Section 7: Sports Day 43
7.1 What is a Sports Day?
7.2 Events Ideas
7.3 Planning
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44 Section 7:
7.1 WHAT IS A SPORTS DAY?
What is a Sports Day? be discussed and decided on who is to do this. Final
A Sports Day usually occurs once a school year- usually bookings do not need to be made until later in the year, as
towards the end (June/ July). It is a day that the whole long as the bus company is aware of the date of sports day
school community of staff and parents/ carers come and that bus(es) will be needed.
together to watch and support the children in track and
field athletic events. It is a popular event in most, if not all, Deciding on Events
school calendars and for it to run efficiently a lot of It is important to discuss and decide on what events the
planning is needed. Sports Day is also the perfect vehicle children will be doing on Sports Day. Will every child be
to show what FFS can do. doing exactly the same events, or will it depend on their
age group? Experience has shown that it is more
Deciding on and Booking a Venue successful if the younger children (aged 3-6 years) do the
Most schools will have a provisional date for Sports Day at same events and the older children (aged 7-11 years)
the beginning of the school year. It is up to the Activity participate in the same events.
Co-ordinators to discuss this with the school Headteacher
and finalise a date. From here a venue needs to be decided
on. Most schools use the same venue every year and are
happy with that venue. However, it is always important to
check that, the school are happy and if not, look for
alternate venues. Once the date and venue are discussed
and agreed, it is important to book it as soon as
possible.
Wet Weather Plan
It is a good idea to have a wet weather contingency
plan. Even though Sports days are usually held
in the summer months, British weather can be
unpredictable! Some schools will happily allow a
Sports Day to still go ahead on a rainy day, but
some schools would rather a dry alternate plan!
This is something that you will need to discuss
with your Headteacher. If a dry alternative is
needed then a suitable venue will need to
be found and booked as soon as possible.
Events may need to be adapted if your
wet weather alternative is used.
Booking Transport
It is important that if your school
uses a bus company for
transporting the kids the bus
company uses is
notified of the date of Sports
Day, so that buses can be
provisionally booked. It needs to
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Section 7: 45
7.2 EVENTS IDEAS
Here are some ideas for events for the two age groups: Age 3-6 years:
EVENT DESCRIPTION
Children race with egg and spoon (you may want to use either
EGG & SPOON RACE
potatoes or rubber eggs due to allergies).
Children use the hoops as car steering wheels or hold hoop above
HOOP RACE
their heads and race between two markers.
Children race with a bean bag balanced on their head (or can hold the
BEAN BAG RACE
bean bag with one hand).
The children see how far that they can throw a bean bag using
BEAN BAG THROW
underarm throw technique.
SACK RACE Children race jumping in sacks using the handles.
RUNNING RACES Children running between two markers.
Children use cones/ markers to run to and back to tag next
RELAY RACES
person - simplified version.
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46 Section 7:
Age 7-11 years:
EVENT DESCRIPTION
Children run around track in teams - each child doing a section of
RELAY RACES
track each and run when they are passed the baton.
LONG JUMP Children run and jump as far as they can into a sand pit.
SHOT PUT Children see how far they can get the shot using correct technique.
BEAN BAG RACE Children race with a bean bag balanced on their head.
HOOP RACE Children race by jumping through middle of hoop.
Children race jumping in sacks holding onto both handles.
SACK RACE
SPRINT RACES Children race as fast as they can between markers/ lanes set out.
JAVELIN Children throw javelin as far as they can, using correct technique.
Children balance ball on tennis racquet, running to cones and back
TENNIS BALL BALANCE
(ball must be on strings of racquet).
HOCKEY DRIBBLE Children dribble ball with hockey sticks, to cone and back.
* To save time on the day, it is advisable to decide on your relay teams before sports day. This means
that the children can get into their teams relatively quickly and it also gives them a chance to practise
in their teams before sports day.
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Section 7: 47
7.3 PLANNING A SPORTS DAY
Equipment Even though the whole school will usually do Sports Day
The equipment you need for teaching athletics and sports on the same day, the Lower school or Early Years Sports
day preparation is usually different from the equipment that Day can be organised separately. For example, this can be
you would use throughout the rest of the year. It is done by using a different working area within the facility or
important that once you have decided on the events that such like. This means that the lower school will come to the
will be undertaken, that you check your PE equipment Sports Day venue for lunchtime and start their events after
cupboard and note anything that you do not have or that lunch.
needs replacing.
• Sharing Information with the Headteacher
It is then important to decide on the quantity of what you The Headteacher should be kept up to date with all plans
need and price it up. It takes time, but it is good to shop for sports day, from which events the students will be
around to try and get the best deal, as you may be ordering doing, to transport, to relaying information to all
a lot of equipment and it potentially may be very expensive. concerned and such like.
Once you have done this, it is important to present to your
Headteacher and check that it is financially feasible to order • Sharing Information with the School Staff
the equipment. If it is, then it is your responsibility to order it The school staff need to be informed of the format of
and if it is not financially feasible, then a contingency sports day and the role(s) that they are expected to fulfil
plan- i.e. change events or only order what is essential. on the day. Roles may include getting their class around
the events, recording distance thrown and running times
Practice Sessions/ Days and such like. The school office need to be kept up to
Athletics is usually part of the PE curriculum in the Summer date with all plans, as they will get questions from parents
term, so the children get to practise the events that they and usually help with the booking of buses (if needed)
will participate in on Sports Day. However, it is advisable and such like.
to do some of your PE athletics lessons at the Sports Day
venue, so that the children can familiarise themselves with • Sharing Information with Parents
the venue and have a clearer idea of what is to come on Most parents usually want to come along to Sports Day,
Sports Day if possible. This will need to be authorised by so information such as date, venue, times and
the Headteacher or Head of PE, and these sessions be programme of events are important to distribute to
booked in advance (if Sports Day is at different venue to parents about a week before. This can be done through
usual PE lessons!) school mailings and posters. The date of sports day
usually goes out at the beginning of the year with
Refreshments/ Lunch important school dates on it, so parents should already
This is not the responsibility of staff. Some schools will ask be aware of the date!
families to provide children with a packed lunch and other
schools will have their PTA (Parent/Teacher Association) to • Sharing Information with the Students
organise lunch and/ or refreshments. Whatever the plan, it Most students get very excited about Sports Day, as it
is important that you are aware, so that you can keep the is a chance for them to show their families what they
relevant people up to date with the plans for the day. have been learning in PE. The students will be aware of
Sports Day as their athletics lessons in the summer term
Structure of Day is where they learn the events that they will do on
This will be different for every school. For most schools Sports Day.
Sports Day is just a half-day event, but regardless of the
length of the day, sports days are usually organised
whereby the children go from each event in a circuit format.
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48 Section 7:
• Sharing information and briefing FFS staff Bevington Sports Thursday July 10th 2008 (Key stage 2)
Organising and hosting a successful Sports Day is very
complex and needs lots of planning. FFS staff are usually Houses / Countries: Brazil, Germany, Italy, England,
drafted in to help on the day and it is imperative that they Spain, France, Portugal, Argentina
are briefed on what is expected of them and which events
they will be running and any other information that they Each house or country will be provided with a colour or a
should be aware of. Communication, as always, is key! label which represents which team they are in. There will be
Here is an example of a structure of a sports day with a x staff per station, one Fit For Sport staff and one school
programme of a day with times and events: staff member.
Morning Events 10.30 - 11.30
����������
Javelin / shot put
Point System
Yellow 1 point
Red 2 points
�����������
Blue 3 points
Green 4 points
White 5 points
Orange 6 points
Each child will have three attempts and three scores will be
totalled up with the individual child reaching a maximum of
18 points for their house.
Aiming & Throwing
Point System
Red 5 points
Orange 10 points
Blue 15 points
�����������
Each child must try to throw the tennis ball into the different
coloured hoops to gain points for their house. Every child
will have 5 throws. The children must throw under arm and
stand behind their marked cone.
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Section 7: 49
SPORTS RELAY RACES • Title page - including venue and date on the front!
• Programme of events - including grade levels taking part
Dribbling football relay: in those events
Six cones must be spread out over 25 metres. • Any other relevant information
Children must get into their teams and line up in their
houses. They must dribble up to the end of the cones and Named First Aid Person:
then dribble back. The first team to be sitting down are the It is very important to have a named qualified first aider
winners. who will be on-hand all day should there be an accident.
Point System: Although most FFS staff are qualified it is advisable to have
1st 10 points somebody from the school to be that named person. It is
2nd 5 points advisable to approach that person as far in advance as
3rd 2 points possible to check that they can fulfil this role and
understand all the requirements.
Hockey relay races
Similar to the football dribbling relay but they are dribbling Certificates/ Trophies:
with the hockey stick. Same points system as above. Not all schools like to hand out winner certificates and
12.00 - 12.30: LUNCH medals, because during primary age it is important to ac-
knowledge and praise effort and participation, rather than
Sprints Heats 12.30 - 1.30: encouraging just winning. If this is the case, then it is a
Children participate within their year groups in the good idea to put together a certificate of participation for all
afternoon running events. The boys run against the boys children that took part. If the school would like to present
and the girls run against the girls. The heats run with the trophies and certificates for winning events, then it needs to
children’s years and within their countries. E.g. all year 3 be addressed with the Headteacher, so that you can make
children will run within their countries, so all children in Bra- appropriate arrangements.
zil in year 3 will run in the heats the first child will qualify for
the finals. This guarantees that every house will have one
child per year in the final.
Final:
All children who have qualified will then run in the
finals to find the fastest boy or girl per year.
Sports Day Results and Summary of Day 1.30pm
Teacher Parents Race 1.45- 2.00pm
Back to school 2.00pm
Advertising Sports Day:
It is good to advertise a forthcoming Sports Day! This can
be done by putting up posters and talking about Sports
Day to staff, parents and teachers. This can be done up to
about three weeks before, to get everybody enthusiastic
about the day.
Programme for Sports Day:
It is advisable to devise a programme for Sports Day, as
this can be used and followed by teachers, FFS staff and
families alike. It should have:
SCHOOL SERVICES TRAINING FITTER FAMILIES KIDS ACTIVITIES
