From Gemma Wright:
This year Fynamore primary school decided to hold a writing challenge day. The theme for the day was the Swindon Wildcats. Members of the Wildcats team and their mascot Willie came to visit us on the 24th of October. The day began with an assembly led by the wildcats, which ended with the wildcats presenting a challenge for each year group.

The challenges included word acrostic poems, supporter’s chants, posters to advertise, stories about the Wildcats, interviews of players, information leaflets and creating film advertisements.
 
The children had a fun and active day completing their challenges, which we presented to the school in a whole school assembly at the end of the day.

Pieces of the work produced by the children were then displayed at one of the Wildcats matches at which parents and children were able to get tickets at a discounted rate!

Overall, the writing challenge day was a great success. The visit from the Wildcats created a meaningful purpose and therefore enthusiasm from the children for writing challenges! Thank you to the Wildcats!

St Mary’s Catholic Primary School

This is the second year that our school has participated in ice skating run by the Swindon Wildcats. Each year the focussed group of children has been year 2. This has been a deliberate choice of year group as it was felt that they would benefit greatly from the confidence boosting that these sessions would provide. As a school, we felt that as self esteem was raised through success in conquering the ice, this would impact on standards in the classroom. This has proven to be the case.
 
The children have been gently encouraged by the coaches to build on the progress made week by week. There is a set criteria of skills taught in small group situations. It is amazing to see a group of children, the majority of which in session 1 were clinging to the side trying to walk round the ice, now confidently gliding on the middle of ice as well as turning.

The Swindon Wildcats have been excellent coaches and role models. The sessions have always started with a warm up and cool down and coaching has always happened in small groups of three or four. They have certainly brought out the best in the children and these sessions offer fantastic value for money at only £1.00 per session. The school fully funds the coaching sessions and transport through extended schools funding.

Taking up this opportunity from Swindon Wildcats has given a new experience of a sport for the majority of the children as well as fulfilling three objectives in the Every Child Matters agenda, “Be healthy, Enjoy and achieve and Make a positive contribution.”

Ice skating coaching with the Swindon Wildcats has become a regular annual sporting two term activity for St Mary’s School and I would highly recommend it to any school.

Clare-Marie Burchall
Headteacher

Chiseldon Primary School

As Headteacher of Chiseldon Primary School, I have attended many of the learn to skate lessons which my pupils have taken part in for the past 18 months. We were one of the schools which took part on the trial for the first year, which was an excellent start to the programme.

This year the club have extended the programme and we have continued to make the most of this excellent opportunity for our children from Year 2 to Year 6. The activity is fully supported by all our parents who fund the programme. The children who attend are given excellent coaching, free use of the ice and an award for performance at the end of the course of 6 lessons.

The activity is always well-organised, the children made to feel welcome and important and the progression in skill levels for all the pupils who attend the lessons is clear to see. The activity is one which fits into the government’s wish for our children to be more active. I can thoroughly commend this excellent programme of physical activity to you.

John Dickens - Headteacher