On Monday, 31^st March, Woodlands Meed once again demonstrated its unwavering commitment to inclusive sports by hosting our second annual JOLF festival—and what an incredible morning it was!  Building on the successes of last year, we took on valuable feedback, fine-tuned our approach, and delivered an even more dynamic, accessible, and exhilarating event for all.

At the heart of the festival was JOLF mastermind Neil, who orchestrated a morning brimming with highly engaging activities, skill-building, and, most importantly, inclusive fun!  SEN students from mainstream primary schools joined forces with our Woodlands Meed students, embracing the challenge of 17 thrilling JOLF games—ranging from table-top to floor-based activities; ensuring that every child, regardless of ability, had the opportunity to shine!

The turnout was nothing short of remarkable, with 128 children participating, including students from local primary schools Harlands and Turners Hill.  Every primary student from Woodlands Meed took part, and we also welcomed our Key Stage 3 students with more complex needs, ensuring that inclusivity remained at the heart of the festival.

A key highlight of this year’s festival was the outstanding contribution of our sports’ leaders.  Stepping up to the challenge, 21 students from both our school and college sites took on leadership roles—five more than last year!  Their confidence, patience, and encouragement did not go unnoticed, with visiting schools praising them as ‘brilliant,’ ‘great at running activities,’ and being ‘fantastic with our children.’  Unlike last year, there was no need to invite external leaders from mainstream secondary schools—our own students proved more than capable of leading with excellence!  Well done everyone!

In response to last year’s feedback, we also refined the setup to create an even smoother and more comfortable experience for all.  A dedicated timetable for the Performing Arts Room was introduced, allowing smaller groups to enjoy activities in a calmer, more focused setting; an addition that was met with great appreciation.

The festival was a joy to witness; students playing, learning, and celebrating achievements together.  Seeing every child fully engaged and at the heart of the event was a testament to the power of inclusive sport.

We are incredibly proud to host such a meaningful and empowering festival.  A huge thank you to Neil, our phenomenal students, dedicated staff, and visiting schools for   making this an unforgettable morning.  We are looking forward to next year and are already exploring further opportunities to provide even greater inclusive sporting events for both our students and also those SEN children currently in mainstream education.  Successful inclusion is not a one-off event; it’s an ongoing commitment to ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability or background, has equal chances to participate and thrive. By creating consistent and meaningful opportunities, we can help individuals reach their full potential and truly embody the spirit of #SportForAll!

On Wednesday, 26th February, Woodlands Meed School proudly competed in the annual table cricket competition, facing strong opposition in the group stages from Lindfield, Manor Green College, and St Piers.  After three well-fought matches, the team finished second in the group, earning a place in the prestigious final.

In the final showdown against Lindfield, Woodlands Meed put up a valiant fight, demonstrating fantastic teamwork and determination.  Despite a spirited effort, they fell just short, finishing with a score of 206 to Lindfield’s 263.

Every pupil represented the school with pride, showcasing skill, teamwork, and sportsmanship throughout the competition.

Congratulations!

Star Performances:

Daniel A (Captain) – Led the team superbly with excellent communication and confidence.  His sharp focus helped save runs and take crucial wickets.

Daniel H – A standout performer throughout the day, earning the well-deserved Sportsmanship Award.

Emir – Delivered an outstanding batting and bowling display, smashing some huge sixes while keeping a big smile on his face!

Nidal – Executed fantastic batting, expertly finding the gaps to accumulate runs.

George – Grew in confidence as the day progressed, proving himself to be a great team player.

Bella – Making her competitive debut, she played with enthusiasm and followed instructions brilliantly.

Isla – Also making her debut, she displayed incredible batting skills, scoring plenty of runs while maintaining focus when it mattered most.

Rhaigen – Showed great independence and accuracy in his bowling, playing a key role in all aspects of the game.

The entire team should be extremely proud of their performances.  It was an amazing day filled with determination, skill, and, most importantly, enjoyment. Well done, Superstars!!!

In two thrilling football encounters, Woodlands Meed faced Burgess Hill Academy in a pair of matches that showcased their spirit and determination.

The first game was a challenging affair for Woodlands Meed, who were playing their first non-tournament match. The larger pitch and longer game duration tested their endurance and adaptability but despite these challenges, the team exhibited remarkable commitment, resilience, and a 'never say die' attitude. They supported each other throughout; demonstrating true teamwork.

In the second match, Woodlands Meed's confidence grew enormously. They became more assertive in tackles, their passing became more accurate, and they began creating more scoring opportunities. Their dedication and togetherness were finally rewarded when Tianna and James both scored, after some beautiful build up play, to secure a 2-1 victory.

We are so proud of the whole squad who all contributed enormously, but special mention must go to Thomas, who made three outstanding saves, and to Finn, who was named ‘Most Valuable Player’ for his tough tackling and no-nonsense defending.

This victory was a testament to the team's hard work and spirit, and we are all looking forward to further matches against the same opposition in a week's time.

On Thursday the 23rd January, Rabbits travelled to Haywards Heath College to take part in our first ever basketball festival!  Rabbits had a FANTASTIC time with all pupils taking part and listening well to the instructions!  The first activity was a warm-up, where Rabbits ran forwards, backwards and sideways!  They then practised dribbling the ball and finally, they had the opportunity to try and shoot the basketball into the net.  This was very difficult as the basket was so tall but everyone persevered and Rabbits class were rewarded when James got the ball in the hoop!

The class participated at the event for a whole hour; this is a lot of good listening and concentrating!  Congratulations Rabbits, we are SUPER proud of you!  Everyone received sweets, chocolates and a perseverance sticker when they arrived back at school! 

Well done!

On Monday 2nd December, our Key Stage 3 football team travelled the short distance to The Triangle Leisure Centre in Burgess Hill to represent Woodlands Meed in the annual Albion Cup competition.  On arrival we were informed that this was a record breaking year, with 13 schools participating!

Our group was an extremely competitive one, with the majority of matches being decided by a single goal.  We started strongly, recording a hard-fought 2-1 win in our opening match against Cornfield, and this became a common theme with our fantastic footballers being victorious in their next three matches against Hillpark, Freyen College and Philpots.  Our final group match against league leaders St Marys ended in defeat, but we still finished second in our group. 

We deservedly progressed to the semi-finals where we met an extremely strong LVS Hassocks side.  It was not meant to be as our superstars eventually succumbed to a 4-0 defeat.  However, our students should hold their heads up high as I can’t remember the last time we were in the semi-finals of the Albion cup, and they can take great heart from the fact that the two defeats our students suffered where by the two schools who fought it out in the final!  Finishing third out of thirteen teams is something they should all be very proud of!  Every single one of our 9 players played their part but special mention must go to Kielen in goal who made some brilliant saves and encouraged his teammates throughout, James for making his debut and proving that he is an absolute goal machine, and Alfie for his never say die attitude.

 However, our player of the tournament was Fin who proved to be an absolute beast on the pitch; breaking up play, executing some tough tackles and making countless driving runs forwards, he was always supportive of his teammates and proved to be a manager’s dream!

Well done everyone, we are so proud of all of you!