Pupils from three primary schools across Shireland Collegiate Academy Trust took part in a basketball event in collaboration with the City of Birmingham Rockets Basketball Club, combining professional coaching with competitive play and a live match experience.
Year 4 pupils from Lightwoods Primary Academy, Holyhead Primary Academy and Wallbrook Primary Academy attended the event at Nechells Wellbeing Centre in Birmingham. Coached by the club’s professional staff, they developing key skills including dribbling, passing and shooting, before meeting one of the club’s professional players and putting their learning into practice in a friendly Trust tournament.
All three schools delivered strong performances, with Lightwoods’ teams coming out on top to win first place, followed closely by Wallbrook in second. Pupils from across the Trust impressed throughout, showing consistency, teamwork and a high standard of sportsmanship.
Principal at Lightwoods Primary Academy, John Ashton, said pupils “threw themselves into every drill” and showed “real focus, determination and sportsmanship” during the competition.
Natalie Shipley, Principal at Holyhead Primary Academy, praised how the children “encouraged one another and handled every challenge with confidence and focus” across the day.
The day continued into the evening, when pupils attended a Birmingham Rockets fixture against the Derby Trailblazers. One Holyhead pupil was selected to take a shot during the game, scoring to the delight of classmates and staff, while others had the opportunity to meet players, take photographs and collect autographs.
Lorna McGregor, Principal at Wallbrook Primary Academy, said it was “brilliant to watch pupils take on every challenge with such energy”, adding that many showed “real pride in what they could achieve”.
The event formed part of the Trust’s wider approach to physical education, giving pupils the chance to develop practical skills alongside teamwork, resilience and confidence through structured sporting experiences that support their learning in school.
