PE News

NEARS Sports Day - July 2026

The children from Year 3 to Year 6 took part in a variety of field events and running events: ‘Throwing with a vortex howler’, ‘Bean bag pick up shuttle run’, Standing long jump’, Sprints, Relay and Long distance running. The schools gained points for sporting behaviour as well as for the most points on each event. Handcross Primary School took 1st place and won the Nears Sports Day Cup and Twineham won the cup for Best Sporting Behaviour. Well done, Handcross, we have won the cup again!

Whole School Ultimate Frisbee Day - June 2026

'Frisbee day was fun because I got to throw a lot and learn a new sport.' Phoebe

'I loved the session because I got a goal! I did this by getting it in the end zone' Albie

Whole School Cricket Day - May 2026

Children from across the school have enjoyed a fantastic day of Cricket! We were very lucky to have Oliver from Sussex Cricket come and deliver a whole school cricket day, ahead of the Women's T20 World Cup. Each class was delivered a 'masterclass' in cricket and got to learn some sharpen their skills in catching, hitting and throwing. Thank you so much Sussex Cricket.

Year 6 Climbing Morning- May 2026

Also on Friday 15th, Year 6 enjoyed a very fun morning at Clip n Climb as a treat for working so hard during SATS week. Well done Year 6, we are very proud of you!

Year 5 Football Festival- May 2026

On Friday 15th, 9 girls from Badgers (Y5), had the unique opportunity to take part in the Y5,6&7 Girls Football Festival, at East Grinstead Sports Club. Organised by Mid Sussex Active, the carousel of skills based activities and mini matches were delivered by coaches from the Chelsea Foundation & Crawley Town FC, supported by Sports Leaders from St Paul's. There were some great skills demonstrated by the Handcross girls both on and off the pitch, and their strong sense of spirit & determination was evident throughout the session. A FANTASTIC morning of football that nobody wanted to finish!

Year 4/5 Tennis Festival- May 2026

On the 7th May, selected year 4 and 5 children attended a tennis festival at Warden Park. The children took part in a carousel of different activities relating to tennis and had a wonderful afternoon. They represented the school brilliantly. Well done!

Year 3/4 OAA Trip- May 2026

Alice- 'My favourite bit was when we did abseiling because it was scary but really fun. It was the best day of Year 4 so far.'

Giorgio- 'Deers Leap Farm was really fun! I had to challenge myself because it was a bit scary but I didn't give up. My best part of the day was clip lining because it was challenging!'

Year 3 Primary School Sports Day Athletics Competition- May 2026

On Friday 1st May, selected Caterpillars had an incredible morning and unique opportunity to take part in the Y3 Primary School Sports Day Athletics Competition. It was organised and held at Ardingly College, in conjunction with Mid Sussex Active. Teams from 8 primary schools across the Mid Sussex Area competed in the following track & field events: Vortex Throwing, Long Jump, Shot Put, 50m, 150m, 400m and Obstacle Race (which even included water guns!)

Throughout the morning pupils best scores for each event were recorded and added together - the school with the highest average score won. Whilst we didn't place high enough to win the cup, Handcross finished 2nd in the relay out the 8 schools and had a brilliant time. This was the first time Handcross had taken part - thank Ardingly College and we would love to come again next year. 

Year 3/4 Trigolf Competition- April 2026

On the 29th April, selected children from Year 3/4 had a wonderful afternoon out at East Grinstead Sports Club. They played a series of competitive golf matches against other schools. The children demonstrated Handcross values brilliantly and persevered when playing. Well done!

Year 4 Cricket Festival- April 2026

Selected Year 4 children enjoyed a very sunny day out at Burgess Hill Cricket Club today. They played a range of different games relating to cricket to work on their skills. The children had a lot of fun, playing in the build up to the T20 World Cup. Well done Year 4!

Year 5/6 Netball Finals- April 2026

Congratulations to selected Y5&6 netball players who competed in the Mid Sussex Area Netball Finals this afternoon. Seven schools took part with each school playing six, 10 minute matches umpired by Sports Leaders from St Paul's.

It was a tough competition full of fast paced netball. Once their initial nerves settled, our team's confidence increased match on match and they learnt lots throughout the tournament. They produced some effective passages of play and although they created several goal scoring opportunities, unfortunately not all resulted in goals for Handcross. As always, the team represented themselves & our school with maturity & determination - they should all be proud of what they achieved today to finish joint 6th with Balcombe.

Well done to Windmills and Escots who progress through to the Sussex Finals next week.

Year 3/4 Netball Festival- March 2026

Selected children from Caterpillars and Roe deer spent a great afternoon at the Y3&4 Netball Festival at Warden Park. They completed a variety of activity stations led by Y8 sports leaders which focused on footwork, speed & agility, different netball passes and shooting accuracy, as well as having plenty of fun. There was opportunity to put these skills into action in mini games and we will try out some of the activities at netball club.

Year 5/6 STINGER Netball Competition- March 2026

We are incredibly proud of our netball team who finished in 2nd place at the NEARS Y5&6 Stinger tournament, hosted by St Paul's College and umpired by their sports leaders. This format of netball is played 5 a-side and all players are required to rotate positions following a rota, to ensure the children learn and develop both attack & defence skills. The participating schools all played 5 matches - Handcross won 4 of theirs and narrowly lost 1:2 against Balcombe, who finished in 1st overall. There was strong teamwork, respect, commitment & determination from all 9 Handcross children throughout, and they demonstrated some phenomenal passages of play, especially in their last match - their proud smiles & medals are well deserved.

Year 3/4 Quicksticks Festival- March 2026

Selected Year 3/4 children enjoyed a fun afternoon at Downlands Secondary School for an afternoon filled of hockey! The children practiced hockey based skills such as passing, defending and dribbling the ball in a carousel rotation. Mrs Taylor felt that all the children gave everything a go and represented the school brilliantly. Sophia said "It was fun because we got to play lots of hockey games there. My favourite one was dog ball where we had to pass to each other with someone defending the pass."

Year 6 Bikability- February 2026

Throughout the week, Y6 pupils have taken part in Bikeability sessions on the playground and along local roads. Some were already confident riders, whilst some found it extremely challenging, but all hugely enjoyed themselves, developing new skills, knowledge & confidence. The instructors - Richard, Keith & Paul - were wonderful with the children. Well done Kestrels cyclists, you should be proud of your achievements.

Cross Country Mid Sussex Final- February 2026

Thursday 26th February was a big day for selected Year 5 and 6 children! After placing in the NEARS Cross Country event back in November, the children competed in the Mid Sussex Finals today. They pushed through the kilometres, gave it their all and showed incredible determination, resilience, and team spirit. Competing at finals level is a huge achievement in itself, and we couldn’t be prouder of the way they supported each other and represented our school. Well done, team – you smashed it! Congratulations to Dj, Bella and Marla for qualifying for the Sussex finals in March!

Year 5/6 Basketball Festival- February 2026

8 children from Badgers spent a non-stop, action packed and highly energetic afternoon at the Year 5/6 Basketball Festival, held once again at Haywards Heath College. Leo from Storm Basketball initially led the warm up session with all the participating schools joining in together- Iza described it as 'Intense, but SO fun... and that was only just the warm up!' 

The children completed 3 activities led by the sports leaders working on their passing, dribbling and shooting skills. They supported and encouraged each other with maturing and passion. Well done Badgers! 

KS1 Multi Skills Festival - February 2026

More sporting action, with selected children from Seagulls (Y2) taking part in the KS1 Multi Skills Festival at Warden Park. There was plenty of energy, excitement, determination, persistence and team camaraderie, plus a few initial nerves being in such large and noisy sports halls alongside pupils from 9 other primary schools. Mila said "I thought it would just be us! I didn't know there would be so many other classes here too - Its fun!"

The children had a fantastic time completing a series of activity stations designed & led by the Y8 Sports Leaders, including an ex Handcross pupil who was recognised with choruses of "She was Yellow House captain!" Well done Seagulls - you should be proud of challenging yourselves and representing our school.

Year 5/6 Cricket Festival - January 2026

On Friday, selected Year 5 and 6 girls went to The Triangle in Burgess Hill for a cricket workshop for girls run by Mid Sussex Active. They learnt throwing, catching, batting and bowling skills. Everyone agreed it was great fun!

Year 3/4 Basketball Festival - January 2026

Select year 3 and 4 children enjoyed a fun afternoon at Haywards Heath College today. The children enjoyed a range of games aiming to improve their basketball skills including passing, dribbling and shooting. The session was lead by Storm Basketball Club and sports leaders and the children enjoyed playing alongside other schools from the area.

KS1 Multi Skills Festival - January 2026

Some of our Year 2 children took part in the KS1 Multi Skills Festival at Warden Park. Initially a little nervous due to going to a big secondary school, all ten children were excited and enthusiastic to try the variety of activities designed and led by Year 9 Sports Leaders. They children had lots of fun, as did Mrs Taylor, and they deserve to feel really proud of themselves. Willa said 'My favourite activity was the balloon one because it was dun throwing them in the air.'

Well done all!

Year 5/6 Basketball Competition - December 2025

Year 6 faced some tough teams during the Basketball Competition, at St Pauls, on Wednesday! They played really well showing off our Handcross Values of Respect, Ambition and Determination. Well done team!

Year 5/6 Indoor Athletics Competition - December 2025

A mix of Year 5/6 boys and girls competed in the indoor athletics competition today. They all worked incredibly hard and represented our school so well- coming in 2nd place. We now await to see if they have made it through to the Sussex Finals.

Year 5/6 Cross Country Race- November 2025

Outstanding running, determination and commitment by our competitors at this afternoon's NEARS Y5/6 Cross Country event. Through their combined individual scores, both the Handcross Girls' and Boys' teams finished in 2nd place (out of 7 schools) with just 1 point separating each team from the winners! We are proud of you all and extend an extra special shout out to Dj who won the boys' race ! We now await confirmation who has qualified through to the Mid Sussex Finals, based on their finishing positions today and year group.

Year 6 Sports Leader Training- October 2025

Our House Captains & Vice Captains had great fun completing a Sports Crew training session at Warden Park this afternoon. After discussing what makes a good sports leader and possible considerations when planning activities, they worked in pairs to design 4 simple but fun activities suitable for Y1&2 children, aimed to develop basic throwing, catching, running & jumping skills. Schools then partnered up which enabled the children to experience explaining, demonstrating and leading their activity to different people. Handcross worked well together with Northlands Wood - there was a collective feeling of "It was a bit awkward at first as we didn't know them, but it got easier the more times we did our activities and got more confident." They are all keen to share what they have learnt with everyone back at school.

Year 2 Multi Skills Festival- October 2025

Ten children from Seagulls had an action packed, non-stop afternoon at the KS1 Multi Skills Festival, held at Burgess Hill Academy. They completed a circuit of 12 activities to develop their throwing, catching, aiming, jumping, running, balance, directional movement, team work and sense of fun - the target throwing activity was particularly popular. All our pupils clearly enjoyed interacting with the older sports leaders who lead the activities throughout the afternoon. They were a credit to themselves and our school. We are proud of you all!

Year 5/6 Rugby Festival- October 2025

Selected children from Kestrels and Badgers had the opportunity to develop their rugby skills and put them into practise in friendly games against teams from other schools at the Y5/6 Rugby Festivals. Our boys had great fun playing this morning in the autumn sunshine, returning to school full of excitement, enthusiasm and definitely ready for lunch! The girls then played in the afternoon.

Year 6 Football Competition- October 2025

 Handcross played in a football tournament against other NEARS schools. The children played so well, finishing in 5th place out of 8 teams. They showed real sportsmanship and determination and we are very proud of them. Alfie- 'we faced a couple teams and played really well as a team. We just loved being on the pitch'

Year 3/4 Football Festival - September 2025

Selected children from Caterpillars and Roe deer had a great time at the Y3/4 Football Festival held at St Paul's College. They completed a series of dribbling, passing and shooting activities, demonstrating good ball control and skill development. One child commented "I don't really play football so it was helpful to me because I learnt more skills. It was fun!" whilst another said "I liked learning how to dribble and score in football."

Year 4/5/6 Rugby Day - September 2025

Year 3/4 Quicksticks Hockey Festival - March 2025

Some children from Caterpillars and Roe Deer had a fabulous morning at the Y3/4 Hockey Festival held at East Grinstead Hockey Club. The idea behind this festival was to practise Quicksticks hockey skills as an introduction to the game of hockey. As a school group the children moved around 8 different activity stations that focused on technique. The emphasis was on giving everything a go and having fun. Everyone represented Handcross impeccably well and we have found some budding hockey stars in the making!

Year 3/4 Sports Festival - March 2025

Selected children from Caterpillars and Roe Deer had a fun time together at the Y3/4 Sports Festival hosted by Twineham. All the children taking part were split across 10 teams, with one child per school in each team. The teams completed a carousel of 9 different activities, scoring points. It was great to see the children gaining in confidence throughout the afternoon, chatting with new friends and team mates, and even spotting some familiar faces.

Year 5/6 NEARS Netball Competition - March 2025

What a busy month of sport we are having! Our Y5/6 netball team finished 2nd (out of 6 teams) in the NEARS Netball Tournament. They played with feisty determination and skill throughout all five of their matches, working strongly as a squad and were only narrowly beaten by the overall winners, Bolney.

Girls' Football Day - March 2025

The Year 6 Sports Captains organised a very successful and enjoyable football day for our Handcross girls. After learning about women's football being banned for 50 years, and therefore being behind men's football and unfortunately still stigmatised, the Sports Captains were motivated to show girls that they belong in football by running drills and matches during playtimes for girls across the school. They also arranged for all girls from Y1 to Y6 to come to Super Steve's after-school football club that day for FREE!

The day was a big hit with our girls and we were very proud of everyone who took part. We'd like to say a huge THANK YOU to the Sports Captains for their fantasic leadership.

KS1 Cricket Festival - March 2025

Some of our Year 2 children had a fantastic time at the KS1 Cricket Festival held at Ardingly College. 17 schools took part! Our morning started in thick fog, and finished in glorious sunshine. The children completed 9 activities designed to develop their throwing, catching, batting, bowling, aim, accuracy & team work skills, whilst having LOTS of fun together. We have some budding cricketers in Seagulls and received lovely comments from several Ardingly PE staff and Sussex Cricket coaches. Well done all!

KS2 Inclusion Festival - February 2025

Selected Kestrels & Badgers had fun this afternoon playing Boccia, New Age Curling and Target Aiming Games at the KS2 Inclusion Festival at The Triangle. They initially familiarised themselves with each game by playing against one another - unanimously agreeing their teams as Y5 v. Y6! All the Handcross children then enjoyed putting their skills, techniques, tactics and teamwork into practice playing friendly games against Sheddingdean and London Mead, and loved interacting with St Paul's Sports Leaders. 

Year 3/4 Basketball Festival - January 2025

January's been a busy month for sporting action! Select Year 3 and 4 children had a brilliant afternoon at the Basketball Festival. The session was lead by Storm Basketball Club and sports leaders from Haywards Heath College. Our children enjoyed the variety of activities focusing on their shooting, dribbling, footwork, movement and coordination skills. Everyone had LOTS of fun taking apart along with pupils from the 9 other local schools.

Year 5/6 Cross Country Finals - January 2025

Excitement and nerves filled the air as our Year 5 and 6 finalists took their marks at the NEARS cross country final. It was a tough course with multiple pupils from several schools competing in each race. All of our competitors should be very proud of themselves for taking part and representing our school so well. Congratulations to Honor (Y6) and Bella (Y5) for qualifying for the Sussex finals in March!

A big thank you to the parents for coming along to cheer on the children!

(Written by Toby S & Finn)

KS1 Net Games Festival - January 2025

2025 sports action has kicked off with a fantastic afternoon at the KS1 Net Games Festival. There was much excitement among the select Year 2s as it was the first time they had represented our school at a sports event. All the children enthusiastically took part in a carousel of the fun activities linked to various net games (such as volleyball, tennis, badminton and pickleball) lead by brilliant St Paul's sports leaders. All Seagulls (including Miss Allen and Mrs Aylett!) left the event beaming, with one saying, "It was the best day ever!"

What a success!

Year 5/6 Basketball Competition - December 2024

Our Autumn Term sports events finished with a fabulous afternoon of basketball at St. Paul's Catholic College. The children represented Handcross brilliantly and Theo led the team incredibly well, as captain. Well done all!

A huge well done to all the children who took part in sport events this term. Bring on 2025!

Equal Access School Award 2024 for Girls' Football Participation

We were thrilled to receive a trophy for 'Equal Access School 2024' from Barclays Girls' Football School Partnerships. Many of our girls love football and have represented our school at several competitions. We always strive to promote equal access and opportunities in sport at Handcross; it was an honour to receive recognition for this.

Skipping Madness! - November 2024 

We had a wonderful whole school Skip 2B Fit day in school. The whole school had the opportunity to challenge themselves at skipping the fastest in 2 minutes. The school staff champions were Mr Foley and Miss O’Brien, who astounded us all with their speedy performances. Well done to Blake in Year 6, the fastest skipper in school!

The blueberries given out during the session went down a treat and many of you have bought a digi-skipping rope as a result, on sale in the school shop. (MCAS app, costing £8)

The children gave their verdicts on the Skip 2B Fit session:

Toby S – “10/10 because it was entertaining and I liked the blueberries a lot!”

Harry - “David was very interactive and enthusiastic”

Wills – “It was very tiring but I enjoyed it and I beat my PB”

Ella – “It was very fun because David encouraged us to do better”

Honor – “I liked how all the skipping ropes had counters because then you can push yourself to beat your score”

Year 5/6 Football Tournament - November 2024

It was an afternoon of football for our Handcross players! They played fantastically well in the glorious sunshine, finishing under the floodlights! They played 6 x 10 minute matches, demonstrating mature teamwork and sporting behaviour, both on and off the pitch, finishing in well deserved 3rd place. 

Well done all!

Let's Get Active - November 2024 

Martial arts and skateboarding were definite favourites amongst our Year 5 and 6 girls at the "Let's Get Active" event at The Dolphin! They also had a go at basketball, pickleball and speed & agility team games. It was great to bump into familiar coaches! Our Handcross girls have been inspired by trying new activities, challenging themselves and ultimately having lots of fun together.

Well done, girls!

Year 5/6 Cross Country - October 2024 

Our incredible Cross Country runners completed the tough and highly competitive 2km race (including running down and back up a steep hill, which was exhausting as you can see from the photo!) at the NEARS Year 5/6 event. They showed true determination, supported one another and it was great that family members were able to watch. Several of our Handcross athletes have progressed through to the Mid Sussex round in the New Year!

Well done all!

Year 5/6 Tag Rugby Festival - October 2024 

It was a day of tag rugby! Ten Year 5/6 girls went to the festival at Haywards Heath Rugby Club in the morning, followed by ten boys in the afternoon, with Mrs Aylett and Mrs Guiver enjoying both events. The children enjoyed getting muddy on the pitch, taking on new challenges and showing brilliant teamwork. Our players developed their skills through activities run by engaging Warden Park Sports Leaders & HHRFC coaches, and loved playing their friendly matches at the end. Some of our children are inspired to join a club outside of school. 

Year 5/6 Gymnastics Competition - October 2024

It was Handcross' first time competing in the Key Steps gymnastics competition. Our selected team of Year 5 and 6 gymnasts had time to practise and prepare at school and home beforehand. Hosted at The Dolphin Leisure Centre, the girls performed a series of movements for each of three areas - body movement, vault and floor. The girls were incredibly committed to and performed with confidence, pride and determination. They performed each section individually and were scored by the judges (Sports Leaders from Downlands secondary school). 

Miss Bloomfeld, Mrs Aylett and the girls loved the event, as did the parents who spectated. We are incredibly proud of them! 

Year 3/4 Football Festival - September 2024 

The sports events have kicked off for the year! Starting with the Year 3/4 football festival at St. Paul's Catholic College. Despite it starting with a torrential down pour and the children getting soaked, they then participated in a range of skill-based activities which were brilliantly and enthusiastically lead by the Year 8-9 Sports Leaders. By the end of the afternoon, the children were once again dry and had had a fun time! 

Well done all!

New Sports Captains and Vice Captains 2024-2025

Introducing our 2024/2025 House Captains and Vice Captains. Congratulations to the children for being nominated by school staff and peers.  

They are recognised as respectful, responsible sports members of Year 6 and we know they will make fantastic Sports Leaders for the school. 

NEARS Swimming Gala - July 2024 

Handcross took part in our first swimming gala at The Dolphin leisure centre. Well done to our Year 6s who competed!

A particular well done to Erin and Thomas who came third in the breaststroke race. We came 3rd for the girls' trophy and overall came 4th out of the 6 competing schools. Well done to St. Peter's who won and for organising a brilliant morning. 

What a great last sports event of the school year! 

Handcross Sports Day - July 2024 

Well done to all our children for taking part in our Sports Day! They all did amazingly well with the field and track events. They should all be so proud of themselves for taking part, having a go and pushing themselves. Lots of personal goals were achieved, house points won, as well as certificates and medals awarded for the winners for the sprint and long distance races.

Thank you to parents for coming to support and to Handcross Park for letting us use your field.

Congratulations to the yellow house for winning and to Erin and Tyler, our captain and vice captain of the house who are incredible athletes! 

NEARS Sports Day - July 2024

We hosted another successful NEARS Sports Day with nine schools competing. Well done and thank you to all our competitors, staff and parents who took part and supported the event. We certainly have lots of amazing athletes in our area, showing off their skills from vortex throwing, standing long jump, sprinting and long distance relay.

Congratulations Bolney for 3rd place, Balcombe for 2nd place and to Handcross for being the overall winners! We also awarded Woodgate the trophy for best sportsmanship.

Year 5/6 Cricket Tournament - June 2024

Seven pupils competed in the Year 5/6 Countdown Cricket Tournament at Burgess Hill Cricket Club. They played against Blackthorns, Harlands, St Peter's & Lindfield. Although they didn't win their games, our team developed their batting, bowling, fielding, match confidence and leadership roles. They kept their spirits up in the 28 degree heat!

Well done to our team of boys!

Dance Workshop - June 2024 

Selected KS2 children enjoyed a contemporary dance workshop from a teacher and four Y10 students from Ardingly College. The children watched some of the students' performances before being taught their own routines. The students were fantastic leaders and we appreciate them coming in to deliver a fun workshop. We have some fantastic dancers in the Juniors! 

Sussex Cricket Trip - June 2024 

All of our Year 4, 5 and 6 children and staff got the coach to 1st Central cricket Stadium in Hove for the Sussex Cricket Schools Day. For most of our children (and staff), it was their first experience of watching a professional cricket match. The children loved having the 4 and 6 signs, learning about the cricket positions and rules for the T20 Vipers V South East Stars game. It was non-stop with cheering, singing and dancing, meeting the mascots and getting autographs from the players. 

Thank you to Sussex Cricket for organising the free day for the schools and well done to Vipers for winning the match. 

Quidditch Day - June 2024

The whole school enjoyed Quidditch Day, delivered by Enrich Education. The day started off with an assembly to get everyone excited (not just the Harry Potters fans!) and for the sorting hat to decide the teams. Each class had a workshop where they enjoyed learning about the different roles, equipment and rules and earning points for their team. It was lots of fun! 

We had an assembly at the end of the day to award certificates and announce the the teams' points. Well done to Reu in Reception for being the 'Best Beater', to Olivia in Year 4 for being the 'Best Keeper', to Finn in Year 5 for being the 'Best Chaser' and to Ashur in Year 6 for being the 'Best Golden Snitch'. Congratulations to Hufflepuff (yellow house) for earning 1460 and being the overall winners of the day. 

We hope to organise some more quidditch playing for the children next year!

Year 5 Girls' Football Festival - June 2024

It was girl football morning at Ardingly College, along with Mrs Aylett and Mrs Guiver. All of the girls had a fantastic morning together at the Girls' Football Festival where one hundred girls from 8 schools took part. They began with skill based activities, then played four friendly 7 a-side matches. We have some talented players in Badgers who won all their games.

Meanwhile, Mrs Smith enjoyed a morning at school with the Year 5 boys doing some fun orienteering. 

Year 5/6 Inclusion Festival - June 2024

Some of our Year 5 and 6 children had a fun afternoon learning to play New Age Kurling & Boccia at The Triangle Leisure Centre, Burges Hill. Our pupils all gained in confidence and once familiar with the basics, began implementing their new skills and subtle tactics whilst playing friendly games against other schools.

Well done all!

Year 2 Tri Golf Festival - June 2024 

Some of our Year 2 children had such a fun afternoon at the KS1 Tri Golf festival. Our pupils enjoyed learning from and interacting with the Sports Leaders at St Paul's Catholic College, Burgess Hill, who did a great job demonstrating and leading a carousel of skill based activities. Seagulls have some talented and enthusiastic golfers!

Well done all! 

Year 4-6 Netball Friendly Match - June 2024

Some of our netball club/team got the opportunity to play another 'friendly' match at Northlands Woods, Haywards Heath - our third match with them this year. Both matches (for the A team and B team) were fast paced and well fought games. Purple team won 2:0 and Green team lost 1:2. A particular thank you to Year 6s playing their final (or first for some!) netball fixture representing Handcross Primary. Thank you Northlands Wood for being wonderful hosts. 

Well done to both teams for your fantastic netball playing! 

Year 3/4 Tri Golf Competition - May 2024

Ten pf our Year 3 and 4 children had a fantastic afternoon at the Tri Golf Competition, in the glorious East Grinstead sunshine. 16 schools completed 8 activity stations run by sports leaders from Sackville & Imberhorne. Our team worked enthusiastically together to score as many points as possible.

Well done all!

Year 3 and 4 Outdoor and Adventurous Activities Trip - May 2024

The Year 3 and 4s went to Deers Leap Park for their Outdoor and Adventurous Activities (OAA), lead by E3 Adventures. Throughout the day, they tried a range of activities around the site. The Year 3s did rock scramble, bush craft, tree climb and team challenges while the Years 4 did archery, the crate challenge, the climbing wall and abseiling. All the children showed fantastic determination, ambition and resilience, overcoming their fears and achieving goals to make themselves feel very proud. There was lots of kind encouragement from the brilliant E3 Adventures instructors, as well as their peers. We are so proud of what the children achieved! 

Thank you to the Handcross staff and E3 Adventures for making it a fun, memorable and exciting day for our children. We all loved it and want to do it all over again! 

Year 2 Badminton Festival - March 2024 

Selected children from Seagulls had a fantastic time at the Year 2 Badminton festival with Mrs Aylett and Miss Cook. They enjoyed all the activities organised by the St Paul's Sports Leaders, with "Hitting the fluffy ball the furthest" and "Using the net to catch" being the most popular.

Well done to our team of boys!

Year 5 Hockey Tournament - March 2024

Our Year 5 hockey team played fantastically in the Y5&6 Quicksticks Hockey Tournament at East Grinstead Hockey Club. They played six matches (4 aside), finishing 4th in their group of seven teams. It was evident just how much their skills, confidence, teamwork and game awareness developed throughout the matches. 

Well done all! 

Scooter Experience Day - March 2024 

The whole school enjoyed an exciting assembly from the professional 'scooterer' Terry from the company BMX, Scooter and Skate Academy. Terry was incredibly engaging and told the children his story of his journey into scootering, as well as performing some of his tricks, including a back flip! The loud music, clapping and cheering made it really fun and exciting. There were lots of gasps and 'wow' moments! 

Afterwards, the Year 3 and 4s each took part in an hour long workshop. They each got to ride a scooter and learn different tricks. Throughout the session, the children built their confidence, had fun and asked lots of questions. They even each got a signature from the professional, once-world-champion, 'scooterer'.

Thank you Terry for being incredibly inspiring, motivational and making it a really fun day. As Terry says, 'practise makes progress'! 

Year 4/5 Handball Festival - March 2024

On Monday 4th March, some our Year 4 and 5 children had such a fun afternoon at the Y4/5 Handball Festival, along with nine other schools. The Burgess Hill Academy Year 9 Sports Leaders ran a carousel of activities to develop throwing, catching, aiming, shooting and agility skills. Our children "loved playing the match - it was the best one!"

Well done all!

Year 3/4 Inclusion Festival - March 2024

The mizzly weather didn't dampen the enthusiasm and excitement at the Year 3/4 Inclusion Festival at Twineham! Their sports leaders ran ten skill-based activity stations which all teams completed. It was so lovely to see our pupils interacting with their new team mates from all the other schools.

Well done all!

Year 3/4 Basketball Festival - January 2024 

Four of our Year 3 boys and five of our Year 4 girls had a great afternoon at the Year 3/4 Basketball Festival at Haywards Heath College. Our players eagerly took part in the activities led by Storm Basketball Club and they enjoyed putting their skills into action playing mini friendly matches! It was wonderful to see them interacting with the Year 12 and 13 Sports Leaders. 

Well done all!

Year 2 Multi-skills Festival - January 2024 

Some of our Year 2 children took part in the KS1 Multi Skills Festival at Warden Park. Initially a little nervous due to going to a big secondary school, all ten children were excited and enthusiastic to try the variety of activities designed and led by Year 9 Sports Leaders. They children had lots of fun (as did Mrs Aylett and Tori) and they deserve to feel really proud of themselves.

Well done all!

Mid Sussex Cross Country - January 2024

Our Year 5 and 6 competitive, long distance runners went to East Grinstead for the tough,  muddy cross country race against 200 other children in the area. It was harsh in the cold weather but they showed such determination. 

Their winning positions were: 

• Ashton - 25th for Year 5 boys 
• Finn - 31st for Year 5 boys 
• Honor - 17th for Year 5 girls 
• Emmie - 26th for Year 5 girls 
• Ashur - 24th for Year 6 boys 
• Tyler - 7th for Year 6 boys 
• Kiera - 35th for Year 6 girls 
• Erin - 6th for Year 6 girls 

Congratulations to Erin and Tyler who have made it through to the Sussex finals in March. We are so proud of all of the children! 

Thank you to our lovely parents who transported and stayed to watch and cheer on the children. We are so grateful of your support. 

Year 6 Basketball Tournament - January 2024

We've started off the term with first sports event, the Year 6 basketball tournament. A mix of boys and girls competed in a series of feisty matches at St. Pauls' Catholic College. They won their first game and lots the other three. It was a great effort from all.

Well done, team!

Year 5/6 Football Friendly Match - November 2023

Some of our football players at Handcross went to Bolnore Village Primary School to play a friendly match on their pitch. Although a quick match in the cold and dark, the children put in their best effort and enjoyed the opportunity to play against others from a different school. Thank you to Bolnore for hosting - we look forward to organising some more friendly matches in 2024. 

Year 5/6 NEARS Cross Country Event - November 2023 

Nine selected Year 5 and 6 runners competed in the NEARS Cross Country on the 29th November. They ran a 2km, muddy route with a gnarly hill against children from other local schools.  Please see the individual results below. 

Year 6 boys: Tyler (4th), Ashur (8th), Oliver (9th) 
Year 6 girls: Erin (2nd), Kiera (16th) 
Year 5 boys: Ashton (7th), Finn (13th) 
Year 5 girls: Emmie (7th), Honor (8th) 

Overall, Handcross came first and all children have been selected to run in the Mid Sussex Active Primary School Cross Country final. This will include runners representing up to 43 primary schools in the area. 

They should all be incredibly proud of their personal achievements and the support they gave each other on and off the track. 

Year 5/6 Sportshall Athletics - November 2023

Some of our Year 5 and 6 athletes competed against St Mark's/Twineham team and St Wilf's at Sportshall Athletics, hosted at Haywards Heath College. The children competed in a series of indoor track and field events, showing off their athleticism. It was particularly lovely to see two Year 8 Warden Park Sports Leaders who are ex. Handcross pupils!

Well done to all of our competitors! 

Netball Friendly Match - November 2023

We watched to provide our dedicated netball players (who attend the weekly club at school with Miss Greany) with an opportunity to apply their skills and play a competitive match against another school. Thank you to Northlands Wood, Haywards Heath, for hosting us! Some of our Year 4, 5 and 6 players were feeling nervous beforehand, having never gone to another school to play a netball match before. Once they were there, they were in full action. Our teams showed great teamwork and camaraderie. Blue team lost 3:2 in an evenly matched game; Red team lost 3:0, working tirelessly in the fading light. A particular thank you to the parents who stayed to watch and support.

NEARS Year 6 Tournament - November 2023 

We took part in the annual NEARS football tournament with some of our talented Year 6 football players. The after-school match took place at St Paul's Catholic College (thank you for hosting us) so the teams were playing under the flood lights in the dark. We're incredibly proud of our team who worked phenomenally hard on and off the pitch, finishing in joint first! Only one school can go forward, so based on goal difference, Bolney Primary School progressed through to the next round.

Well done to our super Year 6 team!

Girls Get Active - October 2023

Our sports events have kicked off for the year! Our first was the Girls Get Active festival at the Dolphin Leisure Centre on the 10^th October. Some of our Year 5 and 6 girls took part in a host of fun and exciting sports, including Taekwondo, Gymnastics, Raquet Sports, Dance, Cricket & Pickle Ball. There was lots of laughter and definitely some new skills acquired. Taekwondo was definitely a favourite! 

Sports Day - July 2023

We had another successful, fun Sports Day. All of the children took part in a series of field events (as practised in their PE lessons prior to the event), following my the track events (sprints and long distance). Well done to those KS2 children who took part in the 400 metres running race - it is a long way around the track! Lots of points were earned for their house teams, as well as stickers, medals and certificates for the second and first positions for each running race. We are so proud all our children for excellent sporting behaviour and competitive spirit shown at the Handcross Sports Day! Congratulations to Red House for winning the cup! 

Thank you to the families who came and spectated and supported the event. 

NEARS Sports Day - July 2023

On Monday 10^th July, Handcross hosted the annual NEARS Sports Day on Handcross Park's ground. Selected KS2 children from across the 7 participating local schools competed in a series of track and field events. Lots of points were earned throughout the morning and all the children showed off their athleticism and good sportsmanship for their school. A big well done to all the children who took part and represented their schools and a thank you to the staff members and families who supported the event. Congratulations to Handcross for coming 2^nd place and to Balcombe for coming 1^st place! St. Peter's were awarded the Sportsmanship Cup. Everyone had a great time, making themselves and each other proud! 

Year 4/5 Stoolball Festival - July 2023 

Well done to some of our Year 4 and 5 children who went to the stoolball festival at Downlands School, Hassocks - our final sports event of many this school year! They had a great afternoon developing their skills and learning how to play stoolball. Well done to the following children for representing our school so well: Oliver, Matisse, Timur, Cody, Reggie, Ashton, Isaac and Amelia. 

Year 5/6 Cricket Competition - May 2023 

"On the 25th of May 7 boys went to Bolney to a year 5/6 cricket tournament. We played St Peter's, St Giles' and St Wilf's. We played really well and improved our cricket knowledge and had a lot of fun."

Written by Timur (Year 5) 

Thank you to Bolney Cricket Club for hosting the afternoon. 

Year 5/6 Girls' Football Tournament - May 2023

Some of our year 5/6 girls had the opportunity to play in the tournament which was hosted by Ardingly College. Our girls faced strong opposition in all five matches, and should be proud of their passion, determination, mature sportsmanship and team camaraderie - we are! It was great to see the girls looking very smart in our special sporting kit! Thank you to our supporters too.

Year 3/4 Cricket Tournament - May 2023 

Some of our Year 3 and 4 girls and boys had a fabulous afternoon of cricket and sunshine at the cricket tournament. All of the schools were so kind and supportive of each other. Sadly, there were no wins for Handcross but all our players noticeably increased in confidence and skills throughout the afternoon. Thank you Burgess Hill Cricket Club for hosting and to Sussex Cricket for organising the afternoon. 

Year 3/4 Football Festival - May 2023

The girls went to Ardingly full of excitement (and some nerves) to play in some friendly football matches against Ardingly girls and other local schools. After minutes of playing, there was an unexpected storm - torrential rain, hail, thunder & lightning! Sadly (but due to health and safety reasons) the event got cancelled. While the storm passed, the girls still enjoyed themselves under shelter making new friends with other girls and eating snacks. Despite the lack of football and being drenched, the girls showed true resilience. Thank you Ardingly College for organising the event and making everyone so welcome.

Year 2 Cricket Festival - April 2023 

On the 27th April, some of the Year 2s had such fun at the Cricket Festival. We definitely have 5 new cricketeers in Seagulls! This was their first experience participating in a multi-school sports event. They should be proud of their enthusiasm, confidence and how maturely they represented our school. 

Year 2 Badminton Festival - April 2023

Overcoming some initial nerves and apprehensions, some of our Year 2 children had great fun at the KS1 Badminton Festival. They learnt new skills, gained in confidence and enjoyed meeting the St Paul's Sports Leaders. They all came away with big smiles, feeling proud of themselves and each other.

Well done to our Seagulls!

Year 4-6 Girls' Cricket Festival - March 2023

After our fantastic cricket taster session by Sussex Cricket at school earlier in the month, some particularly keen girls from Year 4, 5 and 6 were selected to attend the girls' cricket festival at The Triangle, Burgess Hill. The children completed a series of activities to develop their batting, bowling and fielding skills. Lots of progress was made throughout the afternoon. Even Mrs Aylett and Miss Bloomfield joined in with activities too!

Well done to the girls for a fun afternoon.

Year 3/4 Hockey Festival - March 2023

The drizzle did not stop our enthusiastic Year 3 and 4 children having a great time at the Quicksticks Hockey Festival at East Grinstead Sports Club. Throughout the morning on Wednesday 29th March, the children developed their confidence and skills throughout. It was great to see our pupils working together and their interactions with the Imberhorn and Sackville sports leaders.

Well done to our super hockey players.

Sussex Cricket Taster Session 

On Wednesday 15th March, Sussex Cricket visited Handcross to deliver a one-hour taster session for each of our KS2 classes. Liam, from Sussex Cricket, set up a series of activities which the children rotated around, working individually, in pairs and teams. They developed skills such as throwing, catching, batting and bowling, and made lots of progress throughout the session. All of the children gained new skills and had fun! Handcross are excited to develop our cricket confidence and take part in upcoming events.

A big thank you to Sussex Cricket providing our children with a fantastic, fun experience, and for inspiring them. 

Year 3/4 Inclusion Festival - March 2023

On Tuesday 14th March, some of our Year 3 and 4 pupils went to Twineham Primary School for the NEARS Inclusion Festival. Teams comprised pupils from each school, all completing a carousel of skill based activities - Team 3 won! It was lovely seeing everyone trying something new, making new friends and the sun even shone! Well done to our children for taking part and giving everything their best go! 

Year 2 Multi-skills Festival - March 2023

Six of our lovely Year 2s went to Warden Park Academy on Wednesday 1st March for a multi-skills festival. The children enjoyed going to a 'big school' and trying out lots of fun activities to develop their PE skills. The Sports Leaders had lots of great ideas which we can use without our own sports clubs and as part of brain breaks. Well done to the group for taking part: Iza, Nathan, Jessica, Isabella, Isla and Blake.

Year 5 Tag Rugby Festival - February 2023

Wednesday 8th March was a busy day for lots of our Year 5 children. In the morning was the girls' tag rugby festival, followed by the boys' in the afternoon. Overcoming some initial apprehensions, our Years 5s put new skills into practise, developed in confidence, didn't want their session to end and came away wanting to play more rugby!  There was lots of skill development, teamwork and plenty of mud (especially for the boys!) Thank you to the sports leaders from Downlands & Warden Park, and to Haywards Heath Rugby Club for hosting such a great day.

Year 5/6 Netball Tournament - February 2023

It was a cold but sunny and fun afternoon of netball for our Y5/6 team at the NEARS Tournament at St Paul's Catholic college. Our selected team (all children who attend Year 5/6 netball club on a weekly basis) played matches against Balcombe, St Peter's, St Augustine's and Twineham. The team had some strong sections of play and gained confidence game on game. Thanks to St Paul's for hosting and umpiring, and to our fantastic children who took part.

Year 3/4 Basketball Festival - February 2023

Year 3/4 Handball Festival - January 2023

On the 16th January, Year 4s and 5s went to a handball festival at Burgess Hill Academy. We went to help us with our skills in handball. There were ten stations with different activities. 

Written by Year 4 attendees

NEARS Football Tournament - November 2022

A selection of our Year 5 and 6 children went to St Paul’s (Burgess Hill) for the NEARS football tournament. The children played a round robin of matches, playing against seven other NEARS schools. Overall, Handcross Primary School came 3^rd! Well done to Bolney School for winning the tournament and going through to the Mid Sussex round. A big well done to our footballers.

Platinum Award 2022/23

We are delighted to announce that Handcross Primary School have achieved the School Games Platinum Mark Award for the 2022/23 academic year.

The School Games Mark is a Government-led award scheme launched in 2012, facilitated by the Youth Sport Trust to reward and recognise school’s engagement (provision and uptake) in the School Games against a national benchmark and to celebrate keeping young people active, and we are delighted to have been recognised for our success.

We are extremely proud of our pupils for their dedication to all aspects of physical activity and school sport, including our Year 6 Sports Leaders, staff and parents who made our events possible. We are committed to using the School Games to try and engage those young people who haven’t previously been active or represented our school and to try and ensure that all our children have a positive experience and want to try out new activities beyond school too in our community. We believe in the power of physical activity and school sport as a school and give opportunities to those young people that need it most. 

As part of our application, we were asked to fulfil criteria in the areas linked to the five School Games outcomes and we are pleased that the hard work of everyone at our school has been rewarded this year. A special thanks to Miss Bloomfield, Mrs Aylett, Mrs Cribb and Steve who have helped us achieve this fantastic award this year. We are very proud! 

Women's EURO Match - July 2022

Thirty of our Year 5 and 6 girls and boys had the amazing opportunity to go to one of the Women's EURO matches at the Amex Stadium, Brighton. What made it even more exciting was that it was England Vs. Norway. The children loved the atmosphere - cheering, chanting, clapping, waving their flags and doing the Mexican Wave around the stadium - all the while, watching the match. England just kept on scoring, resulting in a final score of 8 v 0 to England. What a victory! The children continued their celebratory cheering all the way home on the minibus, despite it being a late night for them. Go England's women's team! 

Year 3/4 Stoolball - July 2022

Some of our Year 3 and 4 children experienced a taster of stoolball, a sport that originated in Sussex in the 15th century. With the help of the Sport Leaders at Downlands Community School, the children did lots of different activities to develop their skills - throwing, catching, bowling and batting - before playing some stoolball games. The children all had lots of fun and made so much progress throughout their afternoon. 

Year 3/4 Inclusion Festival - June 2022

Some of our Year 3 and 4s went to Twineham Primary School for an Inclusion Festival. The event was Commonwealth themed where each team represented a different country. The children completed a carousel of activities linking to sports in the Commonwealth Games, such as tennis, throwing and basketball. 

Year 3/4 Badminton Festival - February 2022

Ten of our year 3 and 4 children attended a badminton festival on Wednesday 16^th February 2022. In Haywards Heath sports hall, the children did a round robin of eleven different activities based around badminton in order to develop their skills. The children particularly enjoyed using the badminton rackets and the ‘fluffy balls’ that were used instead of shuttlecocks. Despite there being some nerves before the event having never played badminton before, the children all really enjoyed themselves and would like to play badminton again in the future. Well done to the following children for brilliantly representing our school and partaking with lots of enthusiasm.

Year 3/4 Quickstick Hockey - February 2022

Ten of our year 3 and 4 children went to Downloads School on Wednesday 2^nd February 2022 for a quickstick hockey festival. With lots of other schools present, the children played lots of different activities to practise and develop their hockey skills. The children enjoyed going to a different school, playing on their hardcourts and of course had fun! Well done to the Downlands Sports Leaders for organising the great activities and to the children for taking part – Finn, Cody, Timur, Matisse, Max, Ezri, Dexter, Honor, Harriet and Amelia.

Women in Sport - March 2020

Select Year 6 pupils went to Ardingly College and we met famous gold medalists. The first medalist we met was Tasmin Greenway, who ran a netball session. The second person was Sally Gunnell who ran the athletics and hurdling event. When she was younger, she did the 100 metre hurdles and wanted to give herself a challenge so she went on and did the 400 metre hurdles. Next there was Karen Pickering, who did swimming but we did not get a chance to see her swim or do it ourselves. Chloe Brown is an Irish international hockey played and Mike Gardner is a ladies football coach for Crawley Wasps. 

We learnt things like different tricks in football and athletics. If Mrs Aylett hadn’t taken us, we wouldn’t have had the best time at this event.

 Written by pupils