PRIMARY school pupils from 12 Gloucestershire schools recently spent a day learning the best coaching and leadership skills from some of Hartpury’s best.

Each school hand-picked a group or three or four Year 4 and 5 pupils who wanted to learn the skills they will need to become playground leaders. Hartpury students on BTEC Sports Coaching courses at Hartpury, who have also been selected as ‘Young Ambassadors’ passed on their tricks of the trade and coaching knowledge for the children to take back and put into practice at their own schools.

The primary schools that took part were Staunton and Corse, Newnham St Peter’s, Primrose Hill, Drybrook, Coalway, Berry Hill, Steam Mills, Ellwood, Lydbrook, Bream, Blakeney and Yorkley.

Will Greenway, 18, from Mitcheldean, who was one of the students helping to run the event, said: “Our aim was to help the children to learn about being good playground leaders so that they can take that knowledge or running and organising sessions away to support other pupils at the school to take part in activities.

“They learned all about leadership qualities and the practical sessions allowed them to put those qualities into practice.

“We’ve learnt a lot on the course about leadership, especially making sure our communication is good and being organised and prepared so that’s really helped us all with organising this event.

“The pupils seem to love it and it is really good for us as well as we can take away real-life coaching experience with children of different ages and abilities, which will hopefully help us in our careers.”

The pupils’ learning on the day improved their knowledge of creating and altering games using the STEP method, which stands for Space, Task, Equipment and People.

A teacher from Primrose Hill Primary School, Vicky Turner, said: “The Hartpury students and staff were fabulous!"

For the last session of the day, the children had the chance to hear from three Year 6 pupils, who told them about their role as leaders in their school. Staff from the schools that attended were also able to hear about the impact of young leaders in school in a session led by Jennie Dwight from Staunton and Corse Academy.

The school has recently undergone a very successful OFSTED inspection in which the role of the playground leaders at school was highlighted.

Dan Robinson, Subject Leader for GE General Sport at Hartpury, said: "The whole day was planned by our students without any real help from us, apart from organising the kit and equipment that they needed.

“They put in six months of hard planning and a lot of hours to make sure everything went to plan and they’ve done really well. All the kids had a great time and I’m sure they all learned a lot.”