Sporty Shrubbery School pupils take the plunge with swim star Joe

A top swimming star made a splash at Sutton’s oldest independent school, when he treated sporty Shrubbery School pupils to a personal sports session.

Joe puts pupils through their paces
Joe puts pupils through their paces.

Joe Roebuck, who competed in the London Olympics and has won Commonwealth and European medals, visited the Shrubbery School with national body Sports for Schools.

Along with his fellow ‘Sportivator’ Belinda Stephen, Joe set up a fun training circuit in the school’s hall, which saw every pupil doing star jumps, press ups and all kinds of energetic exercise.

Joe said: “The idea is to inspire kids and get them excited about physical activity, health and an active lifestyle.

“The way we do this is to get the kids to approach it as one big team, cheering and supporting each other as they take part.

Joe with his fellow ‘Sportivator’ Belinda Stephen.
Joe with his fellow ‘Sportivator’ Belinda Stephen.

“The whole school goes through all the exercises, as one continuous stream, supporting each other, which means that there’s less pressure to perform and it becomes more about the enjoyment.

“The Shrubbery kids really went for it and seemed to have a great time.”

Afterwards, Joe gave a special assembly to the school, talking about the importance of fitness and good health to the sporty Shrubbery School pupils.

Headteacher Amanda Lees said: “It was a real pleasure to have Joe and Belinda come into the school. They created so much excitement and the children thoroughly enjoyed getting active.”

For more on the Shrubbery School, click here.

To visit Shrubbery School website, click here.

Gary Phelpshttp://garyphelpscomms.co.uk
Gary is an award-winning journalist who has edited nine newspapers and helped launch numerous online news brands. He created UK School News and Sutton School Life to provide platforms for local schools to share positive news stories, helping them engage with their local communities and celebrate their successes. He has appeared on TV and radio on numerous occasions, presented evidence to Government ministers, lobbied on behalf of the media industry and trained dozens of young journalists. Gary was an Associate Lecturer in Journalism at the University of Derby, and has also advised Wolverhampton College's award-winning Journalism course accredited by the National Council for the Training of Journalists.

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