IGS WHARFE VALLEY PRIMARY SPORTS LEAGUE

The IGS Wharfe Valley Primary Sports League is a long-lasting sports partnership held between Ilkley Grammar School and eight partnership primary schools within the local catchment area. The association utilise numerous first-class facilities in the local area including:

• Ben Rhydding Hockey Club astro turfs
• Ilkley Town Football Clubs 3G astro turf,
• IGS school fields, sports hall and swimming pool.

Local primary school children from Years 3-6 are afforded the opportunity to participate in a mixture of sports coaching sessions and engage in competitive sporting fixtures. Ilkley Grammar school students in Years 9 to 13 are given the opportunity to develop responsibility and organisation as sports leaders by assisting at the events.

The coaching sessions and festivals use sport as a vehicle to help students become excellent friends and excellent citizens whilst developing sporting prowess. There is a large focus on developing the social and moral awareness of young children, centred around the six IGS ‘Personal Best’ values which aim to promote students to demonstrate: Pride; Respect; Courage; Responsibility; Kindness and Resilience.

The programme is currently led by Adam Ewbank, teacher of PE at Ilkley Grammar School.

We have the pleasure of collaborating with our eight associate primary schools:

• Ben Rhydding
• Sacred Heart
• Ashlands
• All Saints
• Addingham
• Menston
• Burley and Woodhead
• Burley Oaks

IGS Wharfe Valley Primary Sports League

2025/2026 programme FIRM dates:

PSL dates	Half term	Start (Wk Beg)	End (Wk End)	Time (Weeks)
Term 1	HT 1: Sep – Oct HT	21/9/26	23/10/26	5
	HT 2: Oct - Xmas	9/11/26	11/12/26	5
Term 2	HT 1: Jan – Feb HT	11/1/27	19/2/27	6
	HT 2: Feb – Easter	1/3/27	26/3/27	3
Term 3	HT 1: April – May HT	19/4/27	14/5/27	4
	HT 2: June – End year	17/5/27	9/7/27	6

30 timetabled weeks in academic year

 **Tuesday training nights in ‘coaching blocks’: Menston, Addingham, Burley Woodhead and All Saints

**Wednesday training nights in ‘coaching blocks’: Ashlands, Ben Rhydding, Sacred Heart and Burley Oaks

Summary of existing changes from last TWO academic years:

1. Continued use of enforced points forfeit for competitive matches if <24 hours’ notice given ahead of the start time. Also, an option for schools to forfeit points. This has continued to massively reduce cancellations, late dropouts and resultant catch up weeks, preventing unnecessary elongation of the Football league and make it fairer.
2. The ‘mini tournaments’ in Tag/Hockey/Cricket on the Tuesday or Wednesday nights between the four schools attending that night, rather than all eight will continue in 26/27. To prevent night changes for schools, we will continue to use 4-team mini culminating tournaments on scheduled coaching nights to reduce attendance night changes.
3. After returning to a full league and having two consecutive years of very successful competitive leagues and cups, we will continue the full 8-team football league (9 games per team) rather than a smaller 2-pool league (5 games per team).
4. From feedback last year, there was a huge appetite to re-introduce the Y6 rounders league. This also further aids transition to IGS for students. This year weeks available, weather and school availability has really hampered the competitive tournament. Potential friendly transition tournament or 2 pool approach to replace a full competitive league.
5. Feedback surrounding the Y5 summer recreation sports has been overwhelmingly positive once again, so I am keen to include this again and keep grow the offering into year 3 of its use

Thank you as ever for working with me to continue to develop and evolve our amazing network primary sports league. I feel very lucky to work in such a supportive school community.

2026/2027 IGS Wharfe Valley Primary Sports League overview:

Tuesday AND Wednesday ‘Coaching + Competition hybrid’
Block	Sport and details	Time
1 (Half term 1) Mon 21st Sept - Fri 23rd Oct	Year 3/4 Tag Rugby (TUES + WED) Year 3/4 Mixed 4-5pm 4 weeks coaching, 1 tournament week Ben Rhydding old Hockey astro (Trainers) 8 Schools each week (4 Tues, 4 Wed) Culminating friendly matches on training night 10 students from each school Gum shields recommended. COACHING + Friendly competition	5 weeks
2 (Half term 2-4) Mon 9th Nov – Fri 11th Dec Mon 11th Jan - Fri 19th Feb Mon 1st March - Fri 26th March	Year 5/6 Football Boys + Girls (ALL WEDNESDAYS) ITFC 3G Astro (Boots) All 8 Schools on Wednesdays, two kick-off times Girls and boys alternate weeks Full league, 7 league matches 14 weeks league, 2 weeks champs/Europa knockout (Tues + Wed) 9 a-side boys, 7 a-side girls, unlimited subs No offsides, 5-meter kick ins Halfway retreat from stationary goal kick (Girls) Boots and shinpads required. COMPETITION	5 weeks before Xmas (1 spare if needed for catchup) 6 Jan - Feb HT 3 Feb HT - Easter (1 spare if needed for catch up) TOTAL = 14 (+2 reserve) weeks
3 (Half term 5) Mon 19th April - Fri 14th May	Year 3/4 Football friendlies: ITFC 3G Astro (boots) Full league round robin, 7 league matches 2 weeks boys 2 weeks girls Play all 7 other schools 7 a side, no offside	4 weeks
4 (Half term 5) Mon 17th May - Fri 18th June	Year 5/6 Summer recreation (TUES + WED) Year 5/6 Mixed 3:50pm arrival, 4-5pm IGS Fields (Trainers) Coaching + Competition hybrid 8 Schools each week (4 Tues, 4 Wed) 10 students from each school 3 sessions: 2 x Summer ‘recreational games’ taster (Volleyball, Spikeball, nerf, bat n ball) 1 x Teambuilding and relays night	3 weeks
5 (Half term 6) Mon 21st June - Fri 9th July	Year 6 Rounders league 2 pool (ALL TUESDAYS) Year 6 Mixed  3:50pm arrival, 4-5pm  IGS Fields (Trainers)  One evening, all 8 schools.  10 students from each school  COMPETITION  2 pools, 3 match weeks NOTE: if cancellations, there will be potentially ‘double header’ nights to fit all matches in	3 weeks
	TOTAL	29 (+2) timetabled weeks