Tirlebrook Primary School

Read on to find out about our sporting extra-curricular opportunities and

experiences for the academic year 2016-2017

2016-2017

Tirlebrook Celebrates Another Fantastic Year of School Sport

We have had another fantastic year of sport here at Tirlebrook and it is great to be recognised for the commitment and effort that has gone into establishing opportunities, experiences and healthy lifestyle choices for our pupils. This has happened in a couple of ways as we end another academic year.

Tirlebrook has recently been recognised at the Gloucestershire School Games Celebration event for our work in training and providing leadership opportunities for our pupils in sport. Not only have the Y6 children been in role as Sports Leaders at lunchtimes, but we have had a variety of children involved in a number of leadership and volunteering opportunities: being part of our Sports Council, organising and running Inter-House competitions, helping lead at after-school clubs and supporting the Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network with the delivery of events, such as the Quadkids Athletics. We were highly commended and feature in a publication of good practice that is happening across the county.

We are also delighted to share that we have been recognised for the third year in succession by the School Games National Organisation as being a Gold Kitemark standard school. We are one of only four schools in the Tewkesbury and Cheltenham area to receive this honour this year and have a record of achievement only bettered by one Cheltenham school, St. Gregory's, since the inception of the School Games in 2013 as part of our Olympic legacy.

Tirlebrook has also been recognised as being the most active school across the Cheltenham and Tewkesbury region for the second year in succession. This is an incredible achievement for a one-form entry school when compared to the activities of over 60 others in the area. We do not have the information for the entirety of Gloucestershire as yet, but it is likely that we are indeed the most active school in the entire county. What a remarkable feat as we continue with our pledge to ensure that at Tirlebrook the children enjoy, explore and excel together in as many ways as possible.

Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's EYFS Multi-Sports Festival @ Cheltenham College - Wednesday, 19th July 2017

Oak Tree Class, our Early Years class, travelled over to Cheltenham College and enjoyed a fantastic morning of Multi-Sports. The children enjoyed going somewhere new and having the opportunity to work alongside children from other schools. The activities involved throwing, catching, balancing, hitting, dribbling, passing, target and running skills. They displayed many of the School Games values with two children being presented with sports bands, George Oliver and Evie Teasdale, by Old Spot. It was a terrific morning, active and exciting and enjoyed by all.

Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's KS1 Multi-Sports Festival @ Cheltenham College - Wednesday, 12th July 2017

Year One travelled over to Cheltenham College and enjoyed a fantastic morning of Multi-Sports. There was much excitement as Old Spot paid a visit to kick off the festival. Cherry Class behaved brilliantly and after a Zumba warm up, had the opportunity to work alongside children from 6 other schools. The activities involved throwing, catching, balancing, hitting and running skills. They displayed many of the School Games values with three children being chosen for sports bands: Miles Cummings for Passion, Chloe Cranny for Respect and Olivia Camden-Hill for Honesty. It was a terrific morning, active and exciting and enjoyed by all.

ICC Women's World Cup Cricket - England v South Africa @ The County Ground, Bristol - Wednesday, 5th July 2017

A group of 28 children and 4 staff headed off to The County Ground in Bristol to watch England play South Africa in this year's ICC Women's Cricket World Cup - and what a fantastic day they had! The standard of cricket on show was simply amazing and it was thrilling to see South Africa get close, but ultimately fall short, in their efforts to overhaul England's very impressive 373 run total. Batting first, England posted their huge total thanks in main to superb centuries from Tammy Beaumont and Sarah Taylor. The South Africans started off well in reply with a 128 run opening stand, but the target eventually proved to be too much for them as they fell short by 68 runs. Laura Wolvaardt (67), Lizelle Lee (72) and Chloe Tryon (54) were the players who crossed the fifty run mark. Danielle Hazell was the pick of the English bowlers with figures of 3/70 while captain Heather Knight also returned impressive figures of 2/52. Anya Shrubsole, Natalie Sciver and Alex Hartley also chipped in with a wicket each as England restricted South Africa to 305/9. So, all in all, Tirlebrook witnessed 14 wickets falling and an amazing 678 runs in 100 overs. Throughout the day there were opportunities to take a break from the glorious sunshine, with visits to the Fan Zone, where there were craft activities and the chance to bowl and bat in the nets, the club shop and the ice cream vendor. Perhaps the biggest thrill, however, was meeting some of the players after the match, getting autographs and photographs and even having the chance to chat with them. It was a very long but terrific day out and we hope that it will live long in the memory of those children who were lucky enough to attend.

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's Rounders Competition - Tuesday, 4th July 2017

A group of enthusiastic and School Games values-filled Year 5 and Year 6 children represented Tirlebrook in the final Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network event of the current academic year, the Rounders Competition. Following several weeks of Rounders Club, the team were ready to put their skills to the test and compete against the other Tewkesbury schools, including Tewkesbury C. of E., Twyning, Carrant Brook and Mitton. Tirlebrook began the competition by facing their most challenging competitors, Twyning. It was a close game, with Twyning emerging victorious by 5 rounders to Tirlebrook's 3, yet the Tirlebrook team competed well and should be pleased with their performance. The second match of the event was a friendly against Mitton, which was positive and enjoyable for all. The final match within the pool stages was against Carrant Brook. The team's fielding and teamwork had warmed up nicely by now and they were prepared to fight for a win. Their efforts and communication enabled the team to storm ahead and win by a margin of 7 rounders to 2. It was a great win that enabled Tirlebrook to qualify for the bronze medal match. The last match of the evening was against Tewkesbury C. of E. The team stepped up their performance again; hitting the ball into deep field on many occasions, fielding with more accuracy and precision, and supporting each other through the game. The team gained another fantastic success, as they overcame Tewkesbury C. of E., 7-1. It was a brilliant moment watching the children receive their bronze medals from the organisers, which they fully deserved. Callum Trust and Charlie Hancox were also recognised for their commitment and positive attitudes throughout the event. Callum was awarded with a 'Passion' School Games values band for the second time this year and Charlie earned a 'Teamwork' band for his efforts in the field. Congratulations.

Squad: Ava Baker, Jack Ballinger, Oscar Guthrie, Charlie Hancox, Daisy Johansen, Zac Jones, Fraser Lucking, Elliott Parsons, Bea Prosser, Zuzanna Rudnicka, Luke Sherbourne & Callum Trust

Gloucestershire School Games Level 3 KS1 Mini Tennis County Finals @ Oxstalls Sports Park - Tuesday, 4th July 2017

Tirlebrook’s Y2 Mini Tennis team also qualified for the Gloucestershire School Games County Finals held at Oxstalls Sports Park. The competition was of a high standard and Tirlebrook held their own in their first match, beating Oakhill. The second and third rounds against Blue Coat and Churchdown Village Infants were tough. Unfortunately, the team was beaten in both of these matches and they therefore did not progress to the final play-offs. However, the children showed great resilience, teamwork and determination. The children concluded their competition by playing doubles matches against Oakhill and Ashton-under-Hill, winning both. The four children who represented the school are to be congratulated for their attitude. They were recognised during the awards ceremony at the end of the tournament and were presented with a ‘Teamwork’ certificate and individual School Games values bands.

Team: Ewan Gosden, Keira Hancox, Ollie King-Smith & Lexi Wheeler

Gloucestershire School Games Level 3 Projectability Mini Tennis County Finals @ Oxstalls Sports Park - Tuesday, 4th July 2017

Congratulations to our Y3 Mini Tennis team who qualified for the Gloucestershire School Games County Finals held at Oxstalls Sports Park in Gloucester. Following an extensive warm-up, the children visited a number of skills stations to develop various shots and techniques, including forehand and backhand drive, volleying and serving. The children then had the chance to put this all into practice in a round-robin tournament in the afternoon to decide who would be declared County Champions. Matches were won and lost in highly entertaining and competitive matches against Grangefield School and eventual winners St. Lawrence, from Lechlade. It was a great delight to be awarded silver medals as Tirlebrook finished runners up in the entire county. Evie was also singled out for demonstrating 'Determination' and Ayan for 'Self-Belief' and each were awarded a School Games values band in recognition of this. It was a very successful day of tennis - and the children even got to watch some professional tennis from Wimbledon during the lunch interval. Well done everyone.

Team: Byran Cotton, Poppy Martin, Ayan Sharif & Evie Walford

GCB Year 3 and Year 4 Kwik Cricket Tournament @ Tewkesbury Cricket Club - Tuesday, 27th June 2017

Eight children from Years 3 and 4 represented Tirlebrook brilliantly at Tewkesbury Cricket Club in this year's GCB Year 3 and Year 4 Kwik Cricket Tournament. Alongside 11 other schools from the Tewkesbury and Cheltenham area, the Tirlebrook team prepared themselves for a day of excellent cricket in the emerging sunshine. The team performed superbly in their first ever competition, winning both of their pool games against Eldersfield and Tredington, as they qualified for the semi-final against Temple Guiting. Although the team lost the match in a closely fought contest, the team never gave up and they showed great determination and sportsmanship. Well done!

Team: William Bethel, Owen Burford, Oliver Butler, Oakley Hiorns, Matthew Janes, Daniyal Khan, Leland Pratley and Rhys Thomas

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's Children's Triathlon - Sunday, 25th June 2017

On Sunday 25th June, nine children from Tirlebrook took part in the Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's Children's Triathlon at Tewkesbury School. An event that required the combination of a 40m swim, a 1500m cycle and an 800m run to be completed as quickly as possible was always going to be challenging. In a field of nearly 130 competitors, our children did themselves proud. Ewan Gosden won his category for the second year in succession, this time as a Y2 boy, finishing the course in an incredible 9 minutes and 5 seconds, just 20 seconds behind the overall winner, a Y5 boy from Twyning. In Y3, Freddie Parsons (13:17) competed with great confidence, as did our Y4 representatives, Silas Fox (10:43) and Charlotte Peirce. Indeed, Charlotte took home the silver medal in the Y4 Girls' competition, finishing in an impressive time of 10 minutes and 53 seconds. We were well represented in Year 5 by Rachel Bagley (11:47), Elliott Parsons (11:19) and Calum Pryce (11:35), whilst Jonathan Pierce (9:41) picked up the silver medal in the Y6 Boys' event, with Olivia Gardiner finishing 4th in the Y6 Girls' (10:07). The children were up against seasoned triathletes and many of the competitors are members of a Triathlon club. This highlights just how well our children have participated. Congratulations!

Tirlebrook representatives: Rachel Bagley, Silas Fox, Olivia Gardiner, Ewan Gosden, Elliott Parsons, Freddie Parsons, Charlotte Peirce, Jonathan Peirce and Calum Pryce

Lifesaving Swimming Sessions Begin - Friday, 23rd June 2017

Tirlebrook's KS2 swimming programme concludes with some specially arranged lifesaving sessions. The first of these has taken place and not only were they very informative, helpful and challenging, but they were also great fun. The session began with the children swimming one length wearing their pyjamas and some footwear. The confidence that all the children showed whilst doing this is testament to the excellent swimming provision that they have had since Tirlebrook took on the ASA's mantra, now known as Swim England, to 'take school swimming seriously'. This was soon followed by splitting into three groups that rotated to complete rope rescue, lifesaving stroke technique, and some general lifesaving skills. The children were enthusiastic and thoroughly enjoyed the session, as well as picking up some very important life skills as we approach the long summer holidays. Thank you to our instructors from Tewkesbury Sports Centre who continue to provide us with some excellent swimming teaching. 

Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's Projectability Mini Tennis @ East Glos Tennis Club - Friday, 23rd June 2017

Four children from Y3 represented Tirlebrook at the Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's Projectability Mini Tennis Tournament at East Glos Tennis Club in Cheltenham. The children were lucky enough to receive 3 hours of coaching, learning various ball skills including serving and volleying. The children played a number of different games and accrued points throughout the afternoon. These points were totalled at the end and Tirlebrook were delighted to win School Games Gold medals. They were also awarded a team Respect certificate and received individual School Games Values Bands: Poppy Martin received Respect, Ayan Sharif received Teamwork, Evie Walford received Honesty and Byran Cotton received Determination. To her delight, Mrs. Gosden, who accompanied the team, was awarded a Teamwork band! Many congratulations to the team who have qualified for the County Finals on the 4th July 2017.

Team: Byran Cotton, Poppy Martin, Ayan Sharif & Evie Walford

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's Kwik Cricket Festival @ Tewkesbury Cricket Club - Tuesday, 20th June 2017

On what was surely one of the hottest afternoon's of the year so far, our cricket team headed off to Tewkesbury Cricket Club to participate in the Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's Kwik Cricket Festival 2017. The team demonstrated a positive attitude and commitment to each other right from the very outset, and this 'standing shoulder to shoulder' attitude stood them in good stead as the competition progressed. In the early rounds, matches against Mitton Manor and Twyning saw Tirlebrook progress through the group stages and into the final. Once there, they supported each other wonderfully and played near faultless cricket, with some excellent batting, fielding and bowling on display to overcome opponents Swindon Village by nearly 50 runs. This was an imperious performance but what is so impressive is that the team demonstrated great sportsmanship and humility throughout, despite their very confident on-field performances. The team operated brilliantly under a shared captaincy, with Elliot, Danny and Tom all leading the team at some point during the afternoon. Zack and Elliot were also both rewarded with a School Games Values Band each, for 'Passion' and 'Self-Belief' respectively. The team, made up of four Y5s and four Y6s, were delighted to head back to Tirlebrook with gold School Games medals around their necks as Tewkesbury Cricket Champions 2017. Well done to everyone and many thanks to Mrs. Assheton and Mrs. Gosden for taking the team, encouraging the boys, umpiring and generally being such a great support on a very hot but very successful day.

Team: Jack Ballinger, Zack Cummings, Danny Etheridge, Tom Francis, Oscar Guthrie, Luke Sherbourne, Elliot Thomas & Callum Trust

Cotswolds Athletics Festival - Saturday, 17th June 2017

The final event of Health & Wellbeing Week was the Cotswold Athletics Championships held at the Prince of Wales Stadium in Cheltenham on what was a very warm and sunny Saturday morning. Many of the team who competed at Tewkesbury earlier in the week, alongside some new teammates, combined to represent Tirlebrook in sprinting, longer distance running, jumping, throwing and relays. It was a terrific opportunity to compete in a proper stadium and to run on a professional standard track. The crowd were very enthusiastic supporters and they encouraged our team all the way as they finished in 5^th position overall. Well done in particular to our Y4 and Y5 children who repeatedly stepped up and competed in Y6 races as replacements for our depleted Y6 squad. There were a few stand-out performances, the most notable being Olivia Gardiner’s victory in the Y5/Y6 Girls’ 1000 metres. Silas Fox performed superbly to win the Y5 Boys’ 400 metres and Isobel Mclaren also earned herself top spot in the Y3 Girls’ 50 metres sprint. Many thanks to all the staff and volunteers who attended to help run the competition and support and run our team, to the families who turned up in large numbers to get behind Team Tirlebrook and of course to the children, who we are very proud of and who represented the school with great determination and integrity. Well done everyone.

Team: Hattie Akerman, Edward Bowes, Owen Burford, Isobel Mclaren, Freddie Parsons, Erin Pryce, Rhys Thomas, Leah Trust, Charlie Cull, Silas Fox, Gracie Janes, Matthew Janes, Aaron Lyon, Sophie Messenger, Charlotte Peirce, Martha Simpson, Jack Ballinger, Ava Baker, Harry Clarke, Molly Clarke, Alfie Cull, Oscar Guthrie, Charlie Hancox, Elliott Parsons, Bea Prosser, Calum Pryce, Luke Sherbourne, Lilia Teasdale, Callum Trust, Paige Broughton, Olivia Gardiner, Daisy Johansen & Elliot Thomas

School Games Sports Day 2017 - Friday, 16th June 2017

A fabulous day was had by all, as we celebrated our annual School Games Sports Day together once more. The sun was shining as the children prepared themselves for a long day of exciting activities and the supporting families arrived at school and settled into their viewing positions. First thing in the morning, all of the children reflected on our theme of LACES, completing log books and discussing what they had enjoyed during Health and Wellbeing Week 2017. This was quickly followed by an inspiring assembly during which we talked more about LACES, reflected on the School Games values and sang the special Sport Relief song that we have adopted as our own. 

The day began with KS1 races and KS2 games, during which the children in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 competed in a range of exciting games to win points for their House. Some of those games included: pointless parachute, netball shoot out, penalty shoot out, beach volleyball, hockey slalom and the much anticipated water relay! The KS1 children, on the other hand, were showing all of the School Games values as they raced each other to win points. Their races included sprints and the well-loved egg and spoon race. Afterwards, families, children and staff came together to enjoy their lunch in the sunshine, before many volunteered to add miles to our Old Spot European Trot Challenge by participating in our Tirlebrook 10. It was wonderful to see everybody joining together with this activity.

The KS1 children joined in with some non-competitive games after lunchtime, whilst the KS2 children got straight into their races. From sack races to egg and spoon races, from balance races to relays and sprints, the children fully committed themselves to a range of exciting events. Following the exciting, tiring but hugely funny Caterpillar Relay, the whole school gathered to hear the result of the competition, which was won in the end by Montague for the second year in succession. Well done! The brilliant and rewarding thing about our Sports Day is that so many children were having fun, smiling and laughing with their friends whether they were winning or not. So many of our children participated with enthusiasm and determination, with several getting back up when they fell down. And this was highlighted at the end when, despite disappointment for three of our Houses, everyone clapped and cheered the result before joining in to sing our Sports Day song one more time.

A great time was had by all and the attitude and effort from the children was quite remarkable. However, such a successful day would not be possible without the support of our families and the hours of hard work and preparation from our Tirlebrook staff team. A big thank you to everyone who was involved - from teachers to teaching partners, from the catering staff to the lunchtime supervisors, from volunteers to sports leaders – it would not have happened without you. And a special thanks to Mrs. Mills who returned to school to help to set up, run the events and pack away. Well done one and all!

GCB Girls' Open Kwik Cricket Competition @ Cheltenham Cricket Club - Thursday, 15th June 2017

During the afternoon, a team of Y5 and Y6 girls headed off to Cheltenham to compete in the GCB Girls' Kwik Cricket competition. The girls did extremely well, demonstrating the #thisgirlcan attitude, and despite losing their two matches, they tried really hard and thoroughly enjoyed their experience. Well done girls and thank you to Mrs. Assheton and Mrs. Gosden for accompanying them at the event.

Team: Rachel Bagley, Grace Baker, Amy Chaplin, Cerys Coxshall, Eleanor Dyball, Olivia Gardiner, Daisy Johansen & Burnleigh Murray

Inter-House Rounders Competition - Thursday, 15th June 2017

During the afternoon, the Year 5 and Year 6 children competed in our annual Inter-House Rounders Competition, umpired by Miss. Featonby and Mr. Lockley. The skill level on show was certainly of a pleasing standard as the children competed in a game that has many rules to learn. It was great to see the teams working together and showing support and encouragement to each other. All of the children were involved in three matches, during which each child was given the opportunity to both bat and field. The children participated positively, pushing themselves to do their best for their team. In the end, there could only be one winner and it was Wenlock House. Congratulations! 

Inter-House Swimming Galas - Wednesday, 14th June 2017

All of the children in KS2 were literally diving into the deep end as they participated in our annual Junior Inter-House Swimming Gala. The gala is a wonderful way to celebrate our year of swimming with so many children demonstrating greater confidence, improved stamina and increased ability in the water. The morning began with the Year 3 and Year 4 gala, led by 12 of our wonderful Year 6 sport leaders, who acted as team managers and supporters, finishing marshals and scorers. Events included one length of each of the main strokes, float races, the biggest and smallest splash competitions and a variety of relays. Each house team cheered as much as they could to encourage their team mates. Beauchamp were awarded extra points for their team spirit, contributing to their overall score. During the afternoon, it was the turn of the Year 5 and Year 6 children to compete. Events were similar to those of the morning, but were more challenging and also included events such as the three-length individual medley and the stylish dive. Fantastic attitudes were on display throughout both galas, from both participants and supporters, and the School Games values were clearly evident, particularly those of ‘Determination’ and ‘Self-belief’. Every child wanted to compete and they did so with smiles on their faces. It was really positive to see so many of the children enthusiastic about swimming and competing - another great outcome of swimming lessons throughout our school. At the end of the competition, the results from the Year 3 and Year 4 competition were combined with the results of the Year 5 and Year 6 competition. In the end, Montague won by several points, crowning them as Inter-House Swimming Gala champions for the second year in a row!

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's Athletics Competition - Tuesday, 13th June 2017

Many of our KS2 children joined together to compete in the annual Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network’s Athletics Competition, held from 6 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. at Tewkesbury School. The Tirlebrook staff and supporting families were more than proud, as they watched every individual try their hardest as they competed in each of their events. The determination shown on faces, the push towards the finish line and the team effort to encourage each other to try our best was nothing short of fantastic. Not only did the children achieve extremely well during the event, they demonstrated a brilliant, enthusiastic attitude, presenting all of our School Games Values to the audience, who supported so brilliantly too. There were some impressive individual performances along the way, with first places for Gracie Janes in the Y3/Y4 Girls’ Long Jump, Silas Fox in the Y3/Y4 Boys’ 600 metres and Ava Baker in the Y5/Y6 Girls’ 200 metres all standing out. At the end of the competition, Tirlebrook were awarded with the Large School Field events shield, gaining first place in the throwing and jumping competitions. The children were also awarded overall second place certificates, as they finished runners up in the Large School Competition overall when track and field events had been combined. It was a successful evening. The dedication and effort that all of the staff put in to make these events happen is phenomenal. The evening was well organised and supported by Tirlebrook staff and friends, who were given the responsibility of organising the results and race positions on the finish line as well as providing the refreshments and sound system for the event. It was brilliant to see so many of our school staff present to show their encouragement to the children, showing their dedication to our school and the children in it. Well done Team Tirlebrook! 

Team: Hattie Akerman, William Bethel, Edward Bowes, Owen Burford, Zoe Hunt, Isobel Mclaren, Freddie Parsons, Erin Pryce, Rhys Thomas, Leah Trust, Charlie Cull, Silas Fox, Gracie Janes, Matthew Janes, Aaron Lyon, Sophie Messenger, Charlotte Peirce, Martha Simpson, Ava Baker, Molly Clarke, Alfie Cull, Eleanor Dyball, Oscar Guthrie, Elliott Parsons, Bea Prosser, Luke Sherbourne, Lilia Teasdale, Callum Trust, Paige Broughton, Danny Etheridge, Olivia Gardiner, Daisy Johansen, Zac Jones & Jonathan Peirce

Inter-House Cross Country Competition - Race 3 - Tuesday, 13th June 2017

All of the children from KS2 participated in the final Inter-House Cross Country race of the season. Firstly, the Year 5 and Year 6 children competed, taking on the challenge of a long run around the exterior of Tewkesbury School’s large field, followed by the Year 3 and 4 children doing the same. Considering how hot the day was, the children participated with plenty of determination and a lot of self-belief. Positive attitudes were clearly on display. Congratulations to Wenlock House who emerged as overall winners.

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's KS1 Football Festival - Friday, 9th June 2017

Our Y1 and Y2 children had the opportunity to join other local schools at Tewkesbury School to practice and enhance their teamwork and football skills. Two hours worth of football related fun incorporated 12 activity stations, including  ‘Stuck in the Mud’ with footballs and ‘Tag’ with footballs and relays. Everyone worked together and showed good team spirit. The children were enthusiastic and there were many positive comments from the children about the afternoon.

Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's LKS2 Mini Red Tennis Competition - Friday, 9th June 2017

A team of three Year 4s and one Y3 represented the school in the Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's LKS2 Mini Red Tennis Competition held at East Glos Tennis Club in Cheltenham. The team played 4 matches in all. The standard was high and they played with effort, enthusiasm and determination. They worked hard to win one match out of the four against some very stiff competition. They all displayed the School Games values and Martha Booth was awarded with a band for 'Teamwork' and Oliver Slatter was awarded with a band for 'Passion'. Congratulations to the whole team for their effort and many thanks to Mrs. Gosden who supported the team throughout the competition as well as transporting them to and from the event.

Team: Martha Booth, Matthew Janes, Isobel McLaren and Oliver Slatter

Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's KS1 Mini Red Tennis Competition - Friday, 9th June 2017

A team of four Year 2s represented the school in the Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's KS1 Mini Red Tennis Competition held at East Glos Tennis Club in Cheltenham. There were seven teams entered into the competition. They had a quick warm-up and practised tennis skills before playing three matches. The team won two of their three matches and progressed to play in the semi final, where they won against Dunalley Primary School. They then played Prestbury St. Mary's School in the final. The competition was tough and they played well but unfortunately were beaten. They were thrilled to come away with School Games silver medals and have also qualified for the Level 3 School Games County Finals in July. The School Games values were on display throughout and Ewan Gosden was awarded a band for 'Passion' whilst Maja Rudnicka was awarded a band for 'Determination'. Congratulations!

Team: Ewan Gosden, Ollie King-Smith, Maja Rudnicka and Lexi Wheeler

LKS2 Inter-House Mini Red Tennis Competition - Tuesday, 23rd May 2017

Our very first Lower Key Stage Two Inter-House Mini Red Tennis competition took place on a beautiful, sunny afternoon in which all of the Year 3 and Year 4 children came together to play doubles. The event was led by our fantastic Year 6 children, many of whom used their Sports Leader skills to score, manage their courts, communicate with the organiser (including passing on results) and run their own tennis activities on the field for the children who were resting. Even though it was an extremely hot afternoon, all of the children were smiling and playing so well! They demonstrated every School Games value that afternoon. Many of the Year 6 Sports Leaders were keen to share the names of many of the Y3 and Y4 children, including Matthew Janes, Evie Walford, Daniyal Khan, Oliver Butler, Joshua Smith, Edward Bowes, Leah Trust and Lola O'Keeffe. Although the event involved a lot of moving around, changing courts and competing in hot weather, all of the children involved were amazing. However, none of these things could happen if it wasn't for our dedicated staff. Mr. Tomkins, Miss. Streeter, Mr. Lockley, Mrs. Gosden and Miss. Featonby all got involved to help to make the event a huge success - thank you to all our Sports Leaders and staff. They are all amazing. We will announce the winners of this event on our School Games Sports Day, along with some of our other Inter-House competitions that have taken place this year.

Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's Archery Event - Friday, 19th May 2017

Tirlebrook headed over to Balcarras Secondary School to participate in the annual Level 2 School Games Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's Archery competition. Seven teams took part in two activities to try to score as many point for their school team as possible. The main event was using archery equipment to score points on a traditional target. The team of nine children each had twelve arrows that contributed to an overall score. Tirlebrook managed a very impressive 664 points! The second part of the competition was using the 'Arrows' archery equipment in a series of fun shoot-off tasks. Congratulations to Tom Francis who was Tirlebrook's top-scoring 'Arrowsman' for the second year in a row. Overall, Tirlebrook finished in fourth place out of the seven schools, narrowly missing out on School Games bronze medals. As usual, the School Games values were clearly on display and Paige Broughton and Megan Bullock were awarded bands for Determination and Self-Belief respectively. Well done team - you did a great job!

Team: Paige Broughton, Megan Bullock, Elishia Caley, Harry Clarke, Tom Francis, Finley Hutchings, Zachary Khan, Jessamy Morris & Luke Sherbourne

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's Archery Event - Wednesday, 17th May 2017

Despite heavy rain for the duration of the competition, Tirlebrook were delighted to send two teams to Tewkesbury School to participate in the first Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's Archery Competition. The event requires a huge amount of skill as the children are required to use traditional archery bows and arrows to attempt to hit the target and score as many points as possible for their team. To add to the difficulty on the day, the competition was held outdoors and so the children had the additional challenge of coping with the wind and rain as they aimed for a bullseye. Ninety minutes of shooting went swiftly by and the two teams thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Many thanks to Mrs. Assheton and Mrs. Gosden for braving the weather conditions and accompanying the children. Well done!

Team One: Rachel Bagley, Cerys Coxshall, Ellie-Rose Dallman, Joseph Ferrier, Natalie Green, Oscar Guthrie, Charlie Hancox, Elliott Parsons & Zuzanna Rudnicka

Team Two: Amelia Brookes, Oliver Butler, Ruby Butler, Rose Carey-Owen, Chloe Carroll, Joshua Glass, Aoife Kelly, Lola O'Keeffe & Ruben Willis

Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's Quadkids Athletics Event - Friday, 12th May 2017

Children from Years 3 and 4 headed over to Tewkesbury School to participate in the Tewkesbury 'leg' of the annual virtual Level 2 School Games Quadkids Athletics competition organised by the Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network. Our children formed two teams who superbly competed in a range of athletics activities: 50m sprint, 400m run, standing long jump and vortex throw. The children were required to visit each activity station and complete each event individually in their teams. Their scores and measurements were then collected and converted into points to give an overall team result. The children really pushed themselves and they were very well supported by their team mates, enabling every child to thoroughly enjoy the event as well as giving them the best opportunity to excel. At the end of the event, School Games bands were awarded to a number of children who consistently demonstrated one of the values. Poppy Radbourne and Gracie Janes were both awarded bands - Poppy for 'Self Belief' and Gracie for 'Passion'. Well done girls! Once the results of the all of the events had been collated, bronze, silver and gold medals were awarded to the top 3 teams. One of our Tirlebrook teams just missed out on receiving a bronze medal to Carrant Brook, finishing in fourth position by just one point. The other Tirlebrook team were delighted to discover that they had finished in first position as they were awarded gold medals! It was a fantastic result and both teams showed terrific determination and positive attitudes throughout. We also took five of our Y6 Sports Leaders over to the event to help run the competition and they did a magnificent job of demonstrating, measuring, recording and encouraging all of the participating teams. They were a credit to Tirlebrook. We await the results of the other Quadkids events in Cheltenham to see if our gold medal winners have gained a place in the Level 3 School Games County Finals. Fingers crossed!

Squad: Hattie Akerman, William Bethel, Edward Bowes, Owen Burford, Esme Burton, Charlie Cull, Silas Fox, Gracie Janes, Matthew Janes, Aaron Lyon, Freya Matley, Isobel McLaren, Sophie Messenger, Charlotte Peirce, Poppy Radbourne, Martha Simpson, Joshua Smith, Rhys Thomas, Leah Trust & Samuel Whatmore

Y6 Sports Leaders: Grace Baker, Cerys Coxshall, William Haslum, Daisy Johansen & Fraser Matharu

Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's Panathlon Event - Friday, 5th May 2017

Eight children from Years 3 and 4 attended All Saints' Academy in Cheltenham to take part in the annual Panathlon competition. Tirlebrook competed against seven other schools from the Cheltenham area in events such as Boccia, Parachute Games, Curling, Penalty Shoot Out and Table Cricket. At each activity 'station the children tried their best to complete each challenge and were awarded points in the process. The children thoroughly enjoyed themselves and displayed many of the School Games Values, including honesty, passion and teamwork. After a thoroughly enjoyable morning experiencing a wonderful range of activities, it was a delight to discover that Tirlebrook were to be awarded bronze medals for finishing in third place overall. Jaelynn Chaplin and Lola Walker were particularly identified as having demonstrated the School Games values and were awarded bands for 'Passion' and 'Self Belief' respectively by the organisers. It was a truly terrific event and all of the children can be very proud of themselves. Many thanks to Mrs. Assheton and Mrs. Gosden for accompanying the children at the event.

Squad: Evan Amies-Williams, Tianna Booth, Jaelynn Chaplin, Isabelle Hobson, Poppy Martin, Leland Pratley, Evie Walford & Lola Walker

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's Mini Tennis Festival - Thursday, 4th May 2017

The sun was shining, but it was more than a little windy, as Tirlebrook headed over to Tewkesbury School to participate in the first Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network event of the Summer Term. Eight excited and enthusiastic children from Years 3 and 4 represented the school in the annual Mini Tennis Festival. The evening was extremely positive, filled with respect, sportsmanship and plenty of smiles. The children competed in mixed doubles, playing against opponents from two other schools, Twyning and Bishop's Cleeve. Over the course of the event, the children demonstrated great improvement in their ball control and accuracy. Their confidence also developed well throughout the festival and positive attitudes were shown throughout our team. At the end of the event, the children gathered together to be awarded some of the highly sought after School Games Values Bands. Two of our players were selected by the Tewkesbury School Sport Leaders: Charlie Cull was chosen for Honesty and Martha Booth for Determination. A huge congratulations to all of the participants - Mr. Lockley and Miss. Featonby could see the enjoyment and enthusiasm on display from every team member. Well done team!

Squad: Harriet Akerman, Martha Booth, Charlie Cull, Oakley Hiorns, Lewis Hughes, Gracie Janes, Charlotte Peirce and Rhys Thomas

Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's Mountain Biking Event - Tuesday, 4th April 2017

Eight children from Years 5 and 6 made up two teams to represent Tirlebrook in the Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's Mountain Biking event at Winchcombe School. There were approximately fifteen other teams taking part. The teams were required to race a relay over a tough course around the grounds of the school. Each child had to ride two laps before handing over to a team member. The School Games values were in full effect and displayed consistently by all of our children who particularly showed great determination, resilience and self-belief. Following their participation at the event, the boys’ team were presented with School Games Determination bands. We were very proud of both teams’ efforts as each and every child fully embraced the challenge of this event. Thanks must also go to Mrs. Gosden and Mrs. Assheton for their support and commitment.

Team: Grace Baker, Lauren Booth, Alfie Cull, Eleanor Dyball, Rosie Hughes, Alex Lucking, Fraser Lucking & Calum Pryce

Football Friendly v Isbourne Valley - Thursday, 30th March 2017

It was great to take a mixed team of Y4, Y5 and Y6 children across to Didbrook to play a friendly against Isbourne Valley Primary School. In a match that Tirlebrook largely dominated, braces from Matthew Janes, Harrison Murch and Anthony Zvarych, as well as a goal from Aaron Lyon, helped to secure a 7-1 victory. The game was played in a friendly manner and everyone who participated used the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and excel. The game was full of incident, including two well-saved penalties, and it was an enjoyable afternoon for everyone.

Squad: William Haslum (captain), Matthew Janes, Alex Lucking, Aaron Lyon, Harrison Murch, Porsche Parker, Charlotte Peirce, Ollie Slatter, Lilia Teasdale & Anthony Zvarych

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's Netball Cup - Wednesday, 29th March 2017

Our fantastic netball team participated excellently in the last competition of the year, the Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's Netball Cup. Despite the slightly wet weather, our team played brilliantly to come second in Pool B, winning two matches out of three, with victories against Hopelands and Queen Margaret's and a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Twyning. Nevertheless, the team confidently marched through to the semi-finals where they met the 2017 league winners and strongest yet opponents, The John Moore. A great match, during which the team gave their very best, ended with a 5-2 defeat, and the result meant that Tirlebrook would then go forward to play in the bronze medal match. Due to the team's high spirits, excellent teamwork and ever-present energy, our team successfully defeated Mitton 6-0 to finish in third place overall and gain a well-earned bronze medal. Congratulations!
Squad: Fraser Matharu (captain), Ava Baker, Molly Clarke, Alfie Dowding, Daisy Johansen, Zac Jones & Jonathan Peirce

Inter-House Tag Rugby Competition - Wednesday, 29th March 2017

Y5 and Y6 participated excellently in this year's Inter-House Tag Rugby Competition. There were some great tries and excellent tagging on display as everyone really got into the competition. Congratulations to Wenlock House who ended up as the 2016-2017 champions!

Severn Stars v Scottish Sirens - Netball Super League @ University of Worcester Arena - Monday, 27th March 2017

On Monday night, a large group of Tirlebrook pupils and staff set off to Worcester University Arena to watch our first-ever Netball Super League match between the Severn Stars and the Scottish Sirens. With court side seats and the opportunity for some of the children to be ball girls and boys, it was an amazing spectacle. The game was played at a blistering pace and the players were a great inspiration with their speed, agility and teamwork. There were lots of television cameras as the game was being broadcast live on Sky Sports. With four quarters of relentless pressure and some great passing play, the Severn Stars emerged victorious by a score line of 54-45. They were also kind enough to come and chat with the children afterwards and give autographs. It was great to meet various of the players, including England Centre Laura Malcolm. What a fantastic opportunity to see top flight athletes at work. Well done everyone!

Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's Quicksticks Hockey League Round 3 - Monday, 27th March 2017

Our Tirlebrook hockey teams pulled up their shin pads and ventured over to Pates Grammar School in Cheltenham for the final round of this year's Quicksticks Hockey League. The beautiful spring sunshine was out as we began our final games. Team One successfully won all but one of their games, where they drew 1 v 1 with St. Mark's. Victories over two Tewkesbury C. of E. teams, Dunalley and Woodmancote were well deserved and Zac performed fantastically again, scoring many goals in all of his games. Lilia and Fraser also scored whilst Ava put up a brilliant defence, even after suffering some rough tackles and a ball to the face! Team Two had another great evening, drawing games against St. Mark's, Gotherington, Andoversford and Lakeside and losing just the once. Bea and Zak scored their first ever goals in the league, supported really well by their great teammates Jack, Charlie and Burnleigh, who once again, put in a phenomenal performance and spirited display! After three weeks of superb hockey playing, Mr. Lockley and Miss. Featonby could not be more proud of the children involved. Not only has their attitude been exemplary, but their skill level and confidence have improved every week. They've shown brilliant progress and we really hope to see our Y5 players ready to compete again next year. Well done to everyone and thank you to Mr. Lockley and Miss. Featonby for their commitment and enabling us to take two teams to participate this year.

Team One: Zac Jones (captain), Ava Baker, Fraser Matharu & Lilia Teasdale 

Team Two: Jack Ballinger (captain), Zak Davis, Charlie Hancox, Burnleigh Murray & Bea Prosser

Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sport Network's Football Festival @ Rowanfield Junior School - Friday, 24th March 2017

It was great to be able to take a squad of players to participate in this year's Cheltenham Football Festival, held at Rowanfield Junior School in Cheltenham. The team, led brilliantly by captain Elliot Thomas, participated in four fixtures, winning two matches against the Rowanfield A and B teams by the score line of 2-1, and losing the other two, albeit one being a very close encounter with Springbank Academy that eventually ended 3-2. Various brilliant goals were scored, including several by Elliot, as well as a great effort from Charlie Hancox and Oscar Guthrie scoring directly from a corner. Everybody played with commitment and a positive attitude and should be very proud of the manner in which they represented Tirlebrook. Well done!

Squad: Elliot Thomas (captain), Jack Battrick, Harry Clarke, Zack Cummings, Callum Ferneyhough, Tom Francis, Oscar Guthrie, Charlie Hancox & Maxwell Scott

Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sport Network's Tag Rugby Festival @ Newlands Park - Wednesday, 22nd March 2017

Despite the windy and wet weather, our two very determined rugby teams participated with great success in the Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sport Network's Tag Rugby Festival at Newlands Park in Bishop's Cleeve. The teams warmed up in the drizzle before competing in 5 matches against a variety of Cheltenham schools. Both teams performed fantastically, winning most of their games. Team One won 4 games and lost just the once. Team Two also had a successful morning, as they won 3 of their games, drew one and lost in their final game to Naunton Park, who scored a try just after the final whistle was blown. 
Although fingers and toes were crossed for better weather, the rain poured and the organisers made the difficult decision to call it a day at lunch time. Despite being really eager to play and to continue their rugby day, the children were soaking, muddy and very cold, so we packed up our soggy belongings and ventured back to school for lunch. The children had a fantastic morning, displaying their fantastic rugby skills, amazing teamwork and very importantly, their respect and determination. Well done!
Team One: Tom Francis (captain), Zack Cummings, Alfie Dowding, Danny Etheridge, Callum Ferneyhough, Daisy Johansen, Zac Jones, Fraser Matharu, Jessamy Morris, Burnleigh Murray & Jonathan Peirce
Team Two: Alfie Cull (captain), Jack Ballinger, Peyton Bunce, Charlie Cull, Oscar Guthrie, Matthew Janes, Fraser Lucking, Charlotte Peirce, Luke Sherbourne, Callum Trust & Anthony Zvarych

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's Y3 and Y4 Football Cup - Tuesday, 21st March 2017

Tirlebrook ventured over to Tewkesbury School once more to participate in the TPSN's annual football cup competition. The Y3 and Y4 team played on a small grass pitch for the first time this season and competed against teams from Twyning and Mitton. Captain Ollie Slatter led by example, and was awarded a School Games Values band for Honesty, whilst Joshua Smith and Finlay Whittard also picked up bands for Respect and Determination respectively. The team finished runners-up and were awarded silver School Games medals. They can be very proud of their achievements. Well done everyone!

Y3 and Y4 Squad: Ollie Slatter (captain), William Bethel, Owen Burford, Matthew Janes, Daniyal Khan, Joshua Smith, Samuel Whatmore, Finlay Whittard & Anthony Zvarych

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's Football Cup - Tuesday, 21st March 2017

Tirlebrook ventured over to Tewkesbury School once more to participate in the TPSN's annual football cup competition. The Y5 and Y6 team played in a round-robin group of seven teams, remaining undefeated throughout by winning two of their six matches and drawing the other four. Captain Zac Jones was the top goal scorer and the team displayed a good attitude throughout, reflecting the School Games Values. They finished in third position overall picking up bronze School Games medals. They can be very proud of their performances. Well done everyone!

Y5 and Y6 Squad: Zac Jones (captain), Jack Ballinger, Alfie Dowding, Danny Etheridge, Fraser Matharu, Jonathan Peirce, Luke Sherbourne & Callum Trust

Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's Quicksticks Hockey League Round 2 - Monday, 20th March 2017

After the persistent rain of the morning, the afternoon began with the sun shining, giving us the perfect weather to participate in the second round of this year’s Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network’s Quicksticks Hockey competition. This week both teams demonstrated great teamwork and perseverance.

Team 1 improved greatly this week, showing increased confidence and skill. Their brilliant attitudes enabled them to gain four wins and a draw from their five matches.

Team 2 were as committed as the previous week, but encountered some challenging opponents. Despite this, their commitment and confidence were fantastic, and by the end of the evening they had been defeated in three games but successfully gained two wins; one against St. Mark’s and one against Gotherington.

It was another enjoyable evening full of fantastic hockey skills and most importantly… superb sportsmanship! Many thanks to Miss Featonby and Mr Lockley for organising, transporting and supporting the teams.

Team One: Alfie Dowding (captain), Ava Baker, Zac Jones, Fraser Matharu & Lilia Teasdale 

Team Two: Jack Ballinger (captain), Charlie Hancox, Burnleigh Murray & Bea Prosser

Manchester United v FC Rostov - Europa League Round of 16 Match @ Old Trafford - Thursday, 16th March 2017

It was great to once more take a group of 15 children from Years 4, 5 and 6 to Old Trafford to watch Manchester United play in pursuit of the Europa League Championship. This Round of 16 match against FC Rostov from Russia boasted some of the very best players on the planet, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and the highly impressive Antonio Valencia. Manchester United dominated the match as expected, and we were treated to a wonderful view from our seats, five rows back and just along from the team benches in the spectacular Sir Bobby Charlton South Stand. Despite pressing throughout the first half, Ibrahimovic's wonderful strike hitting the post was the closest United came to taking the lead. After a few hot dogs had been consumed at half time, the children saw United take a deserved lead after Juan Mata scored from Ibrahimovic's magnificent back-heel assist. They then went on to see the game out, despite a free-kick with the last kick of the game needing a spectacular save from Sergio Romero to keep the Russian team out and prevent the tie from going to extra-time. It was a truly brilliant experience, with in excess of 55,000 people in attendance. The children bought scarves, programmes and badges and we hope that these will prove to be a memory of a very special occasion. It was a fairly treacherous journey home, so many thanks to the patient families who collected their very sleepy children at twenty past two in the morning. We are delighted to be able to provide yet another brilliant experience for the children of Tirlebrook. Many thanks to Mr. Tomkins for organising the trip.

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's Tag Rugby Festival - Thursday, 16th March 2017

Our tag rugby squad of ten players from Y5 & Y6 thoroughly enjoyed a Festival of Tag Rugby at Tewkesbury Rugby Club after school on Thursday 16^th March. With the pitches marked out, the corner flags in place and the rules explained, the team readied themselves for a ‘round’ robin of seven matches. Our first match saw Tirlebrook up against Tewkesbury C. of E. Tirlebrook’s first try saw some great passing and after several nifty twisting runs later, the game ended with Tirlebrook scoring 4 tries to Tewkesbury C. of E.’s 2. The second game against Hopelands got off to a positive start, with a solid try from Molly and a great thrusting run from Zac who scored a well-deserved try. Daisy held the defensive line well and thanks to a great pass from Tom to set up Zac for another try the team developed their lead. Our players displayed some wonderful strong runs, along with some determined tagging from Molly. An impressive try from Tom off the back of some fantastic passing play meant Tirlebrook won the game by 5 points to 2. In their third match the team faced Mitton Manor. Playing with great confidence Molly made a perfect pass to Zac who went on to score a hat trick by the end of the game. There were some remarkable runs from Fraser and Oscar as they weaved through the opposing team’s defence. Another victory for Tirlebrook as they scored 5 points to Mitton’s 4. Their next game saw them pitted against Queen Margaret’s. The whistle had hardly blown when Fraser ran in a lovely try. Facing some strong players the team continued to show some great passing play. Tom scored a well-earned try, and with some great runs from Callum, amazingly accurate tagging from Alfie and confident tagging from Daisy the team were in fine form. Will then scored a third try for Tirlebrook after a flowing run to secure a win of 3 – 1. In the fifth match the team again showed some beautiful passing play and positive attitudes as they demonstrated their superiority in skill and speed. Molly put in some great runs and with Zac and Fraser getting on the score sheet too, Tirlebrook came out on top securing a 4 – 1 victory over Twyning. For their sixth game Tirlebrook were up against Bishops Cleeve who towered over them. The children demonstrated real determination and teamwork. With some brilliant tagging, particularly from Lilia, the team managed to slow their opposition’s advance and frustrate their play. Fraser made a fast penetrating run to score a try and Oscar made some great supporting runs. With Lilia and Will getting on the score sheet and Callum scoring a superb try the team showed terrific play against determined opponents. Bishops Cleeve ran in a late try just as the whistle blew so they edged to victory by 5 – 4. The seventh and final game saw Tirlebrook facing Deerhurst & Apperley. Early on a great steal of the ball by Tirlebrook saw them score first, followed by a great try from Tom, closely followed by a third and fourth from Zac. A fifth try was scored by Fraser following a twisting speedy run. Deerhurst & Apperley scored a try after a strong individual run but the game was Tirlebrook’s. A cheeky sixth try by Zac saw Tirlebrook win by 6 – 1.

The whole squad were unrelenting in their positivity and teamwork as well as being congratulated for their flowing and passing style of play and it was delightful to watch them play. They should all be very proud of their conduct and sportsmanship; they were spectacular. Every member of the team reflected the School Games Values in their effort and attitude and respected their opposing teams.

Some players were recognised individually for this – Tom receiving a School Games Values band for ‘Self-Belief’ and Alfie receiving one for ‘Respect’.

Many thanks to all the families who came and cheered on the squad and lent their support and a big thank you to Miss Featonby for organising and looking after the team.

Squad: Tom Francis (captain), Molly Clarke, Alfie Cull, Oscar Guthrie, William Haslum, Daisy Johansen, Zac Jones, Fraser Matharu, Lilia Teasdale & Callum Trust

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's Netball League Round 2 - Tuesday, 14th March 2017

Our determined, passionate and excited netball team dusted off their bibs for the second round of the Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network’s Netball League. Success began early, as the children used their skill and teamwork to win their first match against Deerhurst. The second game of the evening was against Hopelands; a very challenging and competitive game where each team seemed to score one goal after another. However, the Tirlebrook team persevered and won the game. The last two matches of the competition were against Oakhill and Queen Margaret's School, where the children showed fantastic cohesion, achieving 7-0 and 6-0 wins! As the competition came to a close and the netball teams gathered together, the team were proudly awarded silver School Games medals for coming in second place overall in the competition. Many thanks to Miss Featonby for her support.

Squad: Daisy Johansen (captain), Ava Baker, Molly Clarke, Cerys Coxshall, Alfie Dowding & Zac Jones

Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's Quicksticks Hockey League Round 1 - Monday, 13th March 2017

A group of eight children competed in the first round of the Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's Quicksticks Hockey League held at Pates Grammar School in Cheltenham. It was fantastic to be able to enter two teams in the event this year, meaning that at least eight children from our Tirlebrook Hockey Club could have the opportunity to put their skills into action. The Quicksticks event involves three evenings of tournaments, where each week the teams are put into different pools against teams depending on how they have performed each week. The first week is always the toughest!

Team One began the evening with a challenging match against Woodmancote. With one goal disallowed, Tirlebrook were defeated 2-1. Team 1 went on to win two of their matches out of five. Team Two had a very successful evening, winning all five of their games. There was some fantastic teamwork on display. Jack Ballinger even managed to score by hitting the ball backwards through his legs! We all look forward to seeing what challenges lie ahead for next time as we enter round two.

Team One: Alfie Dowding (captain), Ava Baker, Zac Jones & Lilia Teasdale Team Two: Jack Ballinger (captain), Charlie Hancox, Burnleigh Murray & Bea Prosser

Gloucestershire School Games Level 3 County Cross Country Finals @ Newent School - Saturday, 11th March 2017

A group of proud but nervous Tirlebrook children gathered at the start line to represent Tewkesbury in the Gloucestershire School Games Level 3 County Cross County Finals at Newent School. As parents, families and school staff watched proudly from the sidelines of the course and the finish line, the children pushed themselves to their limits to complete a challenging and lengthy course. Over 200 children competed in total for the districts of Cheltenham, Stroud, Gloucester, Forest of Dean, North Cotswolds, Cirencester and Wotton and Dursley as well as for Tewkesbury. The standard was phenomenal! Although the children were very nervous at the beginning, they all competed well and finished with confident, if tired, faces. A great sense of pride was felt by all spectators. The Tewkesbury boys finished in 8th position overall with Alfie Dowding, Silas Fox and Luke Sherbourne finishing in 64th, 69th and 86th position respectively. Indeed, Alfie and Silas scored team points for Tewkesbury as they were both in the top six finishers for the team. The Tewkesbury girls finished in a very impressive 6th position overall. Our very own Olivia Gardiner came third in our district and 30th out of over 90 girls, whilst Ava Baker came in 71st and Bea Prosser 76th. Our determined and passionate Tirlebrook runners competing in a Level 3 School Games county competition has certainly made us all extremely proud. Be proud of yourselves. Very proud.

Tirlebrook Tewkesbury District County Cross Country Finalists: Ava Baker, Alfie Dowding, Silas Fox, Olivia Gardiner, Bea Prosser & Luke Sherbourne

Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's Girls' Football Festival @ Prestbury St. Mary's - Friday, 10th March 2017

The girls showed great passion and determination on their first outing together as a team. Many thanks to Miss Featonby for all her work coaching and preparing them and to Mrs Assheton for driving the minibus. Team captain Porsché encouraged the team and they defended gallantly against Prestbury St. Mary’s in their first match. With a fantastic striker’s goal from Lilia they were unlucky to lose the game 2 – 1. The girls played really well together in their second match against Oakwood with some powerful shots from the forwards just missing the target; they were unlucky not to get on the score sheet and eventually lost 2 – 0. In their third game the girls rallied and some fantastic teamwork was on display. All the defenders stood strong and made some great clearances whilst the midfield and forwards displayed some lovely dribbling and passing. Lilia hit the back of the net and Molly had a very near miss that meant the girls beat Gretton by a single goal to nil. In their final match the girls once again showed great team spirit and put in some good tackles and covered the pitch well. Unfortunately Bishops Cleeve were able to penetrate the defence and slip the ball past our keeper to come out winners by 1 – 0. All the girls worked hard and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. They certainly did themselves proud.

Squad: Porsché Parker (captain), Molly Clarke, Daisy Johansen, Jessamy Morris, Burnleigh Murray, Charlotte Peirce, Poppy Radbourne & Lilia Teasdale

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network Cross Country Race 5 & Presentation - Thursday, 2nd March 2017

As we say farewell to the cross country season for another year, we celebrate the amazing success that our dedicated runners have had over the last 6 months. Twenty boys and nine girls ran their final race of the season with great determination, before gathering together as a team to celebrate the end of the season and to attend the presentation, led by Mrs. Leggett. We were thrilled to hear that the Boys’ Team had achieved 2^nd place and the Girls’ Team had finished in 4^th place. This meant that Tirlebrook achieved 3^rd place overall and were bronze School Games medal winners. What a fantastic team effort! Amongst the top runners, we celebrated the great success of Olivia Gardiner coming 2^nd out of all of the girls in the individual competition. Similarly, we were also able to celebrate that Silas Fox (6^th) and Alfie Dowding (9^th) were securely positioned in the top 12 boys’ individual runners. We would also like to say ‘Well done!’ to all of those children who have turned out regularly for the school throughout the season, showing great levels of commitment, dedication and passion for cross country. You were all awarded certificates in assembly and we hope you understand how important you are to our team. Well done to all of our Tirlebrook athletes. You have been AMAZING this season! We would also like to say ‘Good luck!’ to Olivia, Silas, Alfie, Luke Sherbourne & Bea Prosser as they represent Tewkesbury District in the County Cross Country Finals.

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network Y3 & Y4 Football League Round 2 - Wednesday, 1st March 2017

Congratulations to our Y3 & Y4 football team who finished the season as the Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's football league champions. A terrific display in Round 2 saw Tirlebrook achieve victories against both Twyning and Mitton by the scoreline of 1-0 as well as securing two further draws. Goals scored by Silas Fox and William Bethel were the difference on the day. These results, combined with the points accumulated in Round 1, were enough for Tirlebrook to maintain their unbeaten record and to be crowned champions. The squad were awarded School Games gold medals as well as the league winner's shield, and Silas and Samuel Whatmore were also awarded School Games Values bands for Respect and Teamwork respectively. The team really worked together well and encouraged each other throughout the competition, and it was particularly pleasing to be able to take medals back for Joshua Smith and Finlay Whittard who contributed so much in the first round of matches before Christmas. Well done everyone! 

Squad: Ollie Slatter (captain), William Bethel, Silas Fox, Matthew Janes, Aaron Lyon, Charlotte Peirce, Rhys Thomas, Samuel Whatmore & Anthony Zvarych

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network Y5 & Y6 Football League Round 2 - Wednesday, 1st March 2017

Our Y6 football squad participated well in the second half of this season's Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's Y5 & Y6 Football League. Following on from one win, two draws and one defeat in Round 1, Tirlebrook beat Queen Margaret's 4-1 with two goals each from captain Zac Jones and Alfie Dowding, earned a 1-1 draw with Twyning thanks to another goal from Alfie, and were defeated 3-1 by Tewkesbury C. of E., with Elliot Thomas getting on the score sheet. All players demonstrated a good attitude and it was great to see the School Games values, such as Determination and Respect, on display. Zac was singled out by the Tewkesbury School Young Sports Leaders and was awarded a School Games Values band for Teamwork. Tirlebrook finished in 5th position overall out of nine competing schools and can be pleased with their performance in the competition. Well done.

Squad: Zac Jones (captain), Jack Battrick, Rhys Davis, Alfie Dowding, Callum Ferneyhough, Tom Francis, Finley Hutchings, Fraser Matharu & Elliot Thomas

Friendly Football Match v Ashchurch Primary School - Tuesday, 28th February 2017

It was great to be able to take a squad of fourteen players to participate in a friendly football match against Ashchurch Primary School. Every child played determinedly and demonstrated a positive attitude throughout this 9-a-side fixture. Tirlebrook enjoyed the majority of the possession and at times put together some very slick and exciting passages of play. Several chances came Tirlebrook's way, with Lilia Teasdale, Charlie Hancox and Jack Ballinger all going close. However, it was captain Luke Sherbourne who scored the decisive goal in the 1-0 victory midway through the first half from a corner whipped in by Oscar Guthrie. Luke also made a couple of very important saves when playing in goal in the second half. Well done to everyone - you represented the school excellently and it was a fantastic sporting occasion.

Squad: Luke Sherbourne (captain), Jack Ballinger, Zack Cummings, Danny Etheridge, Oscar Guthrie, Charlie Hancox, William Haslum, Alex Lucking, Harrison Murch, Porsche Parker, Jonathan Peirce,  Maxwell Scott, Lilia Teasdale & Callum Trust

Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's Non-Stop Cricket Competition - Leisure @ - Tuesday, 28th February 2017

Ten children from Years 4 and 6 took part in the Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury School Sports Network's Non-Stop Cricket competition organised by the GCB at Leisure @ Cheltenham. The children played teams from Bishop's Cleeve, St. Gregory's, and St. James's. They competed well showing enthusiasm and positive attitudes throughout. The School Games values of Honesty, Self-Belief, Determination, Respect, Passion and Teamwork were all evident, and the team went on to win four out of the six games they played, playing each school twice. Well done to the team and thank you to Mrs. Assheton and Mrs. Gosden for accompanying them throughout the day.

Squad: Jack Battrick, Martha Booth, Jaelynn Chaplin, Callum Ferneyhough, Izzy Fisher, Finley Hutchings, Aoife Kelly, Zachary Khan, Leland Pratley & Matthew Ryland

Tottenham Hotspur v KAA Gent - UEFA Europa League Round of 32 Second Leg @ Wembley Stadium - Thursday, 23rd February 2017

A group of seventeen Tirlebrook children and accompanying teachers headed to Wembley Stadium to watch Tottenham Hotspur play KAA Gent in the second leg of the last 32 round of this season's UEFA Europa League competition. A good journey down, despite the best efforts of Storm Doris, meant that there was time before the match to take in the sights of this iconic stadium, including Wembley Way and the famous Bobby Moore tribute statue, where we were joined by an enthusiastic Belgian supporter for a photograph. Souvenirs including caps, footballs and scarves were purchased and programmes were bought. Once inside the magnificent stadium, we took our seats alongside more than 80,000 other fans for what was going to be a very entertaining match, if frustrating one if you were supporting Spurs. It all started well with Christian Eriksen scoring to level the tie overall, before an unfortunate Harry Kane own-goal meant that Tottenham needed to score twice more to progress. Despite being reduced to ten men before half-time when Dele Alli was sent off for committing an x-rated foul, Spurs dominated much of the play, and took a well-deserved lead when Victor Wanyama struck sweetly home. However, in pushing for that decisive third goal, Gent broke away on a rare attack and scored a second to put Spurs out of Europe and finish the night 2-2 overall. Even though there was great disappointment amongst the children at the result, the whole experience was once again quite magical. A sleepy bus full of children returned to school ahead of schedule at 12:45 a.m. thrilled having had the opportunity to visit Wembley Stadium and to see some of their footballing heroes in front of their very eyes. Well done everyone for a great trip.

Tewkesbury Primary Sport Network's Cross Country Competition Race 4 - Thursday, 9th February 2017

It was great to take a team of 27 children to the Vineyards on the final Thursday afternoon before half term as this season's Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's cross country races resumed. The weather was cold but the race conditions were good. However, the newly extended reverse course including a long and tiring incline was a challenge for all. It turned out to be an extremely successful event for Tirlebrook with some superb individual performances contributing to our best overall team result of the season. Firstly, in the girls' race, Olivia Gardiner stormed to her second victory of the season with a superbly dominant performance. There was also a season's best result for Charlotte Peirce who finished in 32nd place, and excellent finishes for Megan Sapkota, Poppy Radbourne and Peyton Bunce who were placed in 43rd, 44th and 88th positions respectively in their first races of the year. The boys' race soon followed and it was a triumph for Tirlebrook as five boys finished in the top twenty in a race of over 120 boys for the first time in five years. Season's best finishes for Silas Fox (4th), Luke Sherbourne (9th), Zac Jones (10th), Jonathan Peirce (18th), Charlie Hancox (27th), Zack Cummings (35th), Samuel Whatmore (54th), Charlie Cull (83rd) and Matthew Ryland (90th) and a third season-best 7th placed finish in four races for Alfie Dowding helped Tirlebrook to a season's best score of 20 points, putting the team in a great position to finish strongly overall. There were also great results from first-time runners Aaron Lyon (43rd), Alfie Cull (52nd), Oliver Butler (97th), Alex Lucking (110th) and Fraser Lucking (111th) as well as many other strong performances from the rest of the girls and boys. It was great to see such a brilliant team effort and so many children running with pride for the school. Well done team!

Team: Ava Baker, Jack Ballinger, Lauren Booth, Peyton Bunce, Oliver Butler, Alfie Cull, Charlie Cull, Zack Cummings, Alfie Dowding, Silas Fox, Olivia Gardiner, Oscar Guthrie, Charlie Hancox, Zac Jones, Alex Lucking, Fraser Lucking, Aaron Lyon, Lola O'Keeffe, Charlotte Peirce, Jonathan Peirce, Bea Prosser, Poppy Radbourne, Matthew Ryland, Megan Sapkota, Max Scott, Luke Sherbourne and Samuel Whatmore

Y5 & Y6 Inter-House Netball Competition - Tuesday, 7th February 2017

The weather was definitely on our side as the Year 5 and Year 6 classes ventured over to Tewkesbury School to enjoy an afternoon of inter house netball. The children were split into house teams, that were then divided into two mini house teams, to play against each other’s houses in a set of ten minute matches. Although there was a wide range of ability and experience amongst the children, the afternoon was enjoyed by all. It was wonderful to hear so many children commenting on how much they enjoyed playing the game. What a valuable opportunity. Well done to Wenlock House who are this year's Netball House Champions. Thank you to all of the Y6 Sport Leaders who assisted during their match breaks, but also a special thank you to Miss. Featonby, Mr. Lockley and Mrs. Perry for their umpiring, organisation and encouragement which helped to make the afternoon such a success!

Y3-Y6 Inter-House Cross Country Race 1 - Monday, 6th February 2017

The whole of KS2 gathered together to participate in the first Inter House Cross Country Competition of the year. Years 3 and 4 set off first, led by some of our Y6 Sport Leaders. Silas Fox crossed the finish line in first place for Wenlock, soon followed by Sam Whatmore representing Hastings and then Owen Burford, our first Y3 to pass the finish line, also representing Hastings. It was a fantastic race, in which all 58 of the children participated positively. The race for Years 5 and 6 began soon after and there was lots of excitement and determination on display. The race was extremely competitive, and the first three runners were in close contention for the majority of the race. However, it was Zac Jones, representing Wenlock, who set the pace and maintained his lead to gain first position, followed extremely closely by Luke Sherbourne (2nd, Hastings) and Alfie Dowding (3rd, Wenlock), who pretty much finished neck and neck! It was fantastic to see every child participating and contributing to their house team points total. These will be added to the points gained in the remaining races of the season. Once all of the races have been completed and the points collated, this year’s winners will be presented with the House Cross Country Trophy. A big thank you to all of those Year 6 children who volunteered to set up and marshal the Years 3 and 4 race and to all of the children who participated so positively to yet another great inter house event.

Y3/Y4 Inter-House Football Tournament - Tuesday, 24th January 2017

The children in Years 3 and 4 came together to compete in their houses in a football tournament, to mark the end of their football coaching with Coach Ryan, from Cheltenham Town Football Club, and to celebrate all that has been learnt. Each house group was split into two teams, both with a mixture of Year 3 and 4 children. A team of eager Year 6 Sport Leaders volunteered to help lead the event showing tremendous responsibility and their roles included being: team managers (leading their house group in a warm up before the competition and organising their house group teams throughout the event), timers, scorers, results personnel and referees (under the guidance of Coach Ryan). Throughout the afternoon, each and every child contributed enthusiastically to their house team matches, and regardless of whether matches were won, drawn or lost, a superb amount of energy was on display. The results were turned into points and the points gained in this competition will be combined with the points awarded in the Year 5 and 6 house football competition, which will then determine the 2016-2017 inter-house football house cup winners!

The children can be proud of their efforts as they represented their house group fantastically, demonstrating their new and improved football skills. Their confidence and enthusiasm for football has grown week by week and this was clearly evident in the application and performance on the afternoon. Coach Ryan was thrilled with their effort but was even more impressed with their positive attitudes. It was an afternoon enjoyed by all!
At the end of the competition, all of our teams said thank you to Coach Ryan for his hard work in coaching both classes over the last 6 weeks. The Year 6 leaders were also thanked for volunteering their time and making the event run so smoothly. Thank you to everybody who made the competition so successful - the children in Years 3 and 4 really enjoyed themselves. Well done one and all.

Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury Schools Sports Network's Swimming Gala - Friday, 20th January 2017

A team of six Y6 children represented Tirlebrook in the Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury Schools Sports Network's Swimming Gala at Tewkesbury School. The team spent two challenging hours swimming as fast as they could in a variety of races against seven other schools. In the first set of individual races, the children competed in heats of one or two lengths in front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke in an attempt to qualify for finals. They did extremely well, with some top three finishes securing berths in the individual finals. In particular, some fantastic performances from team captain Grace Baker and from Zack Cummings secured 1st place overall finishes in the heats of the two lengths front crawl and one length backstroke events respectively. Congratulations! Zack also secured an overall 2nd place position and several 3rd place positions from our other determined team members gained important points towards the team's final score. The individual races were followed by some fun non-scoring events, such as the most stylish dive, and some very competitive relays.

The races were extremely challenging and the competition this year was remarkably high. However, our team, no matter what position they gained, remained excited, positive and supportive of each other and our school, cheering each other on throughout the event. The children had a brilliant time and it was a pleasure to take such a positive and enthusiastic group of children to the event. One in particular stood out for his support towards his team mates and was awarded the 'Teamwork' School Games values band. Well done Zack - a very well deserved award for your fantastic contribution towards our excellent team spirit. And well done to all of Tirlebrook's swimmers - you've done yourselves proud!

At the end of the competition, Woodmancote, who had dominated the event, gained first place, followed by another Cheltenham school, Leckhampton, who finished in second. Tirlebrook managed a 7th position overall and a creditable 4th position out of the Tewkesbury schools.

Results: 1. Woodmancote, 2. Leckhampton, 3. Hopelands, 4. Tewkesbury C. of E, 5. Twyning, 6. The John Moore, 7. Tirlebrook, 8. Mitton.
Squad: Grace Baker (captain), Cerys Coxshall, Zack Cummings, William Haslum, Daisy Johansen & Jonathan Peirce.

Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury Schools Sports Network's Small Schools Sportshall Athletics - Wednesday, 11th January 2017

A group of twelve eager and excited Y5s and Y6s welcomed the return of the Cheltenham and North Tewkesbury Schools Sports Network's Small Schools Sportshall Athletics event at Tewkesbury School. After a warm and energetic welcome, including the chance for everyone to warm up through the high-steppers, over the hurdles and on the reversaboards, the competition began with the obstacle relay, followed by sprints, a variety of field events and the relays. Within each race, the children demonstrated fantastic determination, whilst maintaining a positive and respectable attitude. A superb all-round performance enabled Tirlebrook to achieve third place out of eight schools overall, picking up Bronze School Games medals for the third time in the last four years. Our captain, Daisy Johansen, was picked out by the event organisers for her enthusiasm and positive attitude and was awarded with a 'Passion' School Games band. Fraser Matharu was also rewarded for his attitude with a band for 'Self-Belief'. Both children displayed brilliant attitudes and effort and were both deserving winners, although any member of our twelve-strong team could have been identified as having displayed the School Games values. Not only was the event a fun and enjoyable experience but an extremely successful one too. Well done everyone!

Results: 1. Grangefield - 256 points, 2. Gretton - 232 points, 3. Tirlebrook - 216 points, 4. Glenfall - 178 points, 5. Gotherington - 176 points, 6. Mitton Manor - 154 points, 7. The John Moore - 136 points, 8. Shurdington - 122 points.
Squad: Daisy Johansen (captain), Ava Baker, Molly Clarke, Alfie Dowding, Eleanor Dyball, Olivia Gardiner, Oscar Guthrie, William Haslum, Fraser Matharu, Bea Prosser, Luke Sherbourne  & Callum Trust.

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's Y3 and Y4 Football League Round 1 - Tuesday, 6th December 2016

Many congratulations to our Y3 and Y4 footballers who participated in the first round of this season’s Y3 and Y4 Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network’s Football League. The team, led by captain Ollie Slatter, played very well in competitive matches against teams from The John Moore, Twyning and Deerhurst. Following a 1-1 draw with The John Moore, Joshua Smith and Silas Fox scored in an impressive 2-1 victory against tough opponents Twyning. In the final match, two goals from Matthew Janes and one from Samuel Whatmore secured a 3-0 victory against Deerhurst. At the end of the first round, Tirlebrook sit proudly at the top of the league table. Silas and Samuel were both awarded School Games values bands by the watching referees, for Respect and Determination respectively. Well done one and all.

Squad: Ollie Slatter (captain), Silas Fox, Matthew Janes, Aaron Lyon, Charlotte Peirce, Joshua Smith, Samuel Whatmore, Finlay Whittard & Anthony Zvarych.

Visit to Watch the BBL Premier League - Bristol Flyers v Newcastle Eagles @ SGS WISE Arena, Bristol - Saturday, 26th November 2016

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's Y5/Y6 7-a-Side Football League - Round 1 - Tuesday, 22nd November 2016

ESFA 7-a-Side Football Tournament - Thursday, 10th November 2016

Nine Year 6 boys represented the school at the Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's ESFA Large Schools' 7-a-Side Football Tournament. Four tough games were all tightly fought with Tirlebrook victorious once and drawing the remaining 3 games: 1-0 (Vs. Tewkesbury C of E),1-1 ( Vs. Carrant Brook), 1-1 (Vs. eventual winners John Moore) and 0-0 (Vs. Mitton). The team showed great courage and resilience; they pulled together when games looked tough and played with equal measures of tactical awareness and enthusiasm for the game. Captained by William Haslum, the team also consisted of: Rhys Davis, Alfie Dowding, Danny Etheridge, Zac Jones, Fraser Matharu, Harrison Murch, Jonathan Peirce and Elliot Thomas. Together they should be proud of the positive attitude they displayed in the community and their second place finish in the competition. Well done!

Netball Friendly Matches v The John Moore Primary School - Thursday, 3rd November 2016

Tirlebrook and John Moore came together to enjoy an evening of netball. Both schools brought two teams to compete and the enthusiasm and effort from every player was fantastic! Tirlebrook 2 worked extremely hard during their matches, but unfortunately John Moore were tough opponents and they ended the evening with two losses. Tirlebrook 1 concluded the evening having earned 1 win and 1 draw. 

Thank you to the staff at The John Moore for helping us to arrange such a successful evening. All of the children demonstrated fantastic sportsmanship and the looks on all of their faces throughout proved that they had all experienced a really enjoyable and worthwhile event. 

Squad: Grace Baker, Jack Ballinger, Lauren Booth, Peyton Bunce, Harry Clarke, Rhys Davis, Eleanor Dyball, Oscar Guthrie, Charlie Hancox, Zac Jones, Jessamy Morris, Burnleigh Murray, Bea Prosser & Luke Sherbourne.

England Hockey Come to Tirlebrook - Tuesday, 11th October 2016

Twenty eight children from Y5 & Y6 were lucky enough to take part in a coaching session with England Hockey. They had a brilliant time playing a variety of different hockey skills games. The session was led by Demy Dowley - England Hockey's Talent Development Lead Coach. She was assisted by Bev Blackburn and Claire Williams from the Coaching & Development Team. Peter Crook came along to film all the action. ​England Hockey wristbands were handed out as a reward for everybody's efforts. The children were also filmed and interviewed and will be featured in a short video. The video will be available on the England Hockey Hub... so look out for them!

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network Cross Country Race Three - Thursday, 6th October 2016

Nearly 250 children gathered on the Vineyards for the final race of the Autumn series of races in the Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's Cross Country Competition. The Tirlebrook team were ready for action and did not disappoint as another series of impressive performances were achieved. First of all, congratulations must be given to Olivia Gardiner who won the girls' race by a significant margin in the fastest time of the season. Well done to her. There were also personal bests for Ava Baker (18), Bea Prosser (19), Lola O'Keeffe (42), Lauren Booth (50) and Lilia Teasdale (80) which helped the girls' team to an impressive second-place overall, just ten points behind the leaders. It was also a superb day for the boys' team, who also managed to achieve a second-place team finish, thirteen points behind the leaders. Alfie Dowding and Silas Fox were the first boys home for Tirebrook in the fastest boys race of the season so far, equalling their season's best finishes of 7th and 8th position respectively. Further personal bests were achieved by Luke Sherbourne (13), Charlie Hancox (41), Samuel Whatmore (65) and Matthew Ryland (91). There were 127 finishers in the boys' race and 121 girls crossed the finishing line altogether. We will continue to practice at Running Club and through our daily Tirlebrook 10 for those that want to run in those times, until the races begin again in February 2017. Well done everyone!

Squad: Ava Baker, Jack Ballinger, Lauren Booth, Esme Burton, Charlie Cull, Zack Cummings, Alfie Dowding, Eleanor Dyball, Danny Etheridge, Silas Fox, Olivia Gardiner, Oscar Guthrie, Charlie Hancox, Matthew Janes, Daisy Johansen, Zac Jones, Lola O'Keeffe, Charlotte Peirce, Jonathan Peirce, Bea Prosser, Calum Pryce, Matthew Ryland, Maxwell Scott, Luke Sherbourne, Lilia Teasdale, Callum Trust and Samuel Whatmore.

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network Netball League Round 1 - Tuesday, 4th October 2016

Inter-House World Marathon Challenge - Tuesday, 4th October 2016

The whole of KS2 got together to participate in the very first Inter-House sports competition of this academic year, 'The World Marathon Challenge!' This challenge invites teams to complete a 5000m run as a relay in the quickest time possible. For the third consecutive year, the children joined the remainder of their House group to form a team that would compete in this global virtual competition. Each House had two teams - one for Y5 and Y6 children and the other for Y3 and Y4 children. As a team, the children were required to complete nearly 26 laps of a nearly 200 metre track in a relay, to record an overall time to complete the 5000m distance. Every child ran at least two legs of the relay. The Y5 and Y6 teams went first, with Wenlock recording the quickest time of under 19 minutes, closely followed by Beauchamp, then Hastings and then Montague. The children were cheered and encouraged by their teammates and opponents alike. Indeed, the encouragement, teamwork, determination and positivity was phenomenal! Next it was the turn of the Y3 and Y4 teams, and for some children, this was the very first time they had taken part in an Inter-House event. Everybody represented their team well, this time with Beauchamp coming home first by a matter of milliseconds from Hastings, then Wenlock and finally Montague. A great effort by one and all.

At the end of the competition, Mr Lockley presented the trophy to the overall House winners of the World Marathon Challenge after the times of both teams had been combined. Giving each team a huge round of applause and a pat on the back, our first inter-house competition was celebrated together, with the winners standing to rapturous applause before completing their House chant. Congratulations to WENLOCK HOUSE as they came first. Beauchamp finished in second place overall, a mere 14 seconds behind Wenlock. It was a very close result. Hastings, who finished third, and Montague also did brilliantly. Well done to the whole of KS2 including all of the teachers who came out to help and support our pupils. A great community event all round!

Visit to Watch Worcester Warriors v Newcastle Falcons @ Sixways Stadium - Sunday, 2nd October 2016

We were delighted to be able to take up a last minute opportunity to visit Worcester Warriors this weekend to watch their Aviva Premiership encounter with Newcastle Falcons at the Sixways Stadium. The lucky group who claimed tickets through our text ballot were looking forward to a great afternoon of rugby, but little were they to know what was in store for them. After a quick visit to the club shop, it was announced that they had actually been selected to be mascots for the match and would be running onto the pitch with a Worcester Warriors first-team player. And to add to the excitement, the match was being broadcast live on BT Sport! The children quickly changed into their mascot tops and were given a quick tour of the amazing facilities that included a large gym and fitness centre, the recovery zone (where players sit in the hot tub, ice baths and even enter a cryotherapy chamber where temperatures fall to -150 degrees!). It was explained that they only stay in there for two minutes at a time and that the process of getting very cold and then warming back up again quickly helps the muscles to recover from the lactic acid build up that takes place when worked so hard. They also told us that your brain slows down in such cold conditions, so the players are given Rubick's cubes to help them to maintain focus and to think! After the excitement of running onto the pitch, we took our seats in the East Stand and saw Worcester grind out an 11-9 victory, where Wynand Olivier's try in the first half gave the Warriors their first win of the season. At the end of the match, the children were allowed to greet players and gather autographs, as well as running and playing on the Sixways pitch. It was a truly memorable experience and is one that hopefully the children will not forget quickly.

Visit to Watch Manchester United v Zorya Luhansk @ Old Trafford - Thursday, 29th September 2016

Tirlebrook were delighted to be able to provide one of our now seasonal visits to Old Trafford to watch Manchester United play in the Europa League. Their encounter with FC Zorya Luhansk of the Ukraine, was the first international club match that the school has witnessed live. After a long and at times frustrating journey to Manchester, it was exciting to take our seats in the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand, located just five rows back from pitch side. From here a great view of the game was beheld, which Manchester United went on to win 1-0 thanks to a goal from Zlatan Ibrahimovic. He was one of many stars on show, including Juan Mata, England starlet Marcus Rashford and world-record transfer fee international midfielder Paul Pogba. It was also fantastic to be sat close to where the substitutes were warming up, with a close-up view of Ashley Young, Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney, and a few children even managed to 'High-5' the United mascot, the Red Devil. It was a tremendous experience, and after a quick visit to one of the merchandise stalls after the game, the journey home was far kinder, and in under two and a half hours we had returned to Tirlebrook to meet parents at the relatively unheard of time of 1:20 a.m.!!

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network Cross Country Race 2 @  The Vineyards, Tewkesbury - Thursday, 29th September 2016

Well done once again to our excellent and committed team of cross country runners who took to the Vineyards to participate in the Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network's second race of the season. In races with over 100 competitors taking part, every child should be delighted with their achievements. This week saw three children complete season's best runs by improving their position on the first round of races, so special congratulations to Callum Trust, Bea Prosser and Eleanor Dyball for achieving this. We head into the third and final race of the autumn season races with a healthy number of competitors who are running with great determination. Well done all!

Squad: Ava Baker, Jack Ballinger, Lauren Booth, Esme Burton, Eleanor Dyball, Danny Etheridge, Silas Fox, Olivia Gardiner, Oscar Guthrie, Matthew Janes, Daisy Johansen, Zac Jones, Sophie Messenger, Lola O'Keeffe, Charlotte Peirce, Bea Prosser, Calum Pryce, Luke Sherbourne, Lilia Teasdale, Callum Trust & Samuel Whatmore

Cheltenham Half Marathon Schools' Challenge @  Cheltenham Racecourse - Sunday, 25th September 2016

Thirty-two children aged seven to eleven and four teachers (ages unavailable!!) made up the Tirlebrook team that participated in this year's Cheltenham Half Marathon Schools' Challenge held at Cheltenham Racecourse. Over 1400 children took part in this annual event, which is becoming bigger and bigger every year. After experiencing some difficulties in getting to the racecourse due to the enormous weight of traffic, the children registered and participated in a quick warm-up before heading for the start line. The course was flanked by a huge number of supporters, including many Tirlebrook families who made their presence felt with great cheering and encouragement from the sidelines. The children proceeded to complete the final mile of a half marathon that they have been running over a number of weeks at Running Club, started several weeks before the summer holiday break. Delighted children crossed the finish line with great support from the crowd before picking up medals, a bottle of water and a goody bag. Well done to everyone for their enthusiasm, patience and effort in what was a huge sporting event that turned out to be another great experience for the Tirlebrook school community. Special thanks to Mr. Tomkins for all of his efforts at Running Club and to organise our participation in the event. We're already looking forward to the Schools' Challenge 2017!

Tirlebrook Runners: Ava Baker, Jack Ballinger, William Bethel, Lauren Booth, Tianna Booth, Owen Burford, Esme Burton, Ollie Butler, Zack Cummings, Alfie Dowding, Scarlet Dowding, Eleanor Dyball, Danny Etheridge, Edward Ferrier, Izzy Fisher, Olivia Gardiner, Oscar Guthrie, Charlie Hancox, Ellie Longney, Charlotte, Peirce, Jonathan Peirce, Bea Prosser, Calum Pryce, Erin Pryce, Maxwell Scott, Luke Sherbourne, Martha Simpson, Lilia Teasdale, Callum Trust, Leah Trust, Samuel Whatmore, Finlay Whittard, Miss. Featonby, Mr. Lockley, Miss. Streeter & Mr. Tomkins

Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network Cross Country Race 1 @  The Vineyards, Tewkesbury - Thursday, 22nd September 2016

Twenty-five children dusted off their trainers and donned a Tirlebrook t-shirt to represent the school in the first Tewkesbury Primary Sports Network Cross Country race of the season at the Vineyards. On what was a very warm afternoon, the children joined just over 200 others to tackle the challenging mile-long course. The boys set off first at a blistering pace, and several Tirlebrook boys managed to stay in touch with the front runners to put in personal best performances. Notable finishes for Alfie (7th), Silas (8th), Luke (15th) and Zac (17th) were very encouraging and led a very impressive team performance from the boys overall. Congratulations to each participant. The girls came next and in a highly competitive race, Olivia picked up from her form of last season to come home in second position. This too inspired the girls team to perform well and brings with it great hope for the remainder of the season. Well done everyone - a terrific and tenacious Tirlebrook team effort. 

Squad: Ava Baker, Jack Ballinger, Lauren Booth, Esme Burton, Zack Cummings, Alfie Dowding, Eleanor Dyball, Danny Etheridge, Silas Fox, Olivia Gardiner, Oscar Guthrie, Charlie Hancox, Matthew Janes, Zac Jones, Sophie Messenger, Lola O'Keeffe, Charlotte Peirce, Jonathan Peirce, Bea Prosser, Calum Pryce, Matthew Ryland, Maxwell Scott, Luke Sherbourne, Callum Trust & Samuel Whatmore