YOUNGSTERS at Batchley First School are savouring a phenomenal year of sporting success at both district and county level.
Pupils at the Cherry Tree Walk school have been crowned Trinity Pyramid football and cross country champions, Redditch hockey, tennis and basketball champions and Redditch golf and cricket runners-up.
The achievements have also reached county level, with Batchley First finishing runners-up in the Worcestershire School Games tennis and third in the hockey.
Headteacher Matt Whiteley said: “It’s been a really exceptional year for us here – in fact we have excelled in the last few years – and we are looking to build on this now and become more and more successful.
“What’s been really satisfying is the fact we have key children involved in the teams – in the sense some play for more than one of them – but we have lots of children contributing.
“For example, of our successful tennis A team, only one plays tennis outside school.”
Mr Whiteley says the success is not down to luck, but the hard work of pupils and staff.
“Our PE co-ordinator Faye Douglas, along with Lisa Timbrell and Hazel Claris who works with the hockey team, have done a wonderful job with the coaching and personal development of our youngsters,” said the headteacher.
“We want to see these young boys and girls go on to achieve sporting success at as high a level as possible, but just as important is their fitness, healthy diet and respect for the opposition and others off the field of play.
“Our youngsters are known as Batchley Vipers and take a lot of pride in wearing the badge on their shirts and I am sure they will go on to achieve more success as they go on to represent Birchensale Middle School as part of the Trinity High Pyramid.”
