ORCHARD JUNIOR SCHOOL
Growing Together. Branching Out.
Headteacher: Mrs Carol Taylor
Phone: 02380 843162
SPORTS AT ORCHARD
Our aim is to provide ample opportunity to our students to experience as many sports as possible during their time at Orchard Juniors. Entering in to the New Forest School Sport Partnership competitions, Southampton Football Leagues and Cup, as well as hosting numerous sporting events throughout the year ourselves at Orchard Juniors with other local schools; to provide a range of opportunities and events from inclusive festivals to competitive pathway events to allow opportunities for all levels of sports participation.
Children are encouraged in assemblies to attend lunch time training sessions for upcoming events, from which we select our teams.
Thursday 9th January marked another exciting chapter for our athletes at the second meet of the New Forest Athletics League. Currently sitting in second place, our team has shown tremendous dedication, training hard in morning clubs to achieve new personal bests. A special shout-out goes to Maja, who broke the school record in the girls’ shot put, and Brody, who matched the boys’ long jump—both of you have truly earned these incredible achievements!
All our athletes gave their best, competing fiercely against tough opposition. The standout moments of the day came from the team relays. The girls displayed outstanding teamwork, winning their heat with flawless change-overs. Meanwhile, the boys narrowly finished second in a thrilling, neck-and-neck race that kept everyone on the edge of their seats.
A huge congratulations to everyone for your hard work and determination! We eagerly await the final results from yesterday’s meet and look forward to the final Athletics League meet in March. Keep up the fantastic effort and let’s finish the indoor season strong!
Last week, we had the pleasure of taking 12 upper school students to the gymnastics festival at Noadswood School. The children had the chance to explore a variety of gymnastics equipment, including the trampoline, in a fun and supportive environment. A huge thank you to Noadswood for hosting the event and to the former Orchard students who helped run it—your enthusiasm and expertise in gymnastics were truly inspiring. Well done to everyone involved for making it such a fun and successful experience!
On Saturday, we proudly took two indoor athletics teams to compete in the New Forest Finals, having earned their spots at the qualifying event back in November. These students have dedicated countless hours to training, constantly pushing their limits and striving for new personal bests. Their commitment to athletics has been unwavering, with many sacrificing their usual weekend activities to represent our school and showcase their talents in Athletics.
Throughout the competition, every athlete displayed incredible resilience and determination. However, what truly stood out to the staff and parents in attendance was the sense of unity, encouragement, and support that they showed one another. This spirit of teamwork was beautifully captured in the photo below. Regardless of the race result, every team member was met with the same warm, supportive welcome - high fives all-round.
Well done to all – you’ve made Orchard proud!
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Results: Orchard A = 3rd Place (Bronze Medalists)
Orchard B = 6th Place
On the 5th February, we took three Year 5 and 6 badminton teams to the New Forest Schools competition at NFA. Our teams have been training hard in the morning club to hone their skills and understand tactics, all of which they executed brilliantly in today’s competition.
All three of our teams qualified for the top tier after the seeding round and competed for the overall winners’ medal, as well as the chance to represent the New Forest at the county games later this month. Our C team, made up entirely of Year 5 students, played excellently throughout the day and narrowly missed out on the bronze medal, finishing 4th overall—an incredible effort, and we look forward to seeing what they can achieve next year!
Our A and B teams battled it out for the top spot, with our A team claiming gold and our B team securing silver. An incredible achievement to have all three teams finish in the top 4 in the New Forest, with our A and B teams finishing 1st and 2nd, earning qualification for the county event.
Congratulations to all our teams, incredible results!
Orchard A - 1st (Gold Medals)
Orchard B - 2nd (Silver Medals)
Orchard C - 4th
In the last week of January these amazing year 3 and 4 pupils took part in a 'Can Do' Festival at West Totton Community Centre. They were joined by 8 other schools to try out 5 exciting and different sports such as Curling, Sealed Volleyball, Bocce, Blind Football and a Guided Obstacle Course. All 6 Pupils represented Orchard impeccably and the smiles on their faces spoke volumes.
Last week we had the pleasure of taking 12 year 3 and 4 students to the gymnastics festival at Noadswood School. The students had the choice to explore a variety of gymnastic equipment.
Many thanks to Noadswood for hosting the event and giving the Orchard students such a fun and exciting afternoon.
New Forest Cross Country – Outstanding Performances!
On Monday 10th February, we took 31 runners to the Year 5 & 6 New Forest Cross Country Races at Gang Warily.
In bitterly cold conditions, our young athletes displayed incredible resilience and determination, giving their all in highly competitive races featuring over 100 runners each. A huge well done to everyone—you were all amazing!
Special Mentions:
Year 5 Girls: A huge congratulations to Ella, who ran a phenomenal race to secure 2nd place, earning her spot at the County Championships after half term.
Year 5 Boys: Kaan delivered an outstanding performance, also finishing 2nd, while Joe battled hard to claim 5th place—both qualifying for next month’s County Championships.
Year 6 Girls: Jana ran a strong and composed race to take 2nd place, securing her third consecutive year representing the New Forest at the County Championships! A special mention to Mayleigh, who produced the standout performance of the day—charging from around 30th to 4th place with a relentless, determined, and daring effort that paid off, also earning her County qualification.
Team Results:
Year 5 Boys – 1st (Gold Medalists)
Year 5 Girls – 2nd (Silver Medalists)
Year 6 Girls – 2nd (Silver Medalists)
Year 6 Boys – 4th
An incredible effort from every runner—well done to all our athletes, and best of luck to our 5 County qualifiers!
Back to back football for our Girls and Boys Teams!
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On Wednesday 12th February, we took both girls' teams to Brockenhurst College for the New Forest County Qualifier event. Both teams were a pleasure to coach and represented the school with passion and excellent attitudes throughout the day. They demonstrated remarkable skill and teamwork, which truly stood out.
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Our A team advanced confidently all the way to the final, where they faced a tough Abbotswood side. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, leading to extra time and eventually penalties. Unfortunately, it wasn't our day and we ended as runners-up. However, our girls qualified for the Hampshire County Tournament in March, alongside Abbotswood. Well done to the A team, and good luck in March!
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Meanwhile, our B team showed great teamwork and improvement with each match. Competing in Tier 2, they narrowly missed out on the bronze medal match, finishing 3rd in their group. Well done girls for your effort and commitment!
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On Thursday 13th February, we were back at Brockenhurst for the boys' tournament. The boys matched the girls' energy, showcasing fantastic attitude, passion and skill, all while upholding our school's values.
The A team qualified for Tier 1, playing with great teamwork and determination. Unfortunately, they didn’t progress to the medal rounds, finishing 4th in their group and an overall equal 5th. Well done boys for your hard work!
Our B team, made up entirely of Year 5 students, qualified for Tier 2 and fought hard to reach the bronze medal match, finishing 2nd in their group. In a thrilling final moments, they managed to secure a 1-0 win against Calmore, earning the bronze medals. Well done, boys—what a match to witness!
