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Primary education

Join our Primary Education forum to discuss starting school and helping your child get the most out of it.

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Original poster

School Sports Day

24 replies

cazashley · 13/07/2012 19:20

Hello Mums
please forgive me not knowing many of the abbreviations...1st message ever.

My DS aged 8 has come home from school today really upset and burst into floods of tears when asked how he was. It seems they were told in assembly this morning who was in which race at sports day on Monday...he is in none! He loves sport, is reasonable at it and has been looking forward to sports day for weeks. He says he has been so upset all day (assembly was at 10) that he has learned nothing today. Some children are in 2 races, others 1 and about 10 in his class of 36 in none. They do the event for all of KS2, I guess about 130 kids so appreciate it must be tricky to organise but how can a child who wants to take part be in nothing! Any ideas how I should approach this with the school...tho' clearly they aren't going to alter anything by Monday afternoon.
Cheers

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catnipkitty · 13/07/2012 19:43

Sounds a very odd way of doing things. Surely the idea is that the children enjoy the sports day?? There's not much you can do now but I would ask to tallk to his teacher 1st thing on monday to establish the facts and explanation. Hope he's ok xx

Original poster

cazashley · 13/07/2012 20:08

Thanks Catnipkitty! It seems odd to me too. Surely against all equal op's regs to disclude a child from a school day activity, there were heats in PE sessions for the 2 races and he just missed out in both. surely that means he is PE s.e.n.....bet they wouldn't dare miss a child with a statement out!

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bigTillyMint · 13/07/2012 20:13

Sounds bonkers - never heard of any Primary schools round here being so competitive. It should be about inclusion at their age, and maybe a proper sprint race at KS2 for those who would like to take part (they all know who the fastest runners are by then anyway!)

They have qualification heats at DD's secondary school and the races on Sports Day are really exciting

darthsillius · 13/07/2012 20:19

In my school they all take part.the at the end the 4 fastest boys and girls have sprint races. These are the same kids every years which after 4 years is very tedious for the parents of the slower 52.

Original poster

cazashley · 13/07/2012 21:01

I see your point about the sprints Darthsillious, but actually for those children who are the fastest its important that they do get their chance to shine...it may be all they're good at...what I'm cross about is that DS hasn't come last because he's slower, he's basicallly been told he's so rubbish he may as well not turn up! I asked him what he'd do instead and he said sit eating icecream watching the others...what a brilliant solution to the obesity epidemic.

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AllPastYears · 13/07/2012 21:29

That is certainly really weird! When I was at school a hundred years ago we had a race called "Catch the train race" - you had a suitcase with set items and at the start of the race you had to put them all on on top of your clothes then put up your umbrella and run for the finish with your suitcase. It was obviously designed for the slowcoaches who had no other way of winning a race .

Maybe these days it's against their human rights to make them put on their granny's nightie in front of a cheering crowd .

LaBelleDameSansPatience · 13/07/2012 21:53

I would take him out for the day and do something far more fun.

jubilee10 · 13/07/2012 21:55

Our sports afternoon goes on for ever takes all afternoon and all the infants do a running, a bat and beanbag and an obstacle race. I would have a word about it.

Original poster

cazashley · 13/07/2012 22:04

Don't think I feel any better that you all think it's weird! But you have given me the confidence to go in and moan a bit. Many thanks.

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darthsillius · 14/07/2012 06:40

Yes it's nice the fastest get their chance to shine. The 2 fastest boys are also in the top groups. I know because they like to tell me and ask which group my child is in. They set for English and maths across the whole key stage. They were also in the football team a year early so they are exceptional in everything! It would be nice to see a bigger variety of children highlighted.

Still at least they let the others take part in something unlike yours.

meditrina · 14/07/2012 06:54

So they have participation by about 75% of children, and they are selected by sporting achievement (not attitude)?

I think that you'd have a hard time trying to show that's an Equality issue (just as you'd have a hard time showing that for example an auditioned choir or a selected squad for a team sport was such an issue).

But it is definitely worth asking why they do not arrange the day in such a way that all children get a chance to do something.

RackandRuin · 14/07/2012 07:42

I would raise it with the head. It's really bad form to exclude children from a primary school sports day. How much fun will it be just to watch other children run and are you expected to turn up and support?

Our school has 90 children per year and manages to give each child four races. It seems to me that they are having trouble organising the event.

MrsHoarder · 14/07/2012 07:45

What has happened to the egg and spoon race along with the assorted other fun races for the unathletic? Its only at secondary school that its all supposed to be serious events for the sporty tips only.

Original poster

cazashley · 14/07/2012 11:53

RackandRuin...I am in agreement with you, bad organisation! Wouldn't mind if he was unathletic or disliked sports, but its just that he's 7th best in the class in both races...so no race. He plays rugby, football and does 1 mile competitive runs so not unsporty!

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AChickenCalledKorma · 14/07/2012 12:12

It is perfectly possible to arrange sports day so that 130 kids all get a chance to race.

My daughters' school has competitive races at sports day. There are 240 children in KS2 and they all get a chance to race. This year, there were sprints, sprint relays, egg and spoon and sack races, for every year group. They held heats to select people for races, and the fastest runners go the glory moment of the sprint. But there was no feeling that everyone else was second best.

They also had a carousel of non-competitive games, just for fun. They all had a ball!

insanityscratching · 14/07/2012 12:19

Dd's school managed to fit a mini Olympics sports day for 220 pupils with each one taking part in eight races into one hour twenty minutes last week. The ks2 were split into four countries all mixed age and ability. The countries were split into four mixed age and ability teams and then they all competed in a circuit of four activity areas with two races at each. Points were collected and the countries placed on a podium. Parents followed their child around the circuit. Lots of fun, all included, not too long and managed to fit it in in a short pause in the rain.

BackforGood · 14/07/2012 12:44

From your first post I was with everyone else - seems odd, but then surely you've explained in your 2nd post (unless I've misunderstood ?) that the way the school have chosen to do it, is to do all the "heats" the week before, and then have a "finals" day on Monday ?

To me, that's not being excluded from sports day at all, it's just not having made the final for the races.

Bit like my dd goes along to cricket practice, but didn't get selected to go with the squad that went to a big tournament the other week. In the way they are doing sports day (and yes, there are other ways to do it, but that's something you could perhaps suggest to the school for the future, they can't change it now), not everyone is going to be in the final.
They did this with a talent show they did at dd's school a couple of months ago. Everyone (who wanted to) took part in class talent shows, and then two children (or 'acts') were selected from each class to be in the big show in the hall with all the other classes. Lots of reasons to do this, but it's not excluding people who aren't selected, and talk of SEN is ridiculous in this context.

Original poster

cazashley · 14/07/2012 13:10

BackforGood...I can see where you are coming from with the 'heats', but fail to see how sitting on a bench watching is in anyway taking part! Talent Shows, choir contests etc quite different in that they are extra curricular, this is a full afternoon of a normal school day. I'm not asking for him to be in every race that would be ridiculous...but to be in none. He is not the only child either, there are several other parents feel like me and several other children very upset with a large dent in their self-esteem. If some children are in 2 races and some in 0, it seems obvious to me that they should all be in 1. This is not the Olympics ...its a primary school sports day which he has looked forward to for months.

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BackforGood · 14/07/2012 13:21

No, the talent show was during the school day. The whole school sat and watched the two acts selected from each class - so 24 acts (slightly over 24 children as some were pairs or a small group I understand) were watched by the other 320ish children.
But the point is, surely they know this is how sports day is done at your school. Don't get me wrong, it's not how I'd organise it - I prefer a day where everyone gets to do sport on the day (although, from loads of threads on here, not everyone does), but if people would prefer that sort of sports day, then presumably the children can put it to the school council, and the parents can suggest it to the HT / sport teacher / whoever organises the day, and say that to them.

roadkillbunny · 14/07/2012 17:11

But @backforgood* the heats took place in normal PE lessons, the children didn't get to race in the atmosphere of the sports day with their families there to watch and cheer them on. I think that's where the difference is.
With the talent show comparison from what I can understand it was an event by the children for the children, not something families went to watch.
Also, sports day is part of the fabric of the school year, a chance for children to showcase their athletic ability but also to have fun, take part in silly races and most importantly, share that with their families.
In this case the children who have not been given a race have to sit there and watch all the other children race while their families have to sit there and watch other children race while their child sits it out, they can't very well tell their child they are not going because they aren't racing, that's just kicking a kid when they are down!
I don't think the OP will be able to change anything for this time given the time scales but I think a word with the school is in order, I don't see why they can't but on a fun race like egg and spoon or obstacle race (or if they didn't want to muck about with equipment a backwards race or some sort) for those children who haven't got any other race, wouldn't exactly add hours to the programme of events, they could always do some sort of relay to got through it faster!

Original poster

cazashley · 15/07/2012 14:07

Just re your point about the children knowing how it is organised Roadkill...I think that's part of the problem...they seem to have changed the format this year and previously all children have had a race...so came as a real shock to DS and others when told they were in nothing. Trying to big him up about supporting his mates now and hoping tomorrow will bring some sort of pleasant surprise that we haven't anticipated.

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LeeCoakley · 15/07/2012 14:17

Yes it is annoying when they do things differently to past years but I'm not sure what the answer is. Sports day will be over very quickly this way though!
I think I'd have to say something along the lines of 'Is it worth me turning up this afternoon seeing as how it's a bit selective this year?' Poor ds.

arthurradley · 17/07/2012 18:35

apologies for hijacking thread but have a related plea for help- my child hates sports day. He gives up half way through any event that he finds tough, and generally doesn't try. He was the only one in tears and I honestly don't know how to handle it. He is great at the academic side of things, but just not sporty. Of course I want him to learn that everything doesn't come easily and you don't win everything in life. Any suggestions for me on how to handle this? It is becoming an often repeated scenario here!

Fuzzymum1 · 17/07/2012 20:06

Our primary school is very careful to ensure everyone is included in sports day. I would definitely be upset in your situation. My youngest is in reception and when it came to sports day he was unable to take part as he had broken his arm so his teacher found him a job helping her so he didn't feel left out.

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