Oldham Sports Awards - the countdown is on ahead of a very special night

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With less than two weeks to go until the glitzy presentation evening at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Oldhamers are now being urged not to miss out on their chance to celebrate with their local sporting heroes at the 2018 Oldham Sports Awards.

The great and the good of the borough's sporting fraternity will converge at the QE Hall on Friday week, September 21.

This year marks the 16th annual award ceremony.

The event allows people from different sporting backgrounds to unite as a community and appreciate each other's efforts in order to help improve the local area, while also congratulating and celebrating the accomplishments of the borough's biggest sporting heroes.

Winners from the Sport's Awards - there are eight categories - will go on to represent the borough at the Greater Manchester Sports Awards later in the year.

The award categories this year are Unsung Hero, Club of the Year, Coach of the Year, Volunteer of the Year, Disabled Sports Achiever of the Year, Contribution to School Sport Award, Sports Achiever of the Year and the Changing Lifestyle Award.

Today the Chronicle features the fifth of our eight looks at the award nominees with a focus on the Contribution to School Sport award.

Three schools have been nominated:

Broadfield Primary School

Broadfield Primary does not leave sports on the pitch; KS1 phonics is taught outside using movement, Active Brain Breaks are taken during lessons, sporting heroes are researched in PSCHE, and heightened pulse rates are seen as an opportunity to bring science into sport.

Their PE curriculum is designed to be both enjoyable and challenging, promoting confidence in physical activity in a safe environment.

Playtime and lunchtime are also opportunities to be active, with at least four different activities on offer every lunchtime.

These are skills that pupils can take into the huge range of competitive opportunities available for all ages.

They are also dedicated to inclusion; the school runs a STAR club for less active children and This Girl Can groups - girl-only zones aimed at girls who say they don't feel as comfortable playing sport in mixed groups.

Roundthorn Primary Academy

PE at Roundthorn Primary is provided for two hours a week and taught by an experienced sports coach whose practice has been officially classed as outstanding, with extra focus on developing the participation rates of girls and children with SEN/D.

Staff are timetabled to support PE teaching, giving them skills that they are expected to incorporate into the curriculum through, for example, active lesson starters.

This is alongside weekly 'Wake Up, Shake Up' and aerobic assemblies, the Daily Mile and indoor workouts from GoNoodle and 5-a-day fitness.

Not allowing learning to be passive, Roundthorn actively encourages children to take control of teaching by applying to be Sports Leaders, Ambassadors or Health Champions.

A holistic approach to wellbeing at the school includes weekly mindfulness assemblies, Heartstart training for pupils and healthy cooking classes.

St Martin’s C of E Primary School

St Martin’s use their involvement with the Passport and Oldham Pledge scheme to enrich their curriculum with sport, creating practical maths sessions and linking PE with subjects such as literacy.

Their PE specialist has developed a broad and inclusive curriculum and implemented a new assessment strategy, encouraging pupils to enter the competitive arena in sports from hockey to cross-country.

Beyond their two lessons a week and range of extra-curricular activities, the pupils can enjoy guest speakers who are invited to inspire pupils with knowledge that they can put into practice as health champions and sports leaders.

Dedicated to inclusion, the school runs girls-only lunchtime activities in sports that are poorly attended by girls such as football and involve less active pupils in coaching teams.

Tomorrow we'll take a look at the Changing Lifestyle award nominees.

September 21 will present a great evening to recognise local people for their contribution to sport and activity.

Call 0161 770 4051 to book your tickets, which cost just £15 each.

In the meantime, check out local updates on Twitter using the hashtags #TeamOldham and #OSA2018