to stay indoors, where ventilation is restricted and proximity to infected friends and family members is increased.
Indoor PE Health and Safety – Bare feet & Verrucae
I am often asked about why it is that children have bare feet for gym or dance in the hall. Here is the advice from the Barnet PE Advisor and national guidelines.
“Good practice and safe practice determines that children should be in bare feet for Gymnastics and Dance activities. This is also written in our PE Policy and shared on our website. The definitive National Subject Association guidance from Association for Physical Education (AfPE) ‘ Safe Practice in PE, School Sport and Physical Activity’ current version states; ‘In gymnastics, barefoot work is the safest, whether on the floor or apparatus, because the toes can grip. Barefoot work in both gymnastics and dance can also improve aesthetics by allowing the foot and toes to move through a full range of flexion and extension, which in turn strengthens the muscles, bones and joints.’ There should never be an occasion where most children are in bare feet and some in trainers. Verrucae can be covered (in theory they are not contagious in dry conditions) however those with verrucae may find it more comfortable to cover them with plaster or surgical tape that wraps completely around the foot otherwise they just tend to fall off. Socks or plimsolls/trainers should never be worn.”