THE Firs School in Chester is delighted to announce it has retained the School Games Mark Platinum Award.

The school has held this since 2021 and is one of only a few schools in Cheshire to be awarded at this level.

A spokesperson for the school said this is a fantastic achievement and a result of the hard work and dedication of  the Firs School staff, who ensure  pupils enjoy a variety of sporting opportunities during their time at the school.

The School Games Mark is a government-led awards scheme that launched in 2012 that recognises schools for commitment to the development of physical education and competition across their school and into the wider community.

The programme is designed to keep competitive sport at the heart of schools and provide more young people with the opportunity to compete and achieve their personal best. 

David Girvan, headteacher at The Firs School, said: "We really value the importance of both physical health and mental health and wellbeing, as we know that healthy, happy children learn well.

(Image: The Firs)

"We’re proud of all staff who worked to achieve this award, creating positive experiences for our pupils, and of course, proud of our pupils who take part in sporting activities at The Firs School.

"Competitive sport is an important focus of our active programme, as we believe that it encourages children to aim high while also developing character, resilience and teamwork skills.

"Participation in this scheme gives our school the chance to evaluate our PE provision and assists us in always looking forwards to evolving our endeavours.

"Furthermore, the inclusive nature of our school means that every child gets the opportunity to represent the school, should they want to, and this is recognised by the high percentages of children who have engaged with fixtures and after school activities throughout the year."

The Firs School was awarded it for their strength in the following areas: attendance at local, regional and national sporting events; being physically literate through the school day; engaging high percentages of children in physical after school clubs; and encouraging young leaders to be sporting ambassadors: empowering them to lead sporting activities throughout the year.