Premier League trophy brings football fever to south London
Pupils at High View Primary School in Wallington were treated to an assembly with a difference when the Premier League Trophy paid a special visit to their school.
The Trophy was shared with children by Graham Robinson of the Premier League who led an interactive assembly that saw the whole school take part in Iceland’s famous ‘Thunder Clap’ during a World Cup quiz.
The visit was part of a whole morning of football for children, with coaches from Palace for Life Foundation delivering a range of sessions in the classroom and on the playground.
Robinson, who has travelled the world as a coach with the Premier Skills programme, explained more about the Trophy’s visit: “It’s all about engaging young fans and young people and encouraging them to be more healthy. It doesn’t necessarily have to be in the footballing area, through Premier League Primary Stars we also use reading and writing to reach young people.
“We’ve only had 58 Trophy visits [to primary schools, out of a total of 24,000 schools], so these schools are very privileged and I hope the children enjoyed the day.”
Foundation coaches ran sessions including Team Mates, which focuses on building children’s self-confidence and resilience, and Healthy Eagles, which helps to educate young people about healthy eating and staying active. There were also football games and activities for the whole school running on the playground throughout the morning.
Liz Brailsford, Head Teacher at High View Primary School, felt the day would live long in the memory of everyone at the school.
She said: “For many of our children this will be the highlight of their time at school. For them to actually see the trophy and have this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is amazing.
“To have the link with Palace and for the Foundation to give all sorts of activities throughout the day has been really special. There’s a real buzz in the whole school, from the staff, through to the governors, the parents and the children.”
Primary School Programme Manager Sam Bacon added: “The power of football and the Premier League is incredibly strong and helps us to reach young people with important lessons about staying healthy and building their self-esteem. We had a great day at High View Primary School and we are really glad that the children enjoyed it too!”