Bee Netball Festival

Our Bee Netball gives the opportunity for local state primary schools to play entry level netball in a fun and friendly atmosphere. 

Aims

The aim was to offer the opportunity to experience a netball competition in a fun, relaxed environment.  
 
The need was to provide exposure to Bee Netball, an England Netball-affiliated programme designed to enable younger children to learn the game in a way that is right for their stage of development.  
 
For the event to be a success, we needed a full roster of teams, from a range of schools across the Nottingham area.  
 
11 schools attended the event, and both students and staff were exposed to a nationally-affiliated sporting event.

Background

Nottingham High Infant and Junior School hosts an annual programme of sports competitions for local primary schools, which include netball, football, Kwik Cricket, tag rugby and cross-country. Part of the schools’ ethos is to share its sporting facilities and sporting opportunities with other schools in the local community. The school’s Tag Rugby Festivals have been running for 5 years, led by Head of Infant and Junior School Sport.

Resources

For this project to succeed, we needed free access to the school’s Valley Road netball courts, and 2 members of teaching staff from our Infant and Junior School to manage the festival itself.  
 
The schools’ Head of Admissions and Partnership oversaw the invitation and booking process.  
 
The grounds staff at Valley Road prepared and maintained the netball courts, to be in excellent condition for the tournaments.  
 
The catering staff provided refreshments free of charge for visiting children and school staff.  
 
The event itself ran for 2 hours, with approximately 2 days of preparation time.  
 
All children who took part were given a certificate to recognise their achievements.

Impact

"Our netball team have only just started playing, so are at the very beginning of their netball journey. The Bee Netball Festival was pitched perfectly for them. There was a variety of different abilities, making it perfect for beginners and those who are ready for a bit of friendly competition. The whole event had a fun, no pressure atmosphere and it was enjoyed immensely by players and spectators. Thank you so much to everyone involved in the organisation of such a fantastic event.” Teacher, Carnarvon Primary School 
 
"Our children really enjoyed the festival. It was a really nice atmosphere and our girls felt comfortable to go and play without the pressure of having to win." Teacher, Jesse Gray Primary School 
 
After each event, visiting teachers complete a survey to summarise what their pupils learned and enjoyed about the activity, along with any suggestions for improvement.

Pupil Involvement

99 girls and boys aged 9-11 from 11 local state primary schools, and 12 members of staff. 

Frequency

The Bee Netball Festival runs annually.