HEREFORDSHIRE Summer School Games’ annual event welcomed nearly 2,000 children and young people from 60 schools.  

Young people, representing 60 primary, secondary and SEND schools from across Herefordshire, congregated at Hereford Halo Leisure Centre to take part in a diverse range of activities from handball to tennis.

The festival featured a combination of 15 participation and competitive events, including rounders, tri-golf, cheerleading, target sports, touch rugby, girls' football, dodgeball, athletics, handball, netball, infant agility, volleyball, mini tennis, and multi-skills.

The wide range of opportunities for young people were supported by a team of 231 Young Leaders, from nine local schools and colleges across Herefordshire.

The young leaders played a vital role in officiating activities, providing coaching and motivating participants.

The School Games arena was supported by a range of local clubs and organisations. They gave young people the opportunity to learn new activities, skills and embrace the School Games values, with exciting activities and sports like bhangra dancing, squash and spikeball.

The year 5/6 Tri-golf was won by Eastnor Primary, with Much Birch Primary awarded the team of the festival. 

There was no shortage of passion at the year 5/6 Rounders event, with Our Lady’s RC Primary winning the Team award.

In the Target Sports activities, Barrs Court, Westfields, Whitecross Hereford ad Bishop of Bluecoat schools embraced all of the values, whilst in the Cheerleading, it was the year 4/5/6 pupils from Mordiford Primary that took the team of the festival award.

Perhaps inspired by Wimbledon, this year’s year 3/4 Mini Tennis event saw an incredible display of respect and determination, but it would be Kingstone and Thruxton Primary who left with the team of the festival award.

In the Year 6/7 Touch Rugby, St Francis Xavier were awarded the winners title and St Mary’s, Dilwyn the team of the festival. Withington Primary School claimed the award for the Year 3/4 Multi-skills.

Teamwork was certainly evident in the Volleyball with Kimbolton St James leaving with the award.  The Dodgeball challenge required lots of determination but Hampton Dene were not short of this, winning the competition with Shobdon Primary taking the team of the festival.

In the Netball, Shobdon were awarded their ‘Team of the Festival’ accolade after a fantastic display of passion and self-belief.

The team work on display in the girls football was fantastic but it was Lugwardine Primary Academy in the year 3/4 event and Weobley Primary School in the year 5/6 event who received the awards.

The energy was high at Handball and St Pauls Primary embraced the values, whilst in the Athletics Riverside Primary showed fantastic determination taking the medals for the event and Goodrich Primary demonstrating of all the school games values to take home the team of the festival award.

Finally, in the infant agility it was Stretton Sugwas Academy that took the team of the festival award back to school.