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9
PHYSICAL TRAINING.
The Board's schedule of physical training is followed in
all the schools, and considerable interest is being taken in
organised games and in swimming. Organised games
and school sports are held at the school field in Redston
Road, the Rokesly Avenue School site, Highgate
Woods and Finsbury Park. Bach school has its own annual
sports day, and an annual inter-school athletic meeting is also
held. Parents attend these gatherings in large numbers, and
the arrangements, organised by the school staffs in their spare
time, reflect great credit on all concerned. At the Redston
Road ground three new drinking fountains have been installed.
These fountains are of the modern hygienic type, and proved
highly satisfactory during last summer.
As regards swimming, 1,024 children made 50 per cent, or
more of the possible number of attendances at the school bath
during the summer. Of these children 289 could swim at the
beginning of the session, and at the end of the session another
349 had been taught to swim.
The following report is written by Mr. W. B. Ouseley,
General Secretary and Treasurer of the Hornsey Schools' Sports
Association: —
"The Association has actively engaged the Hornsey scholars
in football, cricket, tennis, netball, athletics and swimming
during the year 1926. Much success is due to the Sectional
Secretaries, who, by carrying through league competitions,
awaken keen enthusiasm not only among the children actually
playing, but among those who witness the games.
The competitions in football, tennis, netball and athletics
have been extended this year in order to cater for those scholars
attending 'Upper Top' schools who remain at school during their
sixteenth year. This has meant much more organisation, both
for fitting in the fixtures, venues of the games and neutral
'umpires' or 'referees,' but the results have justified the extra
time devoted by the teachers concerned.
A further development has materialised in netball, which
section has become affiliated to the Middlesex Netball Association.
The knock-out competition is in progress at the time of
writing, but both players and teachers have distinct hopes of
reaching the final round.