by Lily R in Year 8

On Wednesday 14 March 2018, myself and fourteen other Deer Park pupils went to Twickenham to watch the U15 and U18 Schools Cup rugby finals. The atmosphere was electric, it was crazy! At one point, the supporters of the two teams were singing at each other, cheering on their schools. Even though only one side of the stands was full, the crowd was roaring. This taste of rugby has made me more interested in the sport and has made me question what it would be like if I went to a match with England playing another country, where the whole stadium would be full with bellowing people.

I thoroughly enjoyed this trip and I really appreciated being invited. The matches were very exciting and some were very impressive. All the schools were very talented, a few of the players just sprinted straight forward pushing back any defenders, resulting in scoring a try.

I found this outing fun but interesting at the same time. The venue was massive and I liked the experience of going to a national rugby stadium. I have really liked being part of the ‘Talent ID’ programme as it has boosted my confidence and has helped me become a better all-round sports person. Huge thanks to the teachers who made this possible and who came on the day.

Pupils who are selected for our PE Talent ID programme have consistently been performing at the top of their year group in PE, showing excellent levels of knowledge, skill and understanding in a number of sports. They take part in a weekly lunchtime club with the aim to develop each pupil’s talents. It is a privilege and a fantastic chance for these ‘chosen pupils’ to have the extra time required to enhance their knowledge, skill, fitness, leadership and tactical understanding across a wide range of sports.  This development is essential for the pupils if they want to sufficiently progress to higher standards of performance. Their levels of progression in will also be monitored in PE lessons.