Pupils enjoy some Paralympic fun

The Sainsbury’s supermarket in Leamington Shopping Park has strong links with Round Oak School in Warwick and this week challenged pupils to a game of Goalball.

Sainsbury’s recently committed themselves to providing work experience opportunities for Round Oak pupils. And to celebrate the ties they came up with a fun way of strengthening their relationship by holding a Sainsbury’s staff vs Round Oak pupils goalball event.

Paralympian Nigel Murray also dropped by to meet the pupils and present certificates to all those taking part.

Goalball is a fastpaced and inclusive sport which is played at the Paralympics by players with a visual impairment, but it can be played by anyone at recreational level.

Participants wear masks to even the field for varying degrees of visual impairment, and literally put their bodies on the line. Teams of three lie on the floor and try to roll the ball into the opposing goal.

Headteacher Jane Naylor said: “It was fantastic. We rely heavily on people coming from outside to support us in PE. It makes an immense amount of difference to our young people. They get a lot of self confidence from it, which then has a positive impact on the rest of their learning and gives them the courage to try harder in those subjects.

“Having people like Nigel Murray come in is so inspirational and the pupils love it.”