Since 2007, the Tunbridge Wells School Sports Partnership has run a week of multi skills carnivals for key stage 1 pupils. Each year these carnivals continue to grow, with close to 1,000 KS1 students attending this year’s events.

In total, 28 schools took part in the carnivals at Cranbrook Rugby Club (Tuesday 30 June and Wednesday 1 July) and at Southfields, Tunbridge Wells (Thursday 2 and Friday 3 July). Each day saw around 240 key stage one children, 50 key stage two Young Leaders, 25 Sports Leaders and 18 Work Experience students working together on a range of activities.

Multi-skills activities are designed to develop the fundamental movement skills and basic sports skills of young people so that they can progress within a range of sports. The activities that were used at the carnivals focused on agility, balance, coordination and movement (dance).

Young sports leaders from primary schools together with senior sports leaders from secondary schools ran each activity for groups of ten children. Groups then rotated through a series of stations to practice a range of skills and work with many different leaders.

As well as taking part in the activities, schools were given the chance to attend the carnival representing a specific nation. The countries were distributed before the event, giving schools a chance to prepare the children with costumes, flags and banners. This also gave the participating schools a chance to use their countries in cross curricular activities leading up to the carnivals. Each day staff selected a school they felt best represented their designated nation, with the winning school being awarded £50 to spend on purchasing new sports equipment.

Two additional awards were presented on each day to two pupils who had stood out during the activities. The Multi Skills Achiever Award was presented to a boy and girl that had improved considerably during the course of the carnival, developing new skills as well as demonstrating huge amounts of effort and enthusiasm.

Tuesday 30th June   School Country     Colliers Green New Zealand     Benenden France     Woodchurch China     Cranbrook South Africa     Tenterden Infants USA     Tenterden Infants Brazil     Staplehurst Germany   Best Represented Nation – Colliers Green Multi-Skills Achiever - Emily R (Cranbrook) Multi-Skills Achiever - Ethan B (Tenterden Infants)

Wednesday 1st July   School Country     Frittenden Canada     High Halden Ireland     John Mayne Japan     Rolvenden Fiji     Lamberhurst Namibia     Goudhurst & Kilndown Argentina     Wittersham Turkey   Best Represented Nation – John Mayne Multi-Skills Achiever - Danny S (John Mayne) Multi-Skills Achiever - Holly S (Lamberhurst)

Thursday 2nd July   School Country     Pembury Australia     St Johns Russia     St James Infants Tobago     St Peters Holland     St Marks Peru     St Barnabus Kenya   Best Represented Nation – St Peters Multi-Skills Achiever - Krystian C (St Barnabus) Multi-Skills Achiever - Nancy B (St Johns)

Friday 3rd July   School Country     St Augustines Paraguay     Brenchley & Matfield Paraguay     St Matthews Thailand     Broadwater Mexico     Oakley England     Sherwood Egypt     Southborough Italy     Claremont Nigeria   Best Represented Nation – Broadwater Multi-Skills Achiever - Jenny H (Brenchley & Matfield) Multi-Skills Achiever - Sam T (Sherwood Park)

A huge thank you to:

• All of the schools for taking part
• The young sports leaders from primary schools
• The senior sports leaders from Angley School – A Sports College, Tunbridge Wells Girls Grammar School, Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Boys, Skinners School and Bennett School
• Cranbrook Rugby Club and Skinners School for allowing us the use of their facilities