Emily’s Football Festival Brings Schools Together

When Sixth Form pupil Emily became Community Prefect, her aim was to bring people together. And what better way to do that than by organising a friendly football tournament?

Last week, Emily turned her vision into reality by organising a football festival that united our senior and prep schools with a selection of primary schools from Wellingborough. With support from Kettering Town Football Club and her father, Phill Wade, who is the Academy Director and Community Trust Manager, Emily provided the children with an engaging day where they could develop their skills and work together as part of a team.

Emily said, “The aim of the football festival was to provide an inclusive, fun and enjoyable opportunity for young children in the local area, whilst at the same time helping them develop their football and social skills.”

Man and girl smiling, while standing next to a football mascot.

Pupil Leadership in Action

The event was created for Year 2 pupils, providing them a chance to experience the excitement of football in a supportive environment. Emily designed all the activities and brought together a team of Sixth Form pupils to run each station, showing impressive creativity and leadership throughout the day.

Thanks to her efforts, 122 children joined in across 12 teams, coming from schools such as:

Denton Primary
Freeman’s Endowed Primary Academy
Warwick Primary School
Whitefriars Primary
Windmill Primary
Yardley Hastings
Olympic Primary
Along with three teams from Wellingborough

The festival was split into two sections, both run by Wellingborough’s first and second team football players.

The children began with a circuit of 6 skill stations with varying activities to work on, for example, dribbling, passing and shooting. The aim of the games was to be fun and to get everyone involved regardless of ability.

The second part of the festival consisted of matches where each school played against one another. This allowed them to learn the rules of the game and put into practice the skills they developed earlier in the afternoon. The aim was not to arrive at one overall winner but to encourage the pupils to enjoy themselves.

A Rapid Response from Local Schools

After Mr Palfrey reached out to Northamptonshire Sport to help promote the festival, the response was immediate. Thirteen schools applied within two hours, meaning Emily had to quickly adapt. She expanded the event from seven to nine teams and ultimately welcomed twelve after some last-minute changes.

Emily said, “I worked hard to get a grant and sponsorship to cover the cost of the event for prizes and match tea at the end. This was important to me, as making the event free was integral to making it accessible for all schools. Connecting with the wider community around Wellingborough helps to give the school a positive image to stakeholders both inside and outside the school and encourages involvement in future school events.”

Building Bridges with Kettering Town FC

Before the festival, there was no existing relationship between Wellingborough School and Kettering Town FC. Not only did the club support the event by providing equipment, but they also brought along their mascot, Rocky the Lion, who was especially popular with the children. Emily was pleased with their involvement, and there is hope that this marks the beginning of a new partnership between the school and the football club.

Phil Wade commented, “Kettering Town FC were privileged to be asked to be part of this event, helping with the organising, planning and equipment for the occasion. We were very impressed with the organisation and delivery of the festival from start to finish; Mr Spiby, Mr Palfrey, Emily and all the pupils should be very proud of their achievements in putting on such an amazing afternoon of fun and enjoyment for the young children.”

“One of Kettering Town FC Community Charity Trust’s aims is to promote active participation in sports and to promote and improve social interaction, health and wellbeing. Wellingborough School Community Football Festival was a perfect fit for this, and we would like to thank you for the opportunity to partner with you to deliver the event.” He added.

Emily’s Festival Reflections

Emily was thrilled with how the festival turned out and described it as a great success. Several schools took part, and the feedback from visiting staff was overwhelmingly positive. Children of all abilities were able to get involved, whether they were new to football or already confident players.

The Sixth Form helpers, especially those from the first and second teams, brought energy and encouragement to every station. Their enthusiasm made a real impact, particularly on Wellingborough pupils, who could see what they might achieve in the future.

“It was amazing to see everyone enjoying themselves and getting stuck in,” Emily said. “The older pupils really inspired the younger ones.”

She hopes this event will be continued by the future community prefects at the school and become an annual event for the school.

What’s Next for Emily?

Emily expressed an interest in pursuing a sports-related career in the future, although she is still exploring specific options. Planning and executing the event gave her valuable insight into event planning, which she is now seriously considering as a potential career path.

“I thoroughly enjoyed planning the event and watching the children running around having fun on the day, plus meeting new people, both of which made me feel my goal had been achieved.” She said.