Children from across Portico Academy Trust participated in our annual sports festival on Tuesday. There was a mixture of nerves and excitement ahead of the day. The nerves were soon blown away as the children competed in various sporting activities such as sitting volleyball, archery, kurling and benchball. Many of the children received certificates for displaying the School Games values (determination, passion, teamwork, honesty, respect and self-belief). Staff from all five

It was the return of Dragonball today as children from Year 5 competed in glorious sunshine! Dragonball combines elements of sports such as dodgeball, handball, basketball, netball and tag-rugby. Teams play as many rounds as they can in seven minutes. A round ends when all five balls on the pitch have been scored. Goals are scored by throwing or kicking and the ball can be carried in just about any way! The team with the most rounds won are the winners of the match. The child

Well done to the four boys and girls from Year 5 and 6 who represented West Leigh in the Quad Kids competition on Wednesday. Each child competed in a 75m sprint, howler throw, long jump and 600m run. The children from West Leigh performed superbly in each of the events. There were 22 schools in total competing and West Leigh narrowly missed out on a medal, finishing in 4th place. We are very proud of our athletes! Well done, West Leigh!

On Wednesday and Thursday, our Year 6 pupils took part in the Southend Schools Cricket Competition at Garon Park, with both the boys’ and girls’ teams representing the school brilliantly. The boys competed on Wednesday, showing excellent batting and fielding skills throughout the morning. They secured impressive victories against St. Michaels (117–34) and Bournes Green (68–32). In the afternoon, they faced tougher opposition and, despite two closely fought matches against Cha

It was a very exciting finish to the week as children from Year 4 and 6 competed in tennis competitions. The children competed as a team of four, and their scores were combined to make a team total. All of the children grew in confidence throughout the sessions and made great improvements from the start to the finish. There were fast serves, exciting rallies and powerful shots in a fantastic day of tennis. The Year 4 team finished in 4th place, winning two, drawing one and lo

Well done to the Year 6 football team who played in a friendly fixture against Chalkwell on Tuesday. They played with such enthusiasm throughout the game and played sportingly in a well-contested fixture. West Leigh went 2-0 up with goals from Kian and Jack before conceding late on to set up a tense finish! Atlas made some fantastic saves to help West Leigh get the win! Well done boys.

On Friday, the Year 5/6 girls’ football team took to the pitch for their final league match of the season and produced a performance full of determination and spirit. After a tough opening half, the team found themselves 2–0 down; however, they responded brilliantly and refused to give up. Fantastic tackles and relentless effort allowed the girls to win the ball back repeatedly, followed by some excellent passing up the pitch. Their hard work was rewarded when Izzy showed gre

There was much excitement on Thursday morning as West Leigh competed in the final of the Jim Smith Essex Cup. A year on from losing in the final seconds of the cup final, the team were determined to win this year! The first half was an end-to-end thriller and the teams went into half time with the score at 3-3. West Leigh came flying out in the second half and asserted their dominance in the tie. They were relentless with their attacking and scored one goal after the other. W

As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting charities throughout the year, West Leigh was a sea of red today as the children arrived in their brightest tops and boldest accessories for Comic Relief. The energy around the school was fantastic! To make the day even more memorable, the children were treated to a very special Friday assembly: the West Leigh Comic Relief Bake Off! Members of staff stepped up to the challenge, presenting their creations with plenty of flair, en

This week, the children enjoyed a fantastic trip to the renowned Globe Theatre. Their adventure began with a scenic walk through the streets of London, where they excitedly pointed out famous landmarks such as St Paul’s Cathedral. A particular highlight was spotting Tower Bridge as we made our way across the Millennium Bridge. Upon arriving at the Globe, the children took part in a guided tour and talk from the middle gallery, giving them a wonderful insight into the theatre’