Chandos Primary School is a remarkable oasis of energy and sport in an otherwise grey, industrial, part of central Birmingham. The school is surrounded by commercial premises, articulated lorries are lined up opposite the school gates, and the local skyline is punctuated by several high rise blocks of flats. The school has limited outdoor space and yet visitors on a Friday afternoon will find every inch of the playground utilised for sport.
PE Lead and Year 6 teacher Carl Pietrzak explains, “We take sport very seriously here at Chandos Primary, and Chance to Shine is an important part of that. This is the most inner city school in Birmingham. Our children don’t come from sporty families and for many of them the activity they have at school is the only activity they get. It’s more than that, though; it’s about all the opportunities our involvement in sport, and the partnerships we have made, provide in developing life skills and the chance to venture beyond our local community.”
“Despite our inner city location and lack of outside space, we have achieved Silver status in the Sports Awards Accreditation,” continues Carl. “A significant part of that success has been due to the outside partnerships we have forged with the WCB, Chance to Shine and other organisations. Chance to Shine has had a real impact on this school. I look out the window when Chance to Shine sessions are running and everyone is involved; all the children look busy and are working hard.”
Carl has identified three pupils who have particularly benefitted from the Chance to Shine programme – Musa, Pedro and Omais. Talking to staff and pupils alike, however, it is clear that all the participating pupils at the school have benefitted from Chance to Shine.
In developing sport at Chandos Primary, Carl Pietrzak works closely with his colleagues Sajid Akram and Mark Wilson. These three staff members are the engine room of the strong sporting ethos at Chandos Primary. Both Sajid and Mark played sport to a high level themselves when younger and understand the benefits that participation in sport brings to an educational setting. Before listening to Musa, Pedro and Omais, let’s set the scene and hear what Sajid and Mark have to say about Chance to Shine.
Sajid Akram, Assistant PE / Sport Lead & Year 6 Teacher
“I played cricket seriously when I was younger. Then I fell out of love a bit with the game. When the Chance to Shine coaches came into school it was like they lit a match and started a fire in me as well as the children. When the Chance to Shine sessions came to an end, Carl managed to get hold of some equipment and I continued to run lunchtime cricket for the children. We went from having virtually no cricket equipment to being in a situation where the children are talking about cricket, playing regularly with our own school equipment, and becoming competitive about it, playing one class against another.
We have a cricket ground literally on our doorstep and the children didn’t know a single thing about cricket. I wanted to change that and found myself re engaging with the game, not just in school but out of school as well. I took my five year old son to some of the Hundred home matches and he was going crazy, he loved it. On the back of the Hundred, I have now got a Bears T20 season pass and I’m looking forward to taking my son to Edgbaston again this summer for the T20 and the Hundred matches.”
Mark James, High Level Teaching Assistant
“Teaching PE isn’t everyone’s thing, but we are lucky to have a very experienced team here and we love sport. I played hockey at Sutton Hockey Club for many years and understand the benefits of a sporting mindset. Carl has been brilliant at bringing in outside coaches. The external programmes like Chance to Shine have made a big difference to the school.
We are determined not to be constrained by our lack of space, but we also relish the opportunity to take the children out to participate in external competitions. Carl will enter us for anything. A while back, he gave me a week to teach the children how to play volleyball before they were due to play in a tournament!
Sport is universal. It brings people together and I see the impact it has on individual pupils. Musa, Pedro and Omais have all developed as a result of participation in sport, and particularly Chance to Shine. I can see their confidence growing as a result of the opportunities they are getting to play and participate.
The Chance to Shine coaches came into school and inspired us all - the staff as well as the children. We appreciate the quality of the Chance to Shine coaching and how they transmit their passion to the children. The coaches ensure everyone is included and use our small space really well.”
Musa’s Story
Carl Pietrzak explains that Musa, currently in Year 6, had never been to school before he arrived at Chandos Primary in Year 4 from Ethiopia. He couldn’t read and only knew one word of English. A further challenge to teachers was that the language Musa spoke at home wasn’t even available on Google Translate. “To begin with,” Carl explains, “Musa couldn’t get used to the idea of being at school. Participation in programmes such as Chance to Shine has really helped him overcome some of the social issues he faced and has given him confidence. Musa is one of our big success stories. He loves sport, particularly cricket and football, but also likes reading too now. The opportunity to play sport at school is important for Musa as he lives in a high rise flat and has nowhere to play outside at home.”
Musa says, “I enjoy batting and want to be part of the school cricket team. Mr Akram teaches me how to hold the bat correctly. I carry my team when we play cricket with Mr Akram and I can hit the ball and score four runs.”
Pedro’s Story
“Fearless,” is how Carl Pietrzak describes Pedro. “Pedro doesn’t let dwarfism affect his ability to get involved with sport and feel included. He is sport mad and will try anything. He’s even a member of the school basketball team. Whatever sport you present Pedro with, he will get on with it. When he started playing cricket, you could see from the start he has natural talent. He picked the game up quickly and can hit the ball hard.”
Pedro is very willing to talk about his love of cricket. “Cricket is my favourite sport. I just love cricket – especially when you hit the ball hard and see if flying in the air, so people have to chase after it. Once, I hit the ball so hard that everyone was shocked because the ball went all the way across the playground and into the trees. I also like bowling too.”
“The coaches are super nice. The way they talk to us makes us want to play cricket more. Our Chance to Shine cricket coaches are always keen to play games and are funny sometimes. They have also helped me to learn to catch properly.”
Omais’s Story
Omais has a hearing impairment, which is helped by a cochlear implant. Carl and Mark both comment on how talented Omais is at sport. “Without programmes like Chance to Shine,” says Carl, “someone like Omais could easily slip through the net and people wouldn’t realise how sporty and able he is. The Chance to Shine sessions have given him a lot of confidence.”
Omais talks enthusiastically about playing cricket. “I like to bowl fast, but I like batting too. I always look forward to playing cricket. It’s great to be part of a team when we play matches. I have got better at catching the ball and batting. The Chance to Shine coaches showed me a good technique for catching. I like the fact that I am the best in my class at cricket.”
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The playground at Chandos Primary School on a Friday afternoon during Year 6 PE is a hive of activity. Everyone is joining in enthusiastically and the entire outside space is utilised. Beyond the playground, in the distance, the pink top of the Bullring is just visible, redecorated ready for the Commonwealth Games. This unexpected splash of pink is symbolic of the energy that staff and children at Chandos Primary School pour into sport at their school, despite the obstacles in the way. Carl, Sajid and Mark pause for a moment to discuss the potential for installing a cricket net between the edge of the playground and the perimeter fence, by flattening a narrow grass bank. Their energy and enthusiasm for any sporting project is relentless. The Warwickshire Cricket Board and our Chance to Shine coaches are incredibly proud to work with such passionate teachers and teaching assistants, who see the endless possibilities and opportunities presented by sport. It is inspiring to play a part in helping them enable the children in their school to develop in many different and positive ways.
