Manor Green Primary Academy recently held an ‘Aspire to Inspire’ week leading to the arrival of some big names such as Stacy Copeland, Anya Waugh, Ash Randall and Tracey Webster.
The school focused on experiences and aspirations, encouraging pupils to aspire to do something in the future which will inspire others.
Throughout the week, teachers introduced the children to some inspirational people either in person or through learning. This included parents and key workers such as ambulance drivers.
The school introduced KS2 to Stacey Copeland, the first-ever British Woman to win the Commonwealth title in 2018.
Stacey spoke to the children about the challenges she faced, particularly related to females being unable to access some sports, how she overcame these challenges and her achievements.
Later in the week, children were introduced to Anya Waugh; Anya spoke about her disability but how she had not let this stop her in life. She visited the school a day after achieving four gold medals in wheelchair racing in the U18 National Junior Championships.
Ash Randall also visited the school, sharing his Freestyle Football talents and showing the children some of his Guinness World Record Holder certificates.
Younger pupils in KS1 had a visit from the ambulance service, with many of the children expressing they wanted to drive an ambulance when they were older.
Staff and parents were also included in the week as one parent visited the school to share her singing talent; this inspired some pupils to sing in front of her and the rest of their class.
Many staff shared their talents and current aspirations, including gardeners, candle makers, Kettlebell champions, musicians, a child minister and much more.
In addition to guest speakers, the children also learnt about other inspirational people, including David Attenborough, Mae Jemison, Marcus Rashford, Greta Thunberg, Ibtihaj Muhammed, Yusuf Islam and Cat Stevens.
Victoria Saville, Principal at Manor Green Primary Academy, said: “The week was a great success, and we hope this has begun to help our children have some great aspirations in the future.
“We are incredibly grateful for all the guests who took the time to visit the school and inspire everyone, including staff and pupils.
“We are already thinking about more ways to inspire our children next academic year. If anyone feels they could help, we would love to hear from you. “
Manor Green Primary Academy forms part of Focus-Trust. This charitable primary school trust is based in the Northwest of England and West Yorkshire with a vision of providing ‘great schools at the heart of our communities’ where children thrive, achieve and succeed.
