Sport is central to our identity. It reinforces our values, brings joy and a sense of pride and the lessons learnt from sport go far beyond the playground or field.

We embrace the message of former Derby and England Manager & current Assistant Coach at Manchester United, Steve McClaren, that we should have ‘A Passion to Practice’ in everything we do.

We want all of our children to:

If you would like to learn more about sports at our school or organise a fixture with us, please use our sports email address:

sports@mugginton.derbyshire.sch.uk

At Mugginton, we play sports every day.

Our Number One game during play- & lunch-time is football. ⚽

If you visit Mugginton, you will see children of both genders playing football together with staff members, including the Headteacher (badly!). We believe that we help children develop a Passion for Practice by playing sport as often as possible. Our approach is based on guidance from elite level managers - see below!

We want to share with our children the joy which participation in sports can bring. We see the transformational effect which exercise, being part of a team or developing physical skills can have on children. Our staff recall with pride our own ‘PE’ lessons and occasions when we represented our school at events – we see how these experiences can shape our personalities and values in later life.

Please click here for a list of sporting events we offered our children in 2022-2023.

Sport at our School

At Mugginton, we always aim for a high-quality physical education curriculum which inspires all to succeed and excel against their personal goals and in competitive sport. We support the Schools and Physical Activity Task and Finish Group’s (Chaired by Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson) assertion that sports and PE should be given the same status as maths, English and science in every primary school’s curriculum. The National Childhood Measuring Programme reported in 2012 that only 65% of children in Year 6 were at a ‘Healthy’ weight, with one in three obese or overweight. According to a survey conducted by the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC), independent schools spent 5.4 hours a week on sports, playing over 40 sports, compared with less than two hours a week for children in state schools. We aim to offer a ‘private’ model in our state school.

Our Physical Education planning is underpinned by the following values:

1) Sport is an integral part of our culture and identity – not something ‘bolted on’ to the curriculum.

2) Sport is a driver of school improvement – it supports academic outcomes, personal development whole-school harmony.

3) We have a duty to help children experience the joy which exercise and the outdoors brings to one’s life.

4) We find high-quality solutions to logistical challenges such as a lack of tennis courts or full-size pitches by using local community-opportunities – the university of Derby; Woodlands Tennis Club and Mugginton Lane End Cricket Ground.

5) Opportunities to compete in sport and other activities build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.

6) Children need to see adults valuing sport. Whether this is Mr Wraith and Miss Beresford joining in with play-time football; Mr Green running into work; Mrs Horobin cycling in or Mrs Wallen bossing the midfield in a football match, we play an active role in encouraging everybody to get involved and try their best.

Our children participate in regular sports lessons, clubs and fixtures across a wide range of activities including football, hockey, athletics, netball, gymnastics, dance, cricket, tennis, rounders, table-tennis and tag-rugby. Offering every child the chance to represent our school at a sporting event at least once per year is a central aim of our sports curriculum.

Physical activity is about much more than our P.E. lessons, though. Our children are active throughout the school week. Children enjoy play- and lunch-time games including hockey, basketball and football. We employ a lunchtime positive play lead to help promote physical activity and improve skills. We enjoy regular walks in the local area as well as our Forest Friday afternoons. Our after-school clubs are well-attended and offer additional sporting opportunities from 3.30pm to 4.30pm.

Why Mugginton places such value on exercise and team sports

Sport changes lives for the better. Research shows that people who take part in regular physical activity are less at risk of many chronic conditions such as, strokes, type two diabetes, cancer, obesity and musculoskeletal illnesses. It is our responsibility to secure for all our children the early adoption of an active lifestyle. The Foundation for Global Sports Development reported that young people involved in physical activity generally consume more fruits and vegetables, are less likely to be overweight and are more likely to become physically active adults. According to the Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine UK; ‘Physical activity can increase self-esteem and reduce depression and anxiety in children. Sport England agrees; ‘The benefits of sport and physical activity on our mental health are endless: improved mood, decreased chance of depression and anxiety, and a better and more balanced lifestyle.’ There is a growing body of research (e.g. Booth et al, 2013) which links physical activity to improvements in achievement.

What can our children learn from sport?

Sport promotes bonding. Learning how to get on with others and build up trusting, mutually supportive relationships are vital life skills. The support a child receives from teammates is something which cannot be substituted! Team sports foster mentorship between older players and younger players, which reflects our school ethos.

Our staff have seen how competitive school sports do not only benefit the children. They allow for the development of stronger relationships between staff and children and also for parents, providing children with support and encouragement. We know that for our children, ‘the big match’ feels like the most important thing in the world! Experiencing their teachers and parents supporting them and showing unconditional love and encouragement will stay with them and demonstrates that they have our trust and support when other challenges crop up.

Sport offers a unique opportunity to help children learn that life isn’t always fair. A referee might decide something was ‘out’ or ‘offside’ when others thought it very much “in”. For children, this is a bitter pill to swallow; however, it teaches them an important lesson that sometimes there are things we cannot change. Being part of a team requires a lot of communication — both spoken and unspoken – and promotes decisive action and composure. Sports happen quickly and encourage children to make effective snap decisions. Whether it’s a batsman looking for a gap in the field; a netball player deciding on a pass or a footballer moving in to space, athletes learn critical decision-making skills that will benefit them both during and after the game.

Composure under pressure is another benefit which sports can offer. In the right environment, children learn to conquer their natural “fight or flight” instinct to make consistent and difficult decisions. This ability to function under pressure helps to develop a person better at making deadlines and managing stressful situations in the future.

Team sports are said to bolster the five Cs: Competence, Confidence, Connections, Character, and Caring. At the heart of this is self-esteem – an increased sense of self as a result of better social interactions, stronger relationships, and higher academic performance.

Team Sports Help Students Improve their Perseverance

Last but not least, team sports teach perseverance and resilience. When you don’t get it right, you have to try even harder to succeed with the support of your teammates, teachers and coaches. We Never Give Up!

Our Core Values

At Mugginton CE Primary, we have 5 core values that we have displayed in school and refer to regularly. The intention is to remind children of the way we want to play our school sports. They are qualities and characteristics that we feel make for ‘being the best person you can be’.

1: Be active and have fun

Being active has been proved, beyond doubt, to be one of the best ways of staying healthy. Sport gives you a boost psychologically and socially. For children, it has been proven that being active gives an academic boost too.

2: Teamwork and support 

Life requires us to work collaboratively and for everyone to play their part no matter what their size, shape, ethnicity or gender. This is the essence of team sports.

3: Sportsmanship & Respect

Our children are taught to treat people the way we would like to be treated, be it our opponents, the referee, or ourselves. Sportsmanship makes children better people. Good things come to those who congratulate others on their effort and victories.

4: Practice and hard work

We want our children to understand that success is the result of practice, dedication and hard work. These are lessons which are relevant in sport and to life in general.  

5: Resilience and discipline

Every child deserves the opportunity to represent school and to experience the exhilaration of a win or the disappointment of a loss. At Mugginton, we are clear that defeat usually means the opponent has practised more and that we turn disappointment into a positive by learning from the experience. Failure is never final. A mistake or loss is an opportunity to learn and improve.

We are inclusive

We want all of our children to experience the joy which sport offers. All pupils are encouraged to participate in physical activity even if they do not fit the mould of ‘sporty’. We encourage all children to have courage and determination when learning new sporting skills. We instil a culture of fair play, respect and equality so that all work together as part of a team and are inspired to honour fair play. We want all our pupils to have a ‘can do’ attitude and to enjoy sports – and to apply this mantra in other areas of their lives.

To cite the Olympic ethos:

‘The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.’