#LPGirlsCan 2019

The second ever #LPGirlsCan, masterminded by PE teacher, Zoe Macpherson, was a storming success last week with female staff and students across all years getting stuck into sports.

An inspiring range of activities were on offer, from parkour to yoga; there really was something for everyone!

The week began on a grey and gloomy Monday, featuring the most torrential downpours, but our girls were undeterred and pitched up ready to run for Breast Cancer Research after school. The charity fun run around the Park was certainly wet but the weather couldn’t dampen the girls’ spirits as they splashed through 1, 3 or 5 km of puddles, racing in the rain. The money raised by the participants will be donated to the charity renowned for its pink ribbons and the girls wore pink garments and decorated their faces with pink glitter to show their support for the cause.

Tuesday was another damp day but the quick thinking and resourceful PE Department managed to relocate the Girls’ Cricket Festival to the University of Reading’s nice, dry Sports Hall and were able to proceed as planned. The Leighton Park students were joined by teams from Queen Anne’s Caversham and Newlands Girls’ School Maidenhead. The students were put into mixed school teams and completed a series of batting, bowling and fielding challenges. There was some great raw talent on display and it was superb to see so many girls enjoying playing the game. Those for whom volleyball was rained off got to workout in the fitness centre.

Tuesday also saw Zoielogic Dance Theatre Company Artist, Will Hodson, on the Park for the boys’ Fuzzy Logic Dance Workshop, and we were lucky enough that Will had some moments at lunchtime to share the girls’ workshop being run in our Dance Studio by Dance teacher, Beth Butler.

Offsite, girls from Years 7 and 8 headed for a hi-energy parkour session at Sol Joel Park with Director of Sport, Jez Belas, where they got to practice their precision jumps, break rolls and routes on the dedicated parkour course.

A break in the weather on Wednesday was a welcome relief as Old Leightonian, personal trainer and group exercise coach, Risqat Fabumni, better known as ‘Fabby’ delivered a brilliant fitness and wellness day to the girls in the community. Students and staff sprinted, hopped, bobbed, galloped and sidestepped their way through an intensive series of exercises on the cricket field, working their muscles in new ways as Fabbi’s lively training style gave everyone the chance to try something different.

The rain was back on Thursday but the Wasps Rugby training session went ahead in the rain regardless and the football for Year 7 and 8 girls concluded the week on Friday on the School House Field alongside the set up for Fox Fitness Festival, an opportunity for both boys and girls to try and eclectic mix of fun fitness activities under the leadership of PE teacher, Alex Fox, and rounded off with one of Oakview’s fine barbeques.

Reflecting on the week Zoe said, “The #LPGirlsCan week was a great success with so many girls trying new sports and getting involved with the activities throughout the week. The aim of the week is to support our girls to explore more sporting opportunities and make them feel confident in their sporting ability, also to keep them engaged with sport throughout their time at LP, but also further after education. Keeping our students active is important for their health and being engaged in teams sports boosts their friendships, which is why we are developing the girls profile in sports further.”

“It was amazing; there were loads of activities on that normally we don’t have time to do such as rugby, football and parkour. Fabby was great -; she was so enthusiastic about everything; she called me Miss Stripey Socks which made me try harder as I knew she was watching me.” grinned Harriet (Year 8).

Jez added, “What a week! Our female staff and students have once again proved they simply love to be challenged and get involved in new and exciting physical activity.”