Background
Coylton Primary School serves the village of Coylton and the surrounding rural areas, with a thriving community of 248 pupils from P1-7. Their vision is to "Cultivate Our Young Learners Through Outstanding Nurture" and they live by the values of being Ready, Respectful and Safe. The school aims for excellence in everything they do.
The school has one multi-purpose hall used for PE, assemblies, and lunchtimes. The playground includes a netball court and a range of playground games, both of which were refreshed in the summer of 2024, enhancing outdoor play and physical activity opportunities for their pupils.
Achieving Gold
Since achieving the Gold Award, they have not only maintained their high standards but also worked hard to improve, even with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the obstacles faced, they stayed committed to building a strong sports culture and offering pupils plenty of opportunities to stay active. They have adjusted their approach and made sure that sports continue to be an exciting and important part of school life.
Coylton Primary School received the Gold School Sport Award because sport is embedded in the school's culture, ensuring that every pupil has opportunities to participate, lead, and develop through physical activity. They offer a wide range of after-school clubs, competitive sports, and community links to help pupils stay active both in and out of school. Senior pupils take on leadership roles, run clubs and plan whole-school events. The school also works closely with local sports clubs to provide clear pathways for lifelong participation in sport. This commitment to inclusivity, leadership, and excellence makes their school Gold.
Pupil voice
Let’s hear what the pupils of Coylton PS think:
"We got to choose new after-school clubs and there are more options for us now."
"Our teachers have new PE planners now and that means our lessons are even better."
"We have more competitions now so we get the chance to play against other schools."
"We have loads of different clubs so there’s something for everyone."
"Our teachers and coaches really encourage us to try new clubs and get involved."
"Even if you don’t play a sport outside of school, you can still join in here and have fun."
"We celebrate everyone’s achievements, not just the best players."
The best thing about sport at Coylton Primary is that there is something for everyone. The school offers a mix of competitive and non-competitive sports, allowing pupils of all ages and abilities to get involved and strong community links mean children can try new sports at school before joining local clubs. Leadership opportunities, such as Junior Sports Leaders and Playground Leaders, give older pupils the chance to inspire younger ones. Whether it's through after-school clubs, competitions, or school events like Sports Day, every child has the chance to participate, develop new skills, and have fun.
Wall of Fame
“We have a Wall of Fame now, so everyone’s achievements get recognised."
This year, the school encouraged parents to email any wider achievements in sport, which were then compiled into a PowerPoint and celebrated at monthly House Assemblies. These achievements are also featured on the new Wall of Fame, a recent addition that was outlined in their action plan. Pupils are still welcome to bring in trophies, medals, and certificates to share with the school, further celebrating their successes.
The Sports Committee
“The teachers listen to what we want“
The Sports Committee is reestablished at the beginning of each year to ensure a fresh flow of ideas and to provide opportunities for as many pupils as possible. The committee, which includes members from P1 to P7, also includes our P7 Junior Sports Leaders due to their leadership role in sport. This group is essential for capturing a broad range of perspectives. The committee’s next steps are to expand the committee to include a parent representative and a school staff representative, ensuring even more diverse views, opinions, and ideas are included.
This year, the Junior Sports Leaders collaborated with their PE teacher every Monday to develop a dedicated PE and Sport Podcast. The podcast provided pupils with the opportunity to work towards their Young STEM Leader Award. Through the podcast, they interviewed pupils to gather views and opinions on PE and sport within the school community. These views and opinions will help the school in further developing and improving PE and sport at our school.
The PE teacher has now finished working with the Junior Sports Leaders and is currently working with another group of 8 x P7 pupils. This new group will interview different year groups to gather their views and opinions on PE and sport, continuing to support the development of PE and sport within the school based on pupil feedback.