The Woodlander

Woodlands Academy
Good sports!
2015 Special Schools’ Games
In late November a group of students from our BTEC Sport Extended Diploma course spent the day at the Xcel Centre where
they helped to organise and officiate at the 2015 Special Schools’ Games.
Hundreds of staff and students from all over the West Midlands gathered to take part in a vast number of sports and games
events. Our students were in charge of organising the games which included draughts, darts and Connect Four.
Year 12 student Kris Roscoe said “Our main objective was to assist disabled children to participate in the various games. We
had to help plan and organise the games, as well as taking the time to talk to and get to know the students. The feedback
was that they really enjoyed themselves. This experience helped teach us patience and empathy and how to communicate
with students with a range of needs. It also showed us how to adapt and to differentiate the way we played in order to
accommodate all the students. We all gained positive experience from this and are grateful we got to help with the event.
We had to deal with some difficult and sensitive situations and we are proud of the way that we represented the school. I
think that we took away as much from this experience as the students who participated.”
The group were accompanied by PE staff Mr Austin and Mr Williams who said “We think this experience reflects the sort of
student we get at Woodlands Academy, and how they step up to the mark when they are asked to help others.” The staff
also said they were proud of the students for their enthusiasm, care and patience. This was a fantastic experience for the
students and will be a great addition to their personal CV’s or UCAS personal statements.
The organisers have since been in touch to complement the group and award them certificates recognising their
contribution.
A helping hand at Christmas
As well as fundraising for good causes, at Woodlands
Academy we try to help people in other ways too.
Before Christmas students and staff were asked to bring in any items
they could that would be suitable to fit into a shoe box that could be given
to a homeless person at Christmas.
To help the Coventry Comfort Carers charity, who support homeless
people, students filled shoe boxes with items suitable for different ages
and genders and also wrote a Christmas card to put in each shoe box,
which they then wrapped. The shoe boxes contained items such as
scarves, gloves, warm socks as well as chocolate and toiletries.
Representatives from the charity then came in to school to collect the shoe boxes so that they could distribute them to those
most in need.
Coventry Cyrenians, a Coventry based charity that support homeless and vulnerable people, benefitted from the generosity
of the West Coventry Sixth Form before Christmas after they collected five large boxes full of food, toiletries, hats, gloves and
scarves.
The gift was gratefully received and John Sexton, the Quality Manager of Coventry Cyrenians, has since emailed us to say
“Thank you to your Sixth Form students for the very generous donation of food and toiletries in support of our Christmas
meal. These sort of gifts make a real difference to our residents and visitors so we really appreciate the gifts on their behalf.
Thanks again for the continued support from students at Woodlands Academy and the WCSF.”
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