Young Chestnut Park athletic stars shine in borough competition

​The shortlist for BBC Sports Personality of the Year may already have been announced but pupils from Years One at Chestnut Park School in Croydon made a late dash for stardom when they took part in a sports hall festival at the Harris Academy in Crystal Palace recently.

​The borough-wide event was organised by the Croydon Schools Sports Partnership and gave youngsters from Chestnut Park, which was only opened by the GLF Schools trust just over a year ago, the chance to compete against their counter parts from across the local area.

"The children thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to represent Chestnut Park, and it was great to see them supporting and encouraging each other to do their best in each event,” said Year One lead and specialist PE teacher Colette Young.

“We used the school’s Sports Premium funding, provided by the Department of Education, to allow the children to attend, and it really inspired them. It’s really raised the profile of sport in the school and a lot of them are already talking about competing again next year.”

The event was one of the highlights of what has been a busy autumn term at Chestnut Park. Having first opened its doors in autumn 2015, the school, a member of the Surrey-based GLF schools multi-academy trust, moved to its new purpose-built premises for the start of this term.

“The children had a wonderful time competing in the name of their school, and received participation certificates at a special assembly a few days later, which gave them a great sense of achievement. All-round, it was a thoroughly positive experience for them.”