It was an exciting day at the First CAT Athletics Competition.
On Friday, 48 children from Year 5 and Year 6 had the thrilling opportunity to participate in the first CAT Athletics Competition at The Alexander Stadium in Birmingham. Recognised as one of England's premier athletics venues, it is the largest facility of its kind in the United Kingdom. The stadium also proudly hosted both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, as well as the athletics and para-athletics competitions.
A total of nine schools took part in the event, with some institutions fielding multiple teams, resulting in a competitive tally of thirteen teams. Each athlete engaged in one track event (running), one field event (either throwing or jumping), and a relay.
The atmosphere during the event was electrifying. The children reported that the cheers from the audience motivated them as they competed, and there was a remarkable spirit of sportsmanship, with competitors congratulating one another after races and events finished.
At the end of the competition, numerous medals were awarded, including bronze, silver, and gold for each event. The children expressed immense pride as they stood on the podium. Birchwood returned home with an impressive total of thirty-five medals, including golds awarded to Atipaishe for the 100m, Archie W and Maddison for the 600m, Indie for the 800m, Eva for the javelin, and Maxwell, Maddison, and Imogen for the standing long jump, as well as Summer for the shot put and the Year 5 boys' relay team.
The results are in! Birchwood Team 1 secured fifth place with 145 points, Birchwood Team 2 claimed third place with 166 points, while Birchwood Team 3 finished eighth with a score of 134 points. Congratulations to all the children who participated!
What a fantastic day we had at this premier sporting venue, where so many world-class athletes have competed.
As part of the Academies Art Curriculum Network Group’s enrichment programme, Birchwood participated in a collaborative textile art project themed ‘Unity’. Alongside seven other schools, 16 of our children contributed to a large-scale wall-hanging that will be displayed in a central location within our Trust, following a showcase in each participating school. Mary Taylor from Crazy Mary Crafts led the project, sharing her expertise in creative workshops. It was an enjoyable day and our children's sewing skills truly shone!
On Friday, 20th June, our Year 4 boys' and girls' football team took part in the CAT Challenge Cup tournament at Aston Villa's prestigious Inner City Academy. This event brought together ten of our Trust schools and well over 100 enthusiastic children. Despite it being a very warm afternoon, both Birchwood teams performed exceptionally well, demonstrating true teamwork and sportsmanship while thoroughly enjoying their afternoon of football.
Congratulations to our girls' team, who managed to win two, draw two, and lose two of their six games, finishing third overall. They played with huge smiles on their faces and celebrated every goal as if it were a World Cup winner!
Well done also to our boys' team. The boys' teams were split into two groups. Thanks to a couple of last-minute screamers, the boys managed to top their group after winning five games and drawing one. In the final, the boys emerged as comfortable 2-0 winners, retaining the CAT Challenge Cup that they had secured the previous year.
We would like to thank Mr Chape from Wood End Primary for arranging the competition this year. We also want to extend our gratitude to all the staff at Aston Villa for hosting the event, and to our own Aston Villa coach, Jack Johnson, for organising and managing the entire occasion. Well done to all participants for contributing to a successful and memorable tournament.