Ormskirk Primary School in West Lancashire don’t just enjoy being at Panathlon events – they enjoy the journey to get there too!
As a public transport user himself, teacher Duncan Peetoom has taken his teams to Panathlon events on buses and trains, and that’s become part of the fun of the day.
“I’ve been using public transport as much as possible with children over the last fifteen plus years,” he says. “If I can get to an event on the train, or if it’s doable on buses, it does save money. It’s a big part of the experience!”
Ormskirk were part of the National Primary Ten-Pin Bowling Final after winning the West Lancashire regional event in January.
“I do all the sports, I’m Mr Sport in school,” he jokes. “In Friday’s celebration assembly, I always get the teams up and talk about it.
“We made a big fuss of the Panathlon team!”
Duncan has been pleased to see his pupils get more and more involved with sport and physical activity after taking part in Panathlon – indeed, that was his hope from the start.
“I really wanted to focus on the children who were not currently accessing extra-curricular sport, who haven’t taken part in other sporting events,” he says, adding that one child with mobility issues who had not been interested in any sports is now keen on ten-pin bowling and has been to the alley with his family.
“It’s given him something that was maybe missing: a physical activity that suits him, something that he wants to do.”
He has also relished seeing children develop their social skills, even though they might have been more isolated within a larger group.
“The best knock-on for me is the social aspect,” he says. “That’s sport, isn’t it? You make new friends through sports.
“You’re making friends because you happen to be in the same place as each other, and you have a shared interest.”
