Portree Primary School, has been recognised with a prestigious national award for innovation and achievement in delivering physical education and extra-curricular sport.
The School Sport Award is a national initiative that is designed to encourage schools to continuously improve the quality and quantity of physical education and school sport opportunities. They also encourage the sporting links between schools and the communities around them.
Stewart Harris, Chief Executive of sportscotland said:
“I would like to congratulate all of the staff and pupils at Portree Primary School for putting quality physical education and school sport at the heart of the school. They should be proud of this fantastic achievement.”
“We are building a world-class sporting system for everyone, and a crucial part of that is putting young people at the centre of our efforts. Working with our partners in local authorities and governing bodies of sport, we are creating closer links between physical education, school sport and club sport, which benefits young people by providing more and better opportunities to take part in sport.”
John Finlayson Head Teacher at Portree Primary said:
“We are absolutely delighted to be awarded the sportscotland Gold School Sport Award and to be the first Highland and Islands school to receive this award. This award recognises the hard work of staff members, parents and the wider community, who all help the school to deliver regular activities which support Health and Wellbeing and the involvement of pupils of all ages in different sports.
“Every pupil at Portree Primary School gets opportunities to develop their sporting skills and fitness through varied curricular and extra-curricular activities and we are indebted to the number of parents and community members who give freely of their time, to enable us to offer so many sporting opportunities to so many pupils. The ongoing dedication of all stakeholders also allows our children to compete successfully in many sporting events on Skye, Highland wide and also at national level and this in turn motivates them to follow pathways into sport with a number of local clubs. Receiving this award will hopefully encourage everyone to continue with the great work that currently takes place and I am sure that the pupils, staff, parent body and the wider community, will be proud of the school’s achievement.”
To achieve a bronze or silver sportscotland School Sport Award, schools self assess their current practice. However, to gain gold status an extensive external assessment is also carried out by an independent panel of experts.
The Young People’s Sports Panel were central in the development of the School Sport Award which means that young people were able to input at the earliest opportunity.
The award will help ensure that quality physical education and school sport is at the heart of each school and its wider community. They will also encourage schools to ensure there are opportunities for all children and young people to engage, participate and reach their potential in this area.
Throughout the assessment process schools are encouraged to reflect on current practice and focus on continual improvement. Support and guidance is available to schools to help improve the quality and quantity of physical education, physical activity, and sport opportunities available to children and young people.
