Seagulls star surprises pupils taking part in Premier League Primary Stars PE lesson
Brighton & Hove Albion player Bernardo helped pupils at Eastbrook Primary Academy celebrate the start of the new school term by dropping in to take part in a PE lesson.
The defender visited the school in Southwick to take part in a session delivered by the club’s official charity, Albion in the Community (AITC).
And while there he also presented the school with a free Premier League Primary Stars equipment pack, including footballs, numbered and lettered floor spots and giant dice. The equipment pack was donated by the Premier League and will be now used by teachers at the primary school to help inspire children to learn and be active.
Bernardo’s visit coincided with the opening of this year’s Premier League Primary Stars Kit and Equipment Scheme, which offers primary school teachers the chance to apply for a free Nike football strip or a free equipment pack for their school.
It is available to primary school teachers who register to participate in Premier League Primary Stars at www.plprimarystars.com, where curriculum-linked resources including lesson plans and worksheets are available to download for free.
AITC delivers Premier League Primary Stars here in Sussex. The charity now works with almost 130 schools – 78 of which have taken part in Premier League Primary Stars over the last 12 months.
The programme uses the appeal of the Premier League and professional football clubs to inspire children to learn, be active and develop important life skills. AITC provides in-school support to teachers and delivers football-themed lessons to schools; last season almost 2,000 pupils took part in Premier League Primary Stars locally, with AITC delivering 472 lessons and running 1,578 after school sessions. The charity also provided 39 teachers with expert support, helping improve their confidence and competency in delivering PE.
Paul Williams, AITC’s schools manager, said: “Much of our work uses the appeal of football and the Premier League to encourage and inspire pupils, so to have an actual Premier League footballer attend and join in was amazing.”
Not only did Bernardo take part in the PE lesson alongside around 60 pupils, he then headed to the school gates to say hello to the rest of the school – around another 350 pupils – as they left for home at the end of the school day.
Julia Sherlock, headteacher at Eastbrook Primary Academy, was full of praise for the defender, AITC and the Premier League. They said: “Our pupils were so pleased to meet Bernardo and we can’t thank him enough for giving up his time to visit us. The equipment we received will now be put to good use during lessons.”
For more information on how schools can work with AITC, email: schools@bhafcfoundation.org.uk.
Teachers have until 26 October 2018 to visit www.plprimarystars.com to register and apply for the free Nike kit or free equipment pack.