WITH Wimbledon just around the corner, Chalford Hill Primary School hosts its own House Tennis Championship to give all pupils a chance to experience the game

Chalford Hill Primary School, near Stroud, hosted a House Tennis Championship day to give pupils of all ages and abilities a chance to try the game.

Children worked in their house teams (named after four of the steep hills that characterise the village – Cowcombe, Marle, Rack and Coppice) to earn points for the championship and learn tennis skills.

Headteacher Paul Hiatt comments, “With Wimbledon only a few days away and school returning to a more normal routine after Covid, we decided it was the perfect opportunity to do a House team tennis competition. The aim of the competition was for all the children to show their best tennis skills whilst earning points for their house team. Competition is an important part of the learning process as we find out how to win and lose in the best fashion.”

All of the children from Reception to Year 6 took part throughout the day. Everyone, with racket in hand, showed how they could control the tennis ball effectively and then moved on to hitting over the net in rally exchanges. The sessions finished off with singles and doubles matches. The Year 6 children were superb mentors to the younger members of the school throughout the day.

Rack house were the overall winners and all classes had a great time developing their tennis skills. Bjorn Merrett, a coach at Chalford Tennis Club, came along to share some techniques and support the day.

A pupil in year one describes, “we threw the ball up in the air and let it bounce and then caught it. In our class Rack and Coppice houses were equal first.” A year 4 pupil explains, “we had to do slow bounces to our partner using the tennis racket. It wasn’t too tricky. Then we moved on to hitting the ball over the net in a different part of the playground.”

Hiatt continues, “Chalford Hill Primary School is committed to promoting PE and sport of all kinds and takes great pride in the inclusivity of its approach to sport. Children will become active adults if they learn how to access the enjoyment to be had from lots of different sports. The basic skills that are developed through the school’s core PE scheme (called Real PE) ensures children are developing those skills in a supportive environment.”