Year 5 Quidditch House Cup at Penshurst Primary School
Year 5 students at Penshurst Primary School have been studying the Harry Potter novels by J.K. Rowling as their topic for the last two half terms. As a belated World Book Day celebration, Miss Shaw and a group of year 9 sports leaders visited the school on Wednesday 21st March deliver a cross-curricular PE lesson focusing on the sport of ‘Quidditch’ which is described in the books. For any ‘muggles’ reading this report (non-magic folk), Quidditch is an invasion game where students score by throwing a small ball known as the ‘quaffle’ into floating hoops in order to score points. Additionally, players need to be alert and agile in order to avoid being hit with softer ball called the ‘bludger’ which results in a turnover of the ball. At full time, one chosen ‘seeker’ per team has the opportunity to chase a ‘golden snitch’ around the pitch with the winning side gaining a bonus of 250 points for their house.
At the start of the lesson, the year 5’s took part in a variety of themed warm-up games led by the year 9 sports students Jessica Taylor, Tyler Leighton, Declan Longley and Ellie Robertson. Activities included ‘Wizards and Witches’ (a variation of the classic ‘Rats and Rabbits’), capture the ‘Golden Snitch’ and broomstick races. Following this Miss Shaw led a discussion on the how to play the game. It was clear that the group of children had been playing close attention within their classroom lessons as they already had a good grasp on the rules and regulations. Students then competed within their houses in a league style tournament which was organised and officiated fantastically by the year 9’s.
Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Slytherin students wore their house colours with pride as they battled out on the pitches for the top spot. Although students in all houses displayed strong athleticism and critical decision making skills, there could only be one winner per league. Impressively, Slytherin took gold in both leagues and were therefore awarded with a Sirius Academy medal each.
The year 5’s culminate their studies on Friday 23rd March 2018 when they visit Harry Potter Studios in Watford for the day. Miss Shaw hopes you have a wonderful time and a lovely Easter break! A special thank you to leaders for their support in the smooth running of the morning and their excellent manner with the pupils.
