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

Outline of 2022/23 programme: 

Associate schools receive a weekly coaching or competitive sport session within the IGS PSL.

• In ‘coaching’ blocks, four schools attend on a Tuesday and four schools attend on a Wednesday with each school receiving a weekly coaching session.
• In ‘competition’ blocks (football and rounders) ALL eight schools will attend one evening with two kick-off times for the football matches.
• Additional friendly and taster tournaments are interspersed, aided by some student sports leaders from Post-16 to assist young people in gaining coaching experience. 

PSL dates	Half term	Start (Wk Beg)	End (Wk End)	Time (Weeks)
Term 1	HT 1: Sep – Oct	26th Sept	21st Oct	4
	HT 2: Oct - Christmas	7th Nov	9th Dec	5
Term 2	HT 1: Jan – Feb	2nd Jan	10th Feb	6
	HT 2: Feb – Easter	20th Feb	31st March	6
Term 3	HT 1: April – May	17th April	26th May	6
	HT 2: June – July	12th June	14th July	5

What did the 2021/22 programme offer?

• ‘Coaching’ block on Tuesdays, with schools attending every other week.
• ‘Competitive’ block on Wednesdays, all eight schools attended each Wednesday.
• In a two-week period, schools were offered 3 sessions (ONE Tuesday coaching, TWO Wednesday competitive events).

Brief outline of the changes to the programme ahead of 22/23:

Following consultations in the summer term of the 21/22 academic year, it was discussed that numerous schools in the network were struggling to commit to the two evenings a week. A request was made to reduce the contact hours in order to assist attendance of some schools. The programme has now in essence reduced the school two-weekly contact time by one session (roughly 33%). My two nights a week will offer a mix of coaching and competition. These will all focus on developing the 6 new IGS ‘Pride’ personal best values seen below in the picture.

• In ‘coaching’ blocks, I will host 4 schools on Tuesday, 4 schools on a Wednesday, with each schools receiving a weekly coaching session instead of bi-weekly.
• In the ‘competition’ blocks (Football and rounders) ALL eight schools will attend one evening, with two kick-off times for the football as in last year’s programme.
• I aim to intersperse some additional friendly/taster tournaments, aided by some student sports leaders in the 6^th form to assist young people gain some coaching experience.

2022/23 ‘Hybrid’ programme: Tues/Wed Hybrid coaching and competition hybrid

Tuesday AND Wednesday ‘Coaching + Competition hybrid’ 3:45pm-5pm
Block	Sport and details	Time
1 (+ 2)	‘Quick sticks’ Hockey Year 4/5 Mixed 3:50pm arrival, 4-5pm Ben Rhydding Hockey astro (Trainers) 8 Schools each week (4 Tues, 4 Wed) Culminating tournament 10 students from each school Gum shields and shin pads advised COACHING	HT 1 4 weeks and 2 weeks after Oct HT
2	Y5 taster team festivals (Dodgeball/benchball, end ball/handball/frisbee and football friendly) 10 students from each school 3:50pm arrival, 4-5pm 8 Schools each week (4 Tues, 4 Wed) Ben Rhydding hockey astro (Trainers) COACHING/COMPETITION	3 weeks to Xmas
3	Year 5/6 Football Boys + Girls ITFC 3G Astro (Boots) All 8 Schools, two kick-off times, Wednesdays Two ‘pools’ of 4-team Round robin 9 a-side boys, 7 a-side girls, unlimited subs No offsides, 5-meter kick ins Halfway retreat (Girls) Boots and shinpads required COMPETITION	HT 3 6 weeks ‘pool matches’
4	Tag Rugby Year 3/4 Mixed 3:50pm arrival, 4-5pm Ben Rhydding Hockey astro (Trainers) 8 Schools each week (4 Tues, 4 Wed) Culminating friendly matches 10 students from each school Gum shields recommended COACHING	HT4 6 weeks
5	‘Kwik Cricket’ OR ‘High 5’ Netball (Facility dependant) Year 4/5 Mixed 3:50pm arrival, 4-5pm Ben Rhydding Hockey astro (Trainers) 8 Schools each week (4 Tues, 4 Wed) Culminating friendly matches 10 students from each school COACHING/COMPETITION	HT5 4 weeks   2 weeks coaching, 2 weeks friendly matches
6	Rounders competition: Year 5/6 Mixed 3:50pm arrival, 4-5pm IGS Fields (Trainers) One evening, all 8 schools 10 students from each school Cumulative score winners Uses last 2 weeks of block 5 COMPETITION	HT 5 + 6, 7 weeks