Sports Day!

Well, we lost, but only just, and we gave it a good go. Just a shame the Head of House who won will be insufferable all year!!! If we'd only had more year 9s and year 10s taking part - an extra 13 competitors, each coming last and gaining 1 point each, would have made all the difference. Let's hope the Year 7s and 8s who ran their socks off this year will remember that.

So many great scenes ... for example the Year 10 boy who ran alongside the Year 8 girl who was near the back of the group in the 1500m, encouraging her and helping her to keep going. The group of year 7 girls who joined their friend who I'm sure must have been on the point of being lapped, round the far side of the track, away from all the spectators, again accompanying her so she finished. The Year 9 boys' relay, featuring 2 Year 9s, a Year 7 and a Year 8, who just wanted to make sure there was a team in the race, the Year 8 girl who ran in the Girls' Relay for the Year 8s, 9s and 10s, in a row. And won two of them, at least. The hurdles, where one boy went down, managed to get up, crossed the line and collapsed in pain, and the first boy over was the one who had only managed to come in front of him because he'd gone down, who checked he was okay. The boy who ran in almost any race he could, even though he's not particularly fast, in order to make sure our house was represented. The sheer power, strength and speed of a Year 8 and a Year 10 boy, who make spinting look so easy - every muscle in their bodies must be going for it with all their strength, yet they both look so relaxed when they run, win the race, then get ready for the next one while others are in heaps at the finishing line. The photo finishes among the girls' races. The teachers' relay race, this year a close run race. The spectators in the stands shouting, yelling, waving their hands, their placards, their t-shirts, the bunting in the air, empowering their competitors. The music - Rocky, Thriller, Chariots of Fire, We Will Rock You, YMCA - that keep us all running, shouting, dancing, excited over the five hours or so, and especially during the longer races. The disappointed faces of the pupils that go over for events only to discover that they arrived a bit late, through no fault of their own, and have missed the event - yet come back and instead of complaining ask what else they can do.

It's been great. My form were great. And next year, we're going to win!