The Youth Sport Trust’s annual celebration of National School Sports Week takes place from 16–22 June this year, and England Netball is proud to support the initiative.
This year, National School Sports Week is calling on schools, families and organisations to champion 60 minutes of PE, sport and play every day to help all young people be Always Active.
As an organisation, England Netball is committed to ensuring that netball is a game for life, and we continue to work hard to grow the number of children getting active by playing Bee Netball in schools.
As a team sport, netball supports the social development of children alongside their physical skills. Through a collaborative approach with the Youth Sport Trust and their nationwide network of School Games Organisers (SGOs), England Netball has worked with 4,400 schools this academic year to support the children who started school during the COVID-19 pandemic and therefore missed out on key early social development stages. 48,000 children have been involved and benefited – 31% of whom are from ethnically diverse communities, and 8% have SEND.
England Netball has supported with the delivery of Bee Netball Festivals across the country. By creating inclusive opportunities to connect, play and grow, Bee Netball is helping SGOs to introduce the sport, and importantly the Beeliefs that sit behind the programme, to support children’s social and emotional development.
Take a look at the video below where SGOs, teachers and children reflect on their experiences at a Bee Netball Festival in Marlow, Buckinghamshire.
England Netball’s network of Netball Development Officers and the wider Netball Family have also worked closely with schools to support the delivery of Bee Netball over the past year.
Debbie Spindlow, Netball Development Officer for Berkshire, brought Berkshire County Netball Association together with local SGOs to run masterclasses for teachers, Bee Netball Festivals, and a bespoke session for Year 6 young leaders at a local primary school thanks to funding support from Berkshire County Netball Association.
Reflecting on the collaborative approach, Debbie said: “I built relationships with SGOs, explained our aims with regards to Bee Netball and listened to how they wanted to run the programme in their area. I then worked with Berkshire CNA in tandem to explain our priorities when it came to Bee Netball and they were keen to support.”
Similar stories have taken place up and down the country, with over 60% of SGOs delivering Bee Netball in the last academic year. This number highlights not just the sport’s growth, but its wider impact beyond the court with the programme designed to support every child’s personal and social development. Underpinned by our Beeliefs, Bee Netball’s core values focus on building self-belief as well as creating a strong sense of community and belonging. Through continued hard work from the Youth Sports Trust, England Netball and the Netball Family, the number of children benefitting from Bee Netball is expected to keep growing.
Find out more about National School Sports Week here, where you can also sign up to access free resources, exclusive activity packs and challenges, and be in with a chance to win exciting prizes for your school, family or organisation.
