Let’s get physical – showing kids world outside Dinnington

Staff at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School say three-quarters of residents in the Rotherham suburb are in the lowest quarter per cent of earnings.

Their workload includes not just teaching the children, but feeding them and motivating them to succeed in life...encouraging them to see there is a world outside of Dinnington.

They believe they are making strides towards that goal, and are using physical education and a return to competitive sports as a tool to encourage youngsters to flourish.

There has been national recognition for St Joseph’s, too.

They have been awarded a government-led gold sport mark award, handed to schools which “teach outstanding PE and create positive experiences for children”.

Headteacher Laura Atkinson, assistant head Charlie Shelton and PE teacher Mark Richardson are thrilled with the progress so far - but don’t shy away from the challenges many of the kids face every day.

They fear that not every parent knows the true value of healthy living and are unable to provide opportunities for their youngsters to broaden their knowledge away from the town.

Mr Shelton explained: “PE is a priority for us, as we know some children might not have a garden to play outside in and don’t have opportunities.

“We need these children to be active and we want to open doors for them, making sure healthy living is prioritised.”

The assistant head said some parents might not be switched on to lifestyle issues and the school aimed to guide the youngsters on the right path.

“Last time I checked 72 per cent of people in the area lived in the bottom 25 per cent income bracket” he said.

“That says all you need to know about the opportunities these children don’t get.”

Staff at St Joseph’s believe some children rarely leave Dinnington.

“They don’t go to Meadowhall...there is no train station; they don’t know what is out there.

“I would say way over half of our parents don’t drive,” said Mr Shelton.

Measured being taken include a return to competitive sports.

Generally, the accent has gone away from competitive league-table-oriented sports in favour of a “festival” approach - but St Joseph’s is turning back the clock and arranging tournaments.

“We have attended 16 competitions at the local high school covering a wide range of sports,” said Mr Shelton.

“Five local primary schools are setting up a football league to bring back competitive football just as it used to be; this will start in September. This is amazing for the community.”

There have been successes, with two children scouted by Rotherham Schoolboys and one coming in the top three of a national competition for powerlifting, press ups, deadlifts and other “Cross Fit” exercises.

The head said one child has responded so well to PE that he had “come out of his shell” - taking centre stage in a Year 6 Leavers Dance event which was attended by the entire school and parents.

Mrs Atkinson described the Dinnington community as “fabulous” and said staff want boys and girls to show pride in St Joseph's badge when they represented the school and the values it teaches.