School children experienced the success of the newly formed Atlas Games Active Schools Network, Stroud.
Having worked closely together in recent years Atlas Sports and School Games Organiser James Jeffery decided to combine to create a network dedicated to creating positive outcomes through sporting competition, physical activity opportunities, health and wellbeing programmes.
The 2020/21 academic year did not disappoint and despite the restrictions placed on our society and within our schools, the impact was substantial.
Starting the year with cross country and fun runs across school sites the programme enabled all children across the school the ability to be active and enjoy exercise alongside their classmates and school staff.

The network continued to re-invent the programme to enhance and promote opportunities with virtual competitions in football, hockey, multi-skills, and sportability providing more inclusive opportunities where leader boards were constructed following the delivery of activities at schools sites.
Termly challenges enabled schools to find ways to maintain activity with activities such as Step into School providing competition between schools for children making active journeys to school.
Finally in term 5 and 6 with government restrictions lightened it enabled face-to-face events to which we are more accustomed and a brilliant way to finish the year.

With football, rounders, dodgeball, athletics, mountain biking, and duathlon amongst many of the events, it proved a huge success with many positive outcomes. Gastrells Primary led the way with victories in the rounders, football, Quad Kids athletics amongst their successes. As well as Gastrells Primary School there were many more schools representing well in the remaining events with Bussage, Woodchester, Bisley, Rodborough, Callowell, St. Matthew’s, Chalford Hill, Thrupp, The Rosary, Longney, Cashes Green, Hopelands Prep, Amberley, Cranham, King’s Stanley, and Leonard Stanley School.
With a successful year in the bag, the network looks forward to delivering another year creating opportunities under more regular circumstances and look forward to sharing the experiences with families of local children.
“The creation of the network has been the perfect evolution for both Atlas Sports and School Games after many years of working successfully together.
Stroud district’s young people deserve a team dedicated to providing opportunities that are engaging, varied, inclusive, rewarding, challenging and above all enjoyable and we in the best possible position to deliver this in Stroud.
Last year’s programme was a success in spite of the COVID circumstances and we hit the 2021/22 year with added experience, enthusiasm and energy to make it another rewarding year for our young people, we cannot wait to get back out there to make positive influences for Stroud’s youth” said James Jeffery, the network’s Head of Operations.
You can keep up to date with the physical activity exploits of our schools by following Atlas Games Active Schools Network Stroud on their Twitter tag @SGOstroud and on Instagram at atlas_games_asn_stroud.
