25th February 2008
Pupils and teachers from Wisewood Sports College and Westfield Sports College are preparing for a visit from 11 times Paralympic Gold medal winner Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson on Monday 25 February.
In her role as Sporting Patron for the Youth Sport Trust, Dame Tanni will be visiting both schools selected because of the work they do putting young people at the heart of the curriculum. As specialist sports colleges, both use sport to raise attainment and increase participation, as well as creating learning opportunities around PE and sport in the wider community.
Starting at Wisewood Sports College, Dame Tanni will be shown around the sports centre, meet with infants from the local primary school working with The Arches School Sport Partnership, see year 11 students taking part in a variety of sports activities and watch a DVD on the work of the sports college.
As part of the visit, Dame Tanni will also meet members of a community self-help group who use the sports college’s fitness suite to improve their health and fitness – demonstrating just how integral to the local community the school is and the role it plays in supporting it.
Diane McKinlay, Headteacher at Wisewood Sports College said “Being chosen to receive a visit from an athlete as successful as Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson is such an honour and great recognition for the hard work and commitment our students and staff put in at the college.
“Sport plays such an important role at Wisewood Sports College – but not just out on the playing field – it helps to inspire and engage students across all their lessons.”
From here, Dame Tanni will move on to Westfield Sports College to officially mark the school achieving Sports College status.
Beginning with a tour of the college’s facilities, Dame Tanni will get the opportunity to watch PE lessons in action whilst being shown around by Young Ambassadors from Westfield School Sport Partnership.
Dame Tanni will then use her life story and sporting achievements to provide motivation and inspiration to students and teachers at a special school launch assembly. After addressing the audience, Dame Tanni will be treated to a demonstration and parade of some of the college’s talented athletes, highlighting the work of the school and the benefits that students have reaped.
Assistant Head Teacher, Dave York, said of the visit “This is a fantastic opportunity for students to meet one of Britain’s most admired and respected sportswomen. Dame Tanni’s story is one of inspiration to us all and I am positive that both students and staff will take away some valuable lessons – whatever their level of involvement in sport.”
Youth Sport Trust, Chief Executive, Steve Grainger commented on the visit. “Whether its tai chi or tennis, sport is so important to the lives of young people; teaching them many valuable skills from leadership to teamwork. Wisewood Sports College and Westfield Sports College are both making great strides to help motivate their pupils to get more involved in all different kinds of sport and I’m sure Dame Tanni’s visit will inspire them to continue to reap the benefits of PE and sport.”
Dame Tanni explained the importance of the visit: “I’m really looking forward to visiting both Wisewood Sports College and Westfield Sports College. I hope that, by sharing my life story, students will be inspired to be the best they can be in whatever they strive to achieve. Sport has played such a pivotal role in my life and visits such as this allow me to give something back. ”
(ends)
For more information:
Please contact Lizzie Jones, Youth Sport Trust Press Assistant, on 020 7278 7208 or 07825 065 195 or by emailing lizzie.jones @youthsporttrust.org
Media
Media wishing to attend an event must contact the above numbers to confirm their visit.
Youth Sport Trust
The Youth Sport Trust is a registered charity established in 1994 to build a brighter future for young people through sport. Its mission is to support the education and development of all young people through PE and sport. For more information, please visit www.youthsporttrust.org
Sports colleges
Specialist sports colleges are at the hub of the Government’s strategy to enhance young people’s opportunities to participate in a wide range of sports as well as raising the standards of teaching and learning of PE and school sport. Specialist sports colleges position PE and sport at the centre of the curriculum, using it as a vehicle to develop and improve learning opportunities for all. The Youth Sport Trust assists these schools in every aspect of the application process and works with them to realise their potential once they have successfully achieved specialist sports college status.