Smiles all round at Panathlon event

In partnership with Panathlon Challenge, South Cambs School Sports Partnership has this week hosted two sports competitions for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Both events were hosted at Comberton Village College and supported by an excellent group of sports leaders from the college who did an amazing job in organising and delivering all of the activities as well as encouraging the children as they took part in the different challenges.

Seven Primary schools took part in the Panathlon Multi Skills event with teams of 6-8 children participating in a carousel of inclusive activities including boccia blast, new age kurling, basketball, parachute popcorn, precision beanbag and skittles. At each activity children had the opportunity to gain points for their school.

Congratulations to Elsworth Primary School who managed to accumulate the highest score across the 8 activities and were presented with the gold medals, and now going forward to represent South Cambs at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough School Games Disability & Inclusion Festival in March.

Other primary schools taking part included Hardwick & Cambourne who finished as runners up along with The Meadow, Histon & Impington Brook, Cottenham, Swavesey & Pendragon.

Following the primary event in the morning seven teams from 6 secondary schools including Linton, Melbourn, Granta, Gretton, Impington and Comberton took part in a KS3 Panathlon Challenge Xtend competition with pupils again taking part in teams of 6-8 and working together to score points for their team in sports such as athletics, boccia, new age kurling and cricket. Congratulations to the team from Gretton who narrowly beat last years winners Comberton and now go forward to the county finals on 23rd March where they will represent South Cambs and take on the best teams from Huntingdonshire, Cambridge, East Cambs, Fenland & Peterborough.

Partnership manager, Claire McDonnell said, “It was great to host today’s events. It is always so nice to see the smiles on the children’s faces as they take part in the activities. Events like this are about developing new skills, forming new friendships, boosting confidence, and most importantly having fun and I definitely think all of that was evident here today.”