Titus Salt School receives special award for rugby from John Spencer

Titus Salt School have recently received a special Gold Standard award from the Rugby Football Union (RFU) for the work we have done to introduce rugby to our students.

The award, presented by RFU Vice President and 2017 British and Irish Lions Team Manager John Spencer, is to celebrate our success in ensuring our rugby programme is sustainable through teacher-led curriculum delivery and fixtures for all year groups. We also offer a girls’ rugby programme and have developed strong links with our local rugby club Baildon Rugby Club.

Titus Salt School is one of 15 of the 400 schools currently involved with the All Schools programme to have received a Gold Standard award. The RFU made these awards during the Rugby World Cup to demonstrate the great work that is going on around the nation to ensure there is a real and sustainable legacy from the tournament.

The school joined the All Schools Programme in 2012 in a bid to increase the profile of rugby union in school and to establish links with the local rugby club, Baildon Rugby Club. There was an immediate impact on all year groups, both boys and girls had access to qualified rugby coaches in their day to day curriculum, as well as Baildon RFU supporting the students by coaching the ex-curricular training sessions. Over 1500 students have played rugby union at TSS because of the All Schools Programme. We now have teams running through all year groups plus strong representation in the girls’ rugby tournaments.

RFU Vice President and 2017 British and Irish Lions Team Manager John Spencer said: “It was great to come here to Titus Salt School today and present this award. Titus Salt School is a fantastic example of how rugby can be integrated into a school and it was great to hear from teachers and students about the impact the sport has been having. I’m sure as they continue building their rugby programme they will continue to go from strength to strength.”

Ian Morrel, Headteacher said: “We joined the All Schools Programme in 2012 as a result of the introduction of rugby to the boys’ PE curriculum by our then Leader of PE, Nat Kerray who left in summer 2015, to take up a post nearer home. The receiving of this award is acknowledgement of the enthusiasm, dedication and commitment of the PE staff at the school to ensure this is a sustainable programme. Rugby is now a strong element of our curriculum and we have teams across the age ranges and competing in different competitions. One of our biggest successes is the take up in girls’ rugby, our students are so enthusiastic and keen to get involved as well as compete. Our girls were runners up at U13 and U15 in the face of tough opposition. We are looking forward to an exciting 2015/16 season as one of only a few schools in West Yorkshire who can boast an U18 Girls’ Rugby Team. Involvement in the All Schools programme is a fantastic opportunity to engage with a national programme and ensure our students are part of a partnership that brings with it benefits to learning and also provides unique experiences. Having direct support of professionals in the sport gives our students specialist input to develop their skills of team work, strategy and leadership as well as the benefit of participation, challenge and achievement. I am delighted with our continued association with the RFU and I am proud to receive this award on behalf of the staff, students and parents of Titus Salt School as well as local rugby associations who together have made the sport accessible, exciting and sustainable.”

Year 10 student, Josh Brockhouse said: “I’d never played rugby until the sport was introduced into our P.E. lessons. I now play for Baildon Rugby club as well as school and was recently selected to attend trials for the England Rugby’s Developing player programme. I love playing rugby!

Charlotte Gilligan, Year 11, was awarded Bronze in the Sports England Satellite Club Participant of the Year for her hard work and determination in girls’ rugby at Baildon RUFC. “I am really pleased with what I have achieved, my aim is to get more young people active and into rugby by 2017”