On Thursday 15th October, Fox Class made the short trip to Ansty Cricket Club for an action-packed afternoon of cricket activities, games and challenges.  Four additional schools took part, rotating around a carousel of cricket themed activities that varied from bowling, batting and target throwing.

There was plenty to get involved with, and everyone had the opportunity to have a go, try something new and, most importantly, have fun!  It was fantastic to see the whole class getting stuck in and giving every activity their best shot.  Batting was most definitely the most popular with Fox class!

The event was particularly special as it brought together pupils from our school alongside students from mainstream, creating a brilliant opportunity to take part and enjoy sport together in an inclusive setting.

Everyone in Fox Class represented Woodlands Meed brilliantly.  They behaved impeccably throughout the afternoon and really threw themselves into every challenge.  A huge well done to Fox Class – you should all be very proud of yourselves, we are!

On Wednesday 17th June, it was our third and final sports day, with our orange, pink and purple pathway classes taking part in a morning full of inclusive physical challenges, activities and opportunities to celebrate being active together.

The event had a real festival atmosphere, with a range of activities available for students to explore and enjoy. These included tabletop and crazy JOLF, boccia, skittles, knock-down tins, hedgehog blasters, ball pool, paddling pools, water shooters, Velcro targets, penalty shootouts, races and a sensory chillout area!  Every activity proved to be a hit with our students, with wheelchair football, bubble-wrap races and the wrecking ball — which   quickly became a very popular swing — definitely stealing the show!

Students showed fantastic enthusiasm, determination and a keenness to explore, taking part for almost an hour and a half alongside their friends, staff, parents and siblings. Their amazing efforts were recognised as every student proudly received a medal to celebrate their participation and achievements.

The students were also earning valuable points for their houses. These were added to the scores from our Primary Sports’ Day earlier in the week, creating a closely fought competition.  In the tightest of finishes, Oak finished top by the narrowest of margins, with Beech in second and Ash in third.

 A huge well done to all of our students for their fantastic efforts across all three sports days, and a massive thank you to all the staff, families and supporters who helped make these events such a success. It has been wonderful to see everyone getting involved, having fun and celebrating sport together!

On Monday 15th June, Key Stage 3 took part in their annual Sports Day, where our oldest students were challenged to run faster, jump higher and throw more accurately across a range of exciting events.  Activities included sprint races, hurdles, egg and spoon , sack races, JOLF, long jump, target throw, wheelchair football, and the two most popular events of the day – high jump and archery!

We are incredibly proud of how all our students participated, demonstrating outstanding effort, sportsmanship and a great sense of humour throughout the morning. Families also got heavily involved, requiring very little encouragement to take part in events...putting, jumping and even dressing up alongside their children!

 It was a fantastic morning, with every student contributing points towards their house team. The competition was closely contested, with Ash finishing as overall champions, followed closely by Beech in second place and Oak in third.

 A huge well done to all of our students, families and staff who helped make the event such a success. It was wonderful to see everyone enjoying themselves and celebrating participation, teamwork and achievement together.

On Wednesday 20th May, 50 Key Stage 3 students and 20 members of staff proudly represented Woodlands Meed at the annual Parallel Youth Games held at The K2 in Crawley.  A true highlight of our sporting calendar, the Parallel Youth Games is the largest sporting event in the region for SEN schools, providing pupils with the opportunity to take part in a wide variety of competitive and non-competitive activities.  The event celebrates inclusion, determination and togetherness, while giving students the chance to showcase their abilities across a diverse range of inclusive sports including table cricket, street soccer, boccia, new age kurling, JOLF, dance, cricket and, making its debut at the Games this year, trampolining.  Once again, our Woodlands Meed students were a real credit to the school and it was wonderful to see so much enjoyment, encouragement and enthusiasm throughout the day.

Our table cricket team displayed excellent teamwork, determination and sportsmanship throughout the tournament, with Captain Robin leading his team brilliantly from start to finish.

On the athletics track, our Jolfers applied the skills they have developed during their recent sessions with Neil to perform brilliantly while tackling a variety of obstacles and challenges. They showed great focus and determination throughout.

In new age kurling, David and William showed impressive focus and communication from the outset, earning victory in their opening match and continuing to work superbly together throughout the competition.

Our first boccia team demonstrated strong tactical awareness and composure under pressure, securing two wins from their three matches thanks to some excellent shot execution.  Captain Aleks led his team with enthusiasm, confidence and positivity throughout.  Meanwhile, our second boccia team made an excellent impression from the very first roll.  Despite two thirds of the students competing for the first time, they showed great skill, enthusiasm and quiet confidence throughout the tournament.

Our street soccer team were determined to build upon last year’s success, when they achieved their first ever medal — and they certainly did not disappoint.  The team played some outstanding football, demonstrating exceptional teamwork and determination in every match.  Captain Tianna led by example both on and off the pitch, motivating and directing her teammates throughout the day.  The team finished top of their round robin group after winning every game, including several tense penalty shootouts.  They then progressed through the semi-finals with another dramatic penalty victory to secure a place in the final against Northese Manor.  In a closely contested final, with chances for both teams, Woodlands Meed narrowly missed out on gold, losing 1–0.  Any initial disappointment was soon replaced with immense pride as the team celebrated a fantastic silver medal achievement.

Our cricket team were eager to put into practice all the skills they had developed during coaching sessions this term and they made an excellent start by winning their opening match.  Throughout the tournament, the team continued to work hard and support one another, with several outstanding catches in the field proving to be major highlights.  Their batting and bowling also showed significant improvement and reflected the progress they have made during training.

In the pool, our swimmers performed brilliantly, pushing themselves in every event including front stroke, backstroke and relay races.  Their efforts were rewarded with numerous medals and many proud smiles from staff and supporters alike.

This year also saw the exciting introduction of trampolining to the Games.  Our four participants embraced the opportunity enthusiastically, confidently demonstrating their flexibility, coordination and sequencing skills in front of the other schools.

The event concluded with a fantastic dance performance involving students from all participating schools.  Our Woodlands Meed dancers proudly joined together with their peers to perform an energetic and entertaining routine in front of the remaining competitors and spectators, bringing the Games to a joyful and memorable close.

The 2026 Parallel Youth Games was a truly incredible experience and has, once again, proved just how powerful sport can be in creating opportunity, building confidence and celebrating every young person’s unique strengths.  For our Woodlands Meed students, the event was far more than a competition — it was a chance to perform on a bigger stage, represent their school with pride and experience the joy of being part of something truly special. 

Days like these remind us that when young people are given the encouragement, inclusion and opportunity they deserve, they can achieve remarkable things.  In a world where every child deserves the chance to shine, shouldn’t sport continue to lead the way in showing what is possible when barriers are replaced with belief?

On Friday 11th May, Year 9 students from Mountain and Lake travelled to the County Ground in Hove to take part in the annual DISCOVERABILITY DAY, where students had the opportunity to participate in a wide range of highly inclusive and adapted sports and activities, including Table Cricket, adaptive boxing, JOLF, football, inflatable nets, and a variety of fun challenges. There truly was something for everyone, and the festival atmosphere made the day even more enjoyable. Football and boxing were definitely among the most popular activities on offer!

Students also had the chance to try a sport that was completely new to many of them called Showdown — a fast-paced table sport specifically designed for people with visual impairments, where two players use paddles to hit a ball across the table and try to score into their opponent’s goal. The ball contains small bells so players can track it by sound, and participants usually wear eyeshades to ensure fair play.  Our year 9s really enjoyed this new sport which soon became very competitive!

We love this annual event as it gives our students a valuable insight into some of the challenges that people with different impairments and additional needs may experience when taking part in sport. It helps everyone to develop an empathy, understanding, and admiration for the skill, resilience, and determination shown by so many athletes and individuals.

It was a brilliant day that was expertly organised by Sussex County Cricket Club, and we would like to say a huge thank you to Sussex Cricket for putting on such an inspiring and enjoyable day. We can’t wait to return next year!