Hampton Academy Olympic Learning Day

In a week that Lord Sebastian Coe and Mayor Boris Johnson led celebrations to mark 500 days until the London 2012 Olympics, Hampton Academy held their own celebrations to welcome this monumental landmark. On Tuesday 15th March 2011, a whole school Olympic Learning Day took place.

We were one of the first schools in the Richmond Borough to join the 'Olympic Get Set' network and again led the way with our '500 days to go' celebrations. Students and staff were allowed to come to school in a sports themed uniform and took part in some fund-raising sporting challenges. Two local British athletes came along on the day to challenge students and raise awareness of our link with the 2012 Olympics.

Great Britain's 400m athlete, Ainsley Campbell and swimmer, Felix Samuels met students, signed autographs and for that one afternoon, turned to Netball shooting, Sprinting, Long Jump and Football penalty shootouts as our students aimed to beat a British Olympian.

It was not just the students who got in to the spirit to celebrate the 2012 Olympics. Many members of staff arrived to school wearing their favourite retro sportswear. Mr Finch and Mr Scruby wore their favourite football tops from yester-year, while Ms Nuttall and Ms Davidson led the fashion parade in some classic Rugby and Basketball gear. However, surely nothing could surpass Mr Mayfield in an 'old skool' sprint suit. A fantastic effort from staff and students! The money raised will be used to fund our very own Hampton Academy sports kit.

The London 2012 Olympics will be one of the biggest ever sporting events and we are really lucky to have them right on our doorstep in less than 500 days time! Thank you to everyone who got involved and took part to help celebrate such an important landmark in British sporting history.

James Giblin, Richmond School Sports Partnership