Banbury area school says 'thanks' for the fabulous football as Oxford United coaching ends a fun-filled term

Mr Huff, from Oxford Utd in the Community (OUitC) has been visiting the school every week since the beginning of June, coaching the boys and girls and helping them develop their skills.

The Oxford United in the Community scheme uses the appeal of the Premier League Primary Stars to inspire children to learn, be active and develop important life skills.

The school's PE teacher, Mrs Atkins said: “The timing couldn’t have been better with all the excitement we had around the Euros.

"Of course it’s a disappointment that we didn’t win the final but the England players are a great role model on and off the pitch and with Rob coming in from OUitC it has really inspired the children and brings it home to them.

"We’re very lucky to have our own grass pitches and now thanks to Rob’s inspiration we’ll have both a boys and a girls football squad playing on them.”

Mr Huff has been helping on and off the pitch, giving one-to-one coaching and teaching literacy skills in class too, all based around the love of football.

Mrs Atkins said: “The importance of sport and team playing for children’s mental and physical wellbeing is recognised now more than ever. Having a professional footballer and coach with Rob’s skills and experience has been a wonderful opportunity. On behalf of all our Year Four and Five pupils I want to say a great big thank you to Rob and OUinC."

In addition to the football, pupils at Bloxham Primary have also benefitted from coaching in tag Rugby which parent-coach Gareth Thomas runs on Tuesdays. The school also has a thriving cross-country squad and offers a wide range of sports including netball, hockey, athletics, swimming, dodgeball, tennis and cricket.

You can see more about Oxford Utd's work in the community at https://www.oufc.co.uk/news/2021/june/premier-league-stars/