What is the best way to improve yourself? You can do so in a variety of ways, but as a PE teacher I was inspired to take part in sport from a young age. The main reason, if I’m truthful, was because I LOVE competition. I believe it is the best way to improve yourself both inside and out. Many people misunderstand what competition is and put it under the same label as “winning”. Competition is so much more than that. The most fulfilling competition is actually the one you have within yourself.

Mr Coates and myself have both agreed that the best way to show this, while allowing pupils to experience this, is by using and taking part in a varied exercise regime that mimics all of the usual activities that would be used by adults in the wider world (continuous / interval / fartlek / circuit etc). This has allowed pupils to challenge themselves to improve internally rather than comparing against others.

There was some reasonable weather in the last term which allowed us to add in some training for athletics. In this we have shown pupils that, although raw power can get a good score, technique and practice are valued significantly more. It has been a pleasure to see pupils asking for feedback and striving to achieve their best even if they aren’t necessarily the fastest runner. We look forward to more of the same as we start the 2021-22 school year!

Simon Parker, Games Teacher