In this second WCB Chance to Shine case study, Gemma Mozley of Longford Park Primary School discusses the value of Chance to Shine sessions in engaging all children and being highly inclusive.
How long have you been offering Chance to Shine at your school and in which age groups?
We started Chance to Shine for the first time in summer term 2021 for Years 5 & 6. We were happy with the programme and have booked in for the whole of summer 2022, when we will also offer it to Years 3 & 4.
How popular has Chance to Shine been at your school?
When we first offered Chance to Shine and a cricket after school club, many of the children didn’t know what cricket was. The first session, however, had a big impact and after that session we had lots of children wanting to join the after school club when they had more of an idea what cricket was. After the six week Chance to Shine programme, we continued to run our own after-school club and had a big uptake.
What have been the benefits of Chance to Shine in your school, particularly around inclusion?
I like the fact that the programme is very inclusive. Everyone joins in, even the non-competitive children. It is good for their self-esteem. I like the teamwork aspect too.
The coach was very good at keeping all the children engaged and moving along at a nice pace. I liked how the children learnt skills during the lesson and then played a game at the end.
There are some children who struggle in other areas of the curriculum and their behaviour is not great, but in PE they are able to shine. The Chance to Shine coach was very good at recognising various behavioural issues. For example, there are children who really struggle with losing and the coach helped them understand that the sessions weren’t about winning or losing but learning new skills. Another example was a very talented and competitive boy who assumed he was going to be really good at cricket and that he didn’t need to do some of the drills. The coach explained to the boy that everyone needs to do these drills to help develop their skills.
The coach was also very good at involving the teachers in the sessions. He would direct the teachers and ask them to help with certain groups over a particular task and I think this was very helpful for some of the teachers.
What does the future hold for Chance to Shine at Longford Park Primary School?
Overall, we have been so impressed with Chance to Shine that we are having them in again next summer, with more year groups. The children are being exposed to wider experiences and the opportunity to develop teamwork and sportsmanship skills they wouldn’t always be exposed to. Next summer our Year 6 children will be doing Chance to Shine for the second time so hopefully they will have the opportunity to grow their cricketing skills further and even find a local club.
