George Carey Primary School in Barking celebrates unprecedented year of sporting success

Year 3 and 4 mixed gymnastics. Picture: Tom Horton (Image: Tom Horton)

George Carey Primary School’s Year 6 football team, captained by George Reardon, won a tournament comprising thousands of schools across Essex and east London and became the first London school to win the competition for a quarter of a century.

The school has also won trophies in basketball, tag rugby, cricket, gymnastics and cross country and many of the pupils will now go on to represent Barking and Dagenham in the London Youth Games.

Headteacher Chris Harrison said: “I have been a teacher and a headteacher for 32 years and I have never known a school to win so many things and to have such sporting success.”

The pupils’ achievements were commemorated in a special assembly on Friday attended by the whole school and parents.

Year 3/4 cross country. Picture: Tom Horton (Image: Tom Horton)

“I have never had to buy a new trophy cabinet before,” Mr Harrison told the school.

In total nine teams from the school won a trophy this academic year.

Mr Harrison credits the “sheer talent of the children” and the “great sporting facilities” at the school for the recent success.

And he argues that sport breeds academic success. “Healthy bodies, healthy minds,” he said.

Year 5/6 mixed football. Picture: Tom Horton (Image: Tom Horton)

Sport can also “instil some discipline” into pupils, he adds.

The school is offering sports coaching to pupils at lunch time, effectively acting as “an extra P.E. lesson,” he said.

A number of George Carey pupils play for youth teams of professional football sides, with pupils represented in both the Arsenal and West Ham youth set-ups.

Mr Harrison told the assembled pupils that he hopes to one day see them representing their country at the World Cup or Olympics.

Year 5/6 girl's cricket. Picture: Tom Horton (Image: Tom Horton)

It is an “achievable aim” given the school’s sporting prowess, he told pupils.

Teams that won trophies this year are: Year 3/4 mixed rugby, Year 3/4 mixed cross country, Year 5/6 girl’s football, Year 5/6 girl’s cricket, Year 3/4 mixed football, Year 5/6 boy’s football, Year 6 mixed basketball and Year 5/6 tag rugby.

Year 3/4 girls' football. Picture: Tom Horton (Image: Tom Horton)

Year 5/6 mixed football. Picture: Tom Horton (Image: Tom Horton)

Year 5/6 mixed football. Picture: Tom Horton (Image: Tom Horton)

Year 6 boys' football. Picture: Tom Horton (Image: Tom Horton)

Year 6 basketball. Picture: Tom Horton (Image: Tom Horton)

Year 6 tag rugby. Picture: Tom Horton (Image: Tom Horton)

George Carey pupils who are involved in sports teams that have won a trophy this year. Picture: Tom Horton (Image: Tom Horton)