Sporting success

Two St Helens primary schools are celebrating after becoming the first in the borough to achieve the Platinum School Games Mark award.

Awarded to schools that show longstanding commitment to PE and school sport – as well as a consistently high level of engagement in the school games programme co-ordinated by St Helens Council – Bleak Hill Primary School and St Aidan’s Primary School in Billinge are two of only 352 schools nationally to receive the accolade.

In recognition of their fine achievements, pupils and staff from both schools were invited in to St Helens Town Hall where they had the opportunity to show off their certificates to the Mayor and Mayoress of St Helens, Councillor Pat Ireland and Lynn Glover, in the Mayor’s Parlour – with St Helens Council’s portfolio holders for leisure services and education, Councillor Anthony Burns and Joe Pearson, also among those in attendance.

As well as Bleak Hill and St Aidan’s scooping platinum, 17 schools have won gold status; 13 silver – while five schools have been presented with the bronze award.

Sports development officer, Danny Bacon, said: “The awarding of the Platinum School Games Mark to Bleak Hill and St Aidan’s is testament to the hard work of their PE leads, Rob Morley and Stephen Moore, as well as the support that they receive from senior leadership staff and their fellow colleagues. The vast number and wide range of opportunities that they provide for their pupils to take part in sport and physical activity fully justifies the award.”