Autumn Term

On Thursday 18th September, Elsenham Primary School held a National Fitness Day, celebrating the joy of movement, sport and wellbeing. Our playgrounds and classrooms were filled with energy, excitement and plenty of smiling faces as children took part in a variety of fun, active sessions.

The day was all about promoting the importance of keeping fit, healthy and active — not only for our bodies, but also for our minds. From warm-up games to team challenges, every child got involved and enjoyed the chance to move, play and have fun together.

Throughout the day, each year group took part in a 30-minute fitness session in football, yoga and dance. The football was led by three fantastic coaches from Elsenham Football Club, Andrew Judd, Jackie Drake and Spencer Eastwood, the children loved learning new drills, practising football skills and working on their overall fitness. They also enjoyed a calming yoga session with Sian from SoYoga in Thaxted, who taught the children different poses, they learnt breathing exercises and did some activities together. They also had a lively dance workshop with Georgia Golding, from Rascals Theatre Dance School, where they learnt dance routines, dance games and exercises. There were lots of fun activities going on to ensure there was something for everyone.

We were also delighted to welcome professional dancer Maria Brown, who inspired the children by sharing her incredible career journey. Maria spoke honestly about the challenges of training, explaining that while college was tough, if you truly love something you must work hard and strive for it. One of her biggest achievements was performing in the film Mamma Mia. She described her experiences on film and TV sets, and gave our pupils valuable life lessons: dancers — like athletes — often face rejection, but it is important to remember that you are still great but maybe not always the person they are looking for. Her message was clear: setbacks are part of the journey, and the key is to come back stronger each time.

Another highlight for Key Stage 2 was the opportunity to meet para-athlete Bebe Jackson, who competes in long jump and sprints. At just 19 years old, Bebe already holds the European record in long jump at 4.6 metres. She shared her inspiring journey with the children, explaining how she was born with clubfoot, how one foot is a size 3 and the other a size 7 but this didn’t hold her back and she began training in athletics at the age of 14.

Bebe spoke about the determination and resilience it takes to compete at the highest level, and she inspired us all with her passion for sport. After her visit on Thursday, she set off to Dubai before heading to New Delhi to represent Great Britain at the World Championships. We will be cheering her on and keeping an eye out for her on the BBC from the 1st of October, and we will be keeping a close eye on her achievements here at school.

We are also very hopeful that we will see Bebe competing in the Paralympics in Los Angeles 2028 — and our pupils will always be able to say they once met her.

The children came away from the day saying “I feel really happy, like I can do anything” “Thank you so much — I feel so much more inspired and courageous.” “I want to try more new things” “I just need to keep going and I can do it.” “Today has made me want to work harder in P.E.”

It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm and positivity that the children brought to every activity. Our National Fitness Day reminded us all that exercise doesn’t just keep us healthy — it can be great fun too!

The KS2 children also shared how inspired they were by Bebe’s session this morning, unfortunately they didn’t have time to write about anyone else as the rest of their days were full!

Here it is:

Dear Bebe,

Thank you so much for visiting Elsenham Primary School this morning. Meeting you was an absolute privilege, and you have truly inspired every one of us. From the moment you spoke, your story of determination, courage, and passion for Athletics captivated the children, and we all left feeling motivated to try new things and never give up on our dreams.

Here is what some of our children wanted to share with you:

The Year 3s said:

“She has made me think that I can do it!”

“I just need to keep going and I can do it.”

“I now want to be an Olympian!”

“I was so surprised at everything she did.”

“I want to try more new things now I have heard her!”

Our Year 4 pupils were especially excited to meet you:

“She looks like the fastest runner in the world – we were really impressed!”

“She’s amazing just how she is.”

“She’s incredible.”

“Can she please send us a video of her training? How can a human even jump that far?!”

“She’s very brave to have that disability and she’s gone a long way.”

“I think she’s a very nice lady and she should be proud of herself.”

“She was so good.”

“She never gave up on her dreams.”

“She’s unstoppable.”

“She’s amazing and she’s VERY fast!”

“How does she do it?”

“She’s almost faster than a cheetah.”

“She taught us to never stop following our dreams.”

“She’s perfect.”

“She’s nearly as fast as a Formula 1 car.”

“She’s so kind to come and see us.”

They also wanted to say: We wish you all the luck in the world and we hope to see you on TV very soon! Please come back and show us any medals you win!

Our Year 6 pupils were just as inspired:

“She made me think that I should never give up.”

“Thank you so much — I feel so much more inspired and courageous. You showed me that when life is tough, you can still achieve.”

“She showed that even when life is tough you can still achieve big goals.”

“Listening to Bebe makes me feel really happy, like I can do anything!”

“You make me want to try harder in P.E.”

“It was so cool talking to a para-athlete!”

Bebe, you have shown us all that anything is possible if you work hard, stay positive, and never give up. You have inspired us to believe in ourselves, embrace challenges, and keep chasing our dreams. We are so proud to have met you and will be cheering you on every step of the way. Thank you again for coming to Elsenham — we hope to see you on TV soon and we would always welcome you back with open arms! Please keep us posted on everything you are doing, the children will love following your achievements.

WHAT A DAY AT ELSENHAM!

Our Year 6 football team played their very first match of the season this week against Stansted St Mary’s – and what a game it was! After going 1–0 down early on, the team showed fantastic determination and teamwork to turn things around. Their brilliant play and cooperation on the pitch led them to a well-deserved 5–3 victory.

Football V Rickling

Elsenham were away to Rickling this week and continued their fantastic form with an incredible 12-0 victory! It was an exciting game from start to finish, with goals flying in fast. Mason, Bleu and Connor all scored superb hat-tricks. It was a  brilliant all-round team performance once again – well done, Elsenham!

Cross Country Success

Pupils from Years 3 to 6 represented Elsenham brilliantly at the recent cross country event. Everyone showed fantastic effort, determination and team spirit throughout the races. We were especially proud to see several pupils bring home medals – congratulations to Florence, Seb, Lilly, Florrie, Alex and Miles for their excellent performances. Well done to all our runners for giving their best and supporting one another so enthusiastically!