School in Focus: St Mary's Community Primary School – Building a Love for Sport

Celebrating progress, passion, and participation in PE

At St Mary's Community Primary School, sport truly sits at the heart of school life and the wider community. Every week, pupils bring energy, enthusiasm, and a real desire to learn — making coaching here an incredibly rewarding experience. From the youngest learners in Reception right through to Year 6, there’s a genuine excitement around PE lessons, and it’s been wonderful to see the children’s skills, confidence, and teamwork continue to grow.

Year 2 – Building Agility, Balance, and Coordination

In Year 2, pupils have been focusing on agility, balance, and coordination. These essential skills have been developed through a series of fun, engaging games such as throwing beanbags into buckets, playing Twister, and bouncing rugby balls to practise catching and reacting to their unpredictable movements.

The Year 2 pupils have been super resilient and enthusiastic. They listen carefully, give every task their best effort, and show a fantastic attitude toward learning. It’s been brilliant to watch them grow in confidence and skill each week — they really do give everything a go, and that’s what makes teaching them so enjoyable.

Year 4 – Teamwork, Effort, and Excitement in Tag Rugby

The Year 4 class has also been learning Tag Rugby this term, and they’ve done amazingly well. From the first session to now, their progress has been brilliant — improving their passing, tagging, and teamwork skills week by week.

They’ve shown great energy and excitement every lesson, embracing new challenges and encouraging each other throughout. It’s been wonderful to see how their communication and confidence have developed as they’ve grown to understand and enjoy the game. You can really see the sense of pride they have in their own progress.

Year 5 – Growing Enthusiasm and Understanding

In Year 5, pupils have also been learning the rules and techniques of Tag Rugby. Over the seven-week block, their progress has been remarkable — moving from hesitant beginners to confident, competitive players who truly enjoy the sport.

Their enthusiasm and understanding of the game have grown so much, and it’s been amazing to see their teamwork and leadership skills come to life. Every week, their smiles get bigger and their confidence shines through — and that’s what PE at Beetley is all about.

Year 6 – Developing Teamwork Through Tag Rugby

The Year 6 class has been diving into Tag Rugby, and the progress they’ve made this term has been exceptional. We’ve built up from practising passing and tagging to playing small-sided games. For a bit of fun, we’ve even introduced some kicking sessions to round out their skill set.

Each lesson begins with a tag-based warm-up game like Sharks and Swimmers, helping them sharpen their reflexes and teamwork. The Year 6s give 100% every session, listen incredibly well, and have improved hugely since the start of the year.

Their understanding of the game, communication, and team spirit have all developed brilliantly. It’s been a joy watching them grow into confident, respectful players who support one another both on and off the pitch.

Reception & Year 1 – Energy, Fun, and Multi-Skills

The youngest learners in Reception and Year 1 are always bursting with energy and excitement. Over the past seven weeks, we’ve been exploring a multi-sports block designed to help them build fundamental movement skills through play — running, jumping, throwing, balancing, and laughing all the way through.

They absolutely love taking part in the school’s after-school clubs, including football, multi-skills, and dodgeball. Beetley also offers a wide range of other opportunities — from lunchtime and breakfast clubs to wraparound care — all of which the school places huge value on.

It’s clear how much these experiences mean to the children, giving them even more chances to stay active, social, and engaged beyond the classroom. Seeing their smiles at the end of a session really sums up why we all love what we do.

A School at the Heart of the Community

 St Mary's Community Primary School is a fun, vibrant, and welcoming school where the staff genuinely put the children first. There’s so much personality, energy, and kindness within the school community, and that’s reflected in every lesson and event.

Last summer’s Sports Day was a highlight — a day filled with smiles, teamwork, and encouragement from start to finish. And next Thursday, children from Beetley will proudly represent the school in a dodgeball tournament held in Swaffham, playing against other schools from across Norfolk. It’s another fantastic opportunity for them to shine and show what they’ve learned.

The staff at Beetley are also hugely supportive of PE and sport. Their positivity and enthusiasm make such a difference, helping to create a culture where sport is celebrated and enjoyed by everyone. It’s a real team effort — and that’s what makes Beetley such a special place to be.

Looking Beyond – Building Strong Foundations

We’ve been working hard to redefine and strengthen the PE curriculum, ensuring every child has the chance to experience both traditional and unique sporting opportunities.

From Reception right through to Year 6, pupils bring all of the skills they’ve developed over time into every session. The progress from week one to now has been outstanding. The curriculum and the culture around sport are helping to lay foundations that go far beyond the PE hall — shaping confidence, resilience, and teamwork that will last throughout their lives.

The impact of sport on their schooling journey has been truly inspiring. It’s changing lives for the better — and it’s something everyone across the school should feel incredibly proud of.

A Coach’s Reflection

From my perspective, the school is in such a strong position. The children absolutely love sport, the staff are positive and engaged, and there’s a real shared commitment to giving every pupil the best experience possible.

It’s a privilege to be part of St Mary's Community Primary School and both Mr. Lawrence and I absolutely love teaching here. The number of pupils taking part in after-school clubs shows just how much the children enjoy being active and involved.

We’re so proud of their effort, attitude, and smiles — and we’re really looking forward to continuing a successful and exciting term as we move further into the autumn term.

Beetley truly is a school full of heart, energy, and community spirit — and we feel incredibly lucky to be a part of it.

I hope you enjoyed reading our latest blog. Matt Parkinson If you would like more information on the after school clubs that ICS offer at Beetley please look below.

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