Page 3 - Ickford Informer Newsletter Summer Issue June 2021

tournament. Unfortunately, all is not looking
good for the future because Buckingham
Secondary School, who organise the sports
partnership in the County, have decided not
to continue the role. Unless, the mantle is
picked up by another Secondary School,
we may not see competitive sport which,
whilst keeping the ‘everyone’s a winner’
faction happy, would not, in my opinion, be
good for anyone.

One unequivocal consequence of sport at
A message from John Ronane Headteacher Ickford has been the formation of a Senior

Netball Club (Ickford Iceni) in order to

HE VIEW FROM THE SCHOOL AT THIS TIME IS CERTAINLY NOT BLEAK enable our past pupils to keep playing and
(or at least not as bleak as it has been at times in the past year and a half) but it is competing and also the continued success
st
T still not as positive as I would like it to be. I wait for June 21 like a condemned along pathways in other sports for several
man waiting for the Judge to conclude sentencing with everything crossed in the past pupils. Only this week, I took a young
hope that we can open our doors up to parents and visitors again. Rugby player to my club Ealing Trailfinders
RFC to introduce him to the Elite Player
Thankfully, the weather has taken a turn for in a number of different disciplines. They Programme and I received the news that
the better and after what seemed like endless may also recognise that we compete to another past pupil, Amelia Gleed, won a
rain, the school field has finally dried out win and not just to take part, and thanks silver medal in the Schools National Rowing
sufficiently to enable the children to go out to the School Sports Partnership format Championships representing Headington.
and build their dens. I have been very grateful in Buckinghamshire and including Milton
for having the use of the Recreation Ground Keynes, we have been able to compete at On a final note and returning to the subject
because this has been much drier in recent an area, regional and county level with great of the Recreation Ground, a cheeky plea!
weeks and not only have the children been success. In some sports, we have won the If there is any money floating around from
able to play there but the space it affords has area events for nine years in succession building developments a smoother grass
enabled me to teach PE effectively. and in Netball and Badminton we have been surface would be welcomed. Even though
County Champions several times. the inter schools’ athletics event has been
Although taking responsibility for teaching cancelled again this year, we had hoped
PE necessitates a whole day away from The past two years have seen our to get our own Sports Day back on and
Headteacher duties, I have to admit that I competitive programme decimated by to get the track marked out to practice
enjoy it. It gives me the opportunity to work Covid-19 and last year no events took our athletics. However, the ground has
with the great majority of the children and place at all. This year, competitions have become really uneven and rutted and it is
ensures that I am not just a peripheral figure gradually been able to begin again and we increasingly difficult to find a smooth area
who appears at Assembly or when something have managed to compete at Badminton, of grass. I dream of a hallowed turf with
is wrong. It also helps to satiate my passion Netball, Golf and Cricket, winning every pristine white lines! v
for sport and reinforces my belief of its
benefits physically, mentally and socially.

This year has meant a great deal of missed
time and some of the PE curriculum has had
to be left out. Nonetheless, I have tried to
ensure that the children have had the chance
to develop their techniques in a number of
areas with a view to the future. Not everyone
can become skilful but, if taught properly,
everyone can develop technique.

One of my roles, even when not responsible
for teaching the PE curriculum, is the
coaching and organisation of competitive
sport, most of which I do in the format of
co-curricular clubs before and after school
and during lunch breaks. Anyone who
has taken an interest in the school in the
past decade will probably be aware that
we compete where and when we can and Ex Ickford pupil Amelia Gleed representing Headington School at the Schools’ National Rowing Championships

ourickfordnewsletter@hotmail.com 2 June 2021 ourickfordnewsletter@hotmail.com 3 June 2021