Craig Ellicott, Deputy Head & PE Lead at St Mark’s Primary School, discusses the impact of the Chance to Shine programme across all aspects of school life, in pastoral care as well as academic matters.
Meet Raiyanna and Ali
Craig is proud of siblings Raiyanna (Year 5) and Ali (Year 4). Raiyanna and Ali had already played some cricket in their garden with cousins when the Chance to Shine programme started at St Mark’s last year. The curriculum and breakfast club Chance to Shine sessions at St Mark’s were, however, Raiyanna and Ali’s first experience of receiving cricket coaching. It was an experience they took to with great positivity, as we will discover.
Raiyanna’s story
Craig describes the first time Raiyanna faced a ball in a Chance to Shine session. “Raiyanna skipped in to bat and smashed the first ball she faced over the playground fence into the sheds beyond. She then hit several other balls into the trees. It was a surprise to us all, as Raiyanna is not someone you would expect to do that.”
Raiyanna now picks up the story. “The first time I had coaching, it felt amazing. The ball came straight at me and I just hit it hard. Everyone was shocked that I hit it so far into the sheds. After that, everyone wanted me to be on their team. No one expected me to be able to whack the ball. Our coach Shahzeb said to me, ‘What did you have for breakfast, Raiyanna?’”
Ali’s story
It’s useful that Raiyanna’s skills with the bat are matched by Ali’s skills with the ball. He enjoys bowling and is developing the skills of a fast bowler. Ali has responded well to the encouragement given to him by the Chance to Shine coaching team. “The coaches always encourage me,” Ali says. “They tell me ‘You can do it, you can do it’ and when I got stuck with batting they showed me how to hit the ball properly.”
Ali particularly enjoys the Chance to Shine breakfast club sessions. “They get my energy up and wake me up more for my lessons.” Craig explains this is something the school has found across the board, as the early morning Chance to Shine sessions encourage punctuality and increased energy levels for the school day ahead.
Ramadan and Mr Ellicott’s Compromise
In 2021, during Ramadan, Raiyanna and Ali were keen to fast during the school day. Craig was impressed by their discipline, but also concerned in case they became fatigued. Craig was able to strike a compromise with Raiyanna and Ali whereby they would forgo their pudding each day during school lunch but still eat their main meal. The arrangement was successful and has been adopted again by Raiyanna and Ali during Ramadan in 2022.
“I was so impressed how they stuck to their word for the whole of Ramadan,” explains Craig. “It’s not easy to say ‘no’ when everyone else is tucking into pudding. I knew how well Raiyanna and Ali had done with their cricket during the Chance to Shine sessions, so it seemed very appropriate to give them a cricket-related reward at the end of Ramadan last year. I had an All Stars cricket set at home that my children had grown out of and I brought it in for Raiyanna and Ali, so they could play more cricket at home. Fast forward a year and their mum is now getting into cricket too. She has had a DBS check completed recently so that she can join our school trip to the Commonwealth Games as a helper.”
Raiyanna and Ali are happy to have been following the same approach this year during Ramadan. “Some children are asking us why we aren’t eating puddings, but we explain to them we’re not doing it for 30 days during Ramadan so then they understand. We will have lots of puddings at Eid, when we will also play cricket and other sports with our family in the garden.”
Looking forward
“Our positive experience with Chance to Shine has enabled us to bring cricket into all aspects of school life, including our pastoral care,” Craig summarises. “We have lots to look forward to this year as every class is getting the opportunity to get involved with Chance to Shine at some stage during the school year. With the Hundred and the Commonwealth Games then coming up in the summer holidays, it’s exciting.”
St Mark’s School is in Great Barr, only a short distance from the Alexander Stadium and other Commonwealth Games venues. Raiyanna, Ali and their mum are looking forward to the school trip to Edgbaston for one of the women’s cricket matches during the Games. Hopefully they will find even more inspiration for their continuing journey in cricket. For Raiyanna, the girl who started her cricket career by hitting the ball into the sheds on the other side of the playground, maybe her dream will then be to land a massive six in the upper section of The Hollies Stand at Edgbaston. If she does that, no one will be prouder of her than Craig Ellicott.
