Sussex schools compete in the Albion Cup
More than 100 children recently took part in the Albion Cup tournament in Burgess Hill.
Albion in the Community played host to children from 12 local schools who all travelled to The Triangle leisure centre for the tournament.
The Albion Cup sees school teams from across Sussex compete in a friendly tournament format.
Nine teams of SEND students took part in a tournament for Further Education pupils in years 12 and 13, while three teams competed in the girls tournament for years 7-11.
Woodlands Meed School in Burgess Hill secured first place in the Further Education tournament, while Oak Grove took the top spot for the girls.
Hayley Templeman, Albion in the Community’s Disability Development Officer, thought the event was a great success.
It’s a really well-run event, the kids love getting medals and working together as a team.
She said: “Everyone seemed to really enjoy it, all of the players were coming to tell me about some of the goals they scored, the shots they saved, the defending they did.
“It’s been really positive and everyone has left with a medal today.”
Hayley believes that the Albion Cup is a great way to get students active while also learning key life skills.
Hayley told us: “It’s a great opportunity for pupils to come out of school for the day, they get to come along with their friends and enjoy the social side while being part of a team.
“At the Albion Cup players get to do some physical exercise while working on everyday skills like working together, communicating, and learning what it’s like to win and lose.”
The Albion Cup is one of the many programmes that Albion in the Community run with SEND schools, alongside other initiatives and regular weekly football sessions.
Mike Parsons, a teacher at St Mary’s School in Bexhill, thinks the Albion Cup is great for his students.
“The kids love it,” he said, “we’ve done the Albion Cup three times and it’s something that the kids can really work towards and look forward to.
“It’s really nice to come out into the community and interact with other schools, obviously they love the football element to it as well.
“It’s a really well-run event, the students love getting medals as well and working together as a team.”
For more information about our work with SEND Schools, visit our website: https://bhafcfoundation.org.uk/education-and-employability/supporting-schools/send/