Competitions & Events 17/18 Review

Edsential Competitions & Events have ended for the academic year of 2017/2018 and once again they have proved to be very successful.

Throughout the year, the emphasis of participation has been at the forefront of all the events and competitions delivered and it is great to see the schools buy into this approach as well. Quite often the same pupils are identified for sports teams and throughout the year there is a large proportion of pupils who would love to represent their school but do not have the opportunity to.

From the figures below, you can see the vast majority of pupils identified by teachers to take part in Edsential events and competitions are first time performers. Through the relaxed nature of the competitions and the flexibility of the events, it provides an excellent environment for pupils to compete in a safe environment where they will have a positive experience despite winning or losing.

The table below shows the impact of the Edsential events this year:

No of events	No of teams	No of participants	No of new participants	No of parents spectating
26	138	1132	936	284

For the 26 events to be delivered it was great to see that 13 different venues were used. The majority of them being primary school sites where the host school could showcase their own school to other schools and parents. It also made events more accessible.

The number of pupils attending the events increased from last year which is great to see, and the number of new participants is a fantastic figure which shows clearly that the schools who are involved in the events and competitions buy into the ethos and purpose of events delivered. It was great to see so many parents spectating at events and taking a keen interest into what was being delivered and what else Edsential had to offer.

Feedback from the events are as follows

How was the organisation of the event?

(1 – 5 stars) 5 stars being excellent

Out of all the responses the average rating was 4.92!

Did the event meet your expectations?

100% of teachers stated that the competition met their expectations. Edsential competitions are focused on participation and fun and as well as positive teachers comments excellent feedback from pupil voice can also be seen.

Was the communication about the event clear?

(1 – 5 stars) 5 stars being excellent

Out of all the responses the average rating was 4.92! When organising Edsential events I try to make it as easy and as paperless as possible to ensure that the teachers. All events are planned at the start of the academic year so teachers know exactly what is being delivered throughout the year. This allows the teachers to plan ahead and organise curriculum and extra curriculum delivery to link to events.

Teacher quotes…

“Thank you so much for organising the event today, our children had a fabulous time and really enjoyed competing in such a friendly environment” Bidston Village Primary teacher

“Another great event delivered by Mike” Rock Ferry teacher

“It was great for us to host an event and the children thoroughly enjoyed it despite not winning” Holy Cross teacher

“This has been a lovely competition thank you. The girls have really enjoyed how relaxed it has been” Overchurch teacher

“It has been great that all the pupils we have brought today haven’t represented the school before” Somerville teacher

Participants quotes…

“Can we do this every week” Somerville pupil

“I was nervous at the start but once we started it was so much fun” Ladymount pupil

“my first time at an event and I loved it” St Peter’s pupil

“we won the event and this is the first time I’ve ever won something” St Bridget’s pupil

Parents quotes…

“What you organise is fantastic for the children. This will give my daughter the confidence to play in other sports and attend other competitions as she is quite shy but she has loved this” Parent from Overchurch Primary

“The opportunities are great for them and it is a very pleasant environment” Parent from St Bridget’s Primary

“This is the first time he’s represented the school and he was so nervous but he’s loved every minute of it!” Parent from Ladymount primary

2018/2019:

Through consultation with a lot of schools involved in the competition and events I am pleased to say that there are already a number of events confirmed in the diary. All schools will get additional information about each event but if you do have any questions in the meantime please do not hesitate to contact me.

There are a few events still to be finalised and there are also some available dates to host events so if you wish to host another event please let me know.

Event	Date	Venue	Time
Years 5&6 Netball High 5s	24^th September	Heygarth Primary	3.30 – 4.45pm
Years 5&6 Basketball	1^st October	Rock Ferry Primary	3.30 – 4.45pm
Years 5&6 Girls Football	8^th October	Mendell Primary	1 – 3pm
Years 5&6 Tag Rugby	15^th October	Birkenhead Park Rugby club	1 – 3pm
Years 5&6 Netball	5^th November	Brookdale Primary	3.30 – 4.45pm
Year 3 Indoor Athletics	12^th November	St Joseph’s Primary	1 – 3pm
Years 3&4 Handball	19^th November	St Joseph’s Primary	1 – 3pm
Years 3&4 Gymnastics	26^th November	Bidston Village Primary	1 – 3pm
Years 3&4 Dodgeball	10^th December	Rock Ferry Primary	3.30 – 4.45pm
KS2 Boccia	14^th January	St Bridget’s Primary	3.30 – 4.45pm
Year 2 Indoor Athletics	21^st January	St Anne’s Primary	3.30 – 4.45pm
KS2 New Aged Kurling	28^th January	St Bridget’s Primary	3.30 – 4.45pm
Year 1 Indoor Athletics	4^th February	St Joseph’s Primary	1 – 3pm
KS1 & KS2 Dance	18^th March	St Anne’s Primary	3.30 – 5.30pm
Years 3&4 Swimming	25^th March	Woodchurch Leisure Centre	9.30 – 11.30am
Years 3&4 Tag Rugby	29^th April	Birkenhead Park Rugby club	1 – 3pm
KS2 Quicksticks Hockey	13^th May	Holy Cross Primary	3.30 – 4.45pm
KS2 Tri Golf	20^th May	Mendell Primary	1 – 3pm
Years 5&6 Netball High 5s	10^th June	St Bridget’s Primary	3.30 – 4.45pm
Years 3&4 Footgolf	24^th June	St Joseph’s Primary	1 – 3pm
Years 5&6 Rounder’s	8^th July	Heygarth Primary	1 – 3pm

If you wish any further information, please let me know.

Thank you for making this academic year a fantastic success and hopefully we can build on this for next year to provide a wider range of opportunities to young people.

Mike Smethurst

Edsential competition lead

Mike.smethurst@edsential.co.uk

07764 500 544