By Mr Chaplen, Director of Sport
Sport and activity should, first and foremost, be about enjoyment—having fun, being active with friends, and building a lifelong love of movement. As we get older, sport becomes less about competition and more about socialising. While our goal is to ensure every child who walks through the door at Gateway has the opportunity to succeed in sport, push themselves, discover their strengths, and strive to be the best they can be, we also want to make sure that when they finish school, sport and activity are things they choose to continue, even when they’re no longer “mandatory.”
One way we encourage this is through our whole-school theme days, such as the Mini London Marathon, National Fitness Day, or our upcoming Gateway FitFest. Another is by exposing our pupils to less mainstream sports that are still accessible in our local area, such as squash, judo, or trips to watch top-tier sports, like the international netball and football fixtures we’ve attended this year.
As an adult, think back to your own experiences with sports at school. For some of you, it may have been a great memory. For others, it may bring back the painful recollection of freezing cross-country runs or standing on a field trying to look like you were involved. For many people, their experience of school sport can shake their confidence in physical activity for a long time, only rediscovering it as adults—perhaps through something like Parkrun, where the goal is simply to have fun and be active with friends or members of your community.
At Gateway, we’re working to ensure no child falls out of love with movement. We want every pupil to realise that there’s a sport or activity out there for them. It doesn’t have to be football—it could be badminton, martial arts, hiking, or even triathlon. Our whole-school events and trips are designed to give children as many different active opportunities as possible—whether they’re watching live sports or trying an activity they’ve never seen before.
An event like our Mini London Marathon creates a buzz in the school, where no child or adult is left out. There’s no official start or finish line—just a celebration of movement. Every child works towards a team goal, regardless of whether they run 4 laps or 14. There’s music, laughter, cheering, determination, and perseverance. Each child will run further on Mini Marathon day, surrounded by the support of friends and teachers, in a fun and engaging environment, than they ever will in a cross-country lesson. The difference isn’t in the action, but in the environment where they’re being active.
Primary school is all about exploring as many sports and activities as possible—figuring out what you enjoy, discovering what’s out there, and having a great time doing it. So, our request to you is simple: give it a go. Be active with your children. Let them see you try something new, step outside of your comfort zone, have fun playing sports, or even sign up for Gateway FitFest!
