Welcome
We are delighted to welcome you to The Abbe Sport @ The Abbey Junior School and proud t the 2025 Reading Children’s Festival. We ho taking part has a fun morning with the oppo a new sport, meet new people and experienc movement.
Female sport has never had a higher profile fan base – but there is still so much work to d girls and women into sport.
Recent research from the charity ‘Wome revealed that girls as young as five years old fe belong in sport. The report found that ove parents said their daughter had felt exclu quarter confirming their daughter had been t for girls’.
Whilst shocking, we know behaviours to ambitions of girls are prevalent in society. It’s why here at The Abbey we work with schools and young people across the Reading community to champion female role models and create inclusive education experiences where there is no glass ceiling on achievement.
The Abbey Festival of Sport has won multiple awards for its work to foster belonging in sport. By bringing together our expert PE staff, student sport leaders, elite athletes and community sport clubs, we hope to build a lifelong relationship with sport and shape the sport role models for today and the future.
Emily Howard Head of Junior School PE and Sport
Beccy Newton Head of The Abbey Junior School
Programme
We are delighted to welcome former GB gymnast Claudia Fragapane and Reading FC Community Trust. Claudia will be sharing her inspirational journey in sport and delivering exciting gymnastics workshops for Year 1 - Year 4 students Children may even get a chance to see some of her medals! Whilst a coach from Reading FC Community Trust will be leading fun and inspiring Football workshops for Nursery, Reception, Year 3 & 4 students.
8.30am Arrival and Registration
9am Welcome and Warm Up
Meet GB Gymnast, Claudia Fragapane and Reading FC Community Trust Coaches
9.20am Students move into their groups
Nursery and Reception to Knell House
Year 1 and Year 2 move over to Abbey Gardens
Year 3 and Year 4 to remain at Kensington
We kindly ask parents to remain at The Abbey during the activities
9.30am Sport Activity 1
10.05am Sport Activity 2
10.35am Break and Refreshments
Nursery and Reception students depart
10.55am Sport Activity 3
Year 1 and Year 2 students depart
11.30am Sport Activity 4
12pm Close
Gymnastics
Claudia Fragapane - GB Gymnast
Gymnastics Taster Sessions for Year 1 to Year 4
Claudia Fragapane is a retired British artistic gymnast. In 1994 she was the first Englishwoman to win four golds at a single Commonwealth Games since 1930 and is the most successful female Commonwealth Games competitor. In 2015, she was part of the women’s gymnastics team that won Great Britain’s first-ever team medal.
Throughout her career, Claudia became a five-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist, a two-time World Championship bronze medallist, and a three-time European silver medallist
Claudia was named BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2014. You may also recognise Claudia from Strictly Come Dancing! In 2016, at the age of 18, she became the first female Olympic gymnast to compete in the show and finished in 4th place after reaching the semi-finals
Football
Reading FC Community Trust
Football Taster Sessions for Nursery, Reception,
Year 3 and Year 4
Reading FC Community Trust is a registered charity and is the community arm of the football club, engaging, developing and educating young people within various community groups within the local Reading and surrounding areas, delivering a range of sessions through four main activity pillars: Health, Education, Social Inclusion and Sports Participation
Netball & Athletics
Netball Taster Session for Year 3 and Year 4
Athletics Taster Session for Year 1 and Year 2
Sarah Anderson - PE Team, The Abbey Junior School
Sessions
Warm up - Cone steal
Skill 1 - Hit the spot
Skill 2 - Chest passes
Skill 3 - Shooting
Game - Invasion Games - Ninjas
Sarah has been teaching PE for 18 years now after graduating from Brunel University with a BSc (Hons) degree in Sport Science. She went on to complete a PGCE at Reading University in order to fulfil her dream of becoming a PE teacher!
“I worked in secondary education for 12 years before coming to The Abbey which I love! I have played Netball from age 10 and continued to play regional level netball with Athena Bs Netball club. I have played for a variety of clubs including Woodley NC, Eagles NC and now play club Netball with Athena NC I am a level 2 Netball coach and have continued my coaching alongside my playing career for the last 20 years.”
Touch Rugby& Athletics
Touch Rugby Taster Session for Year 1 and Year 2
Athletics Taster Session for Year 1 and Year 2
Nick Butterfield - PE Team,
The Abbey Junior School
Sessions
Warm up - Tail tag
Skill 1 - Catching relays
Skill 2 - 1 v 1 running with the ball Game - Octopus tag
Nick holds a BSc (Hons) in Sports Development from the University of Portsmouth and went on to complete the Graduate Training Programme, gaining Qualified Teacher Status He spent ten years teaching in secondary education before becoming Head of Sport at Claires Court Junior School. In September 2024, he took up a new position at The Abbey Junior School
Rugby has been a long-standing passion of mine; At school I captained the 1st XV and went onto represent Portsmouth University I have been a member of Marlow Rugby Club since the age of 11. Now retired from playing, I coach the U7 and U9 teams, where my sons are now proud members.
Cricket
Cricket Taster Session for Year 3 and Year 4
Nicole Beesley - PE Team, The Abbey Junior School
Sessions
Warm up - Stump race!
Skill 1 - Ground fielding technique
Skill 2 - Fielding - Stopping, catching and throwing the ball underam or overarm Game - Catch them out!
Nicole completed a Sports Science degree at Southampton Solent University and then went to Reading University to complete a postgraduate degree in teaching training.
“During my time at University, I played Football, Rugby and Cricket I was lucky enough to captain the Cricket side and won sports team of the year.
I also played Cricket for Berkshire Women and achieved Reading Sports Personality of the Year. I now teach at The Abbey, at both Junior and Senior sites and specialise in Cricket ”
Dance Masterclass
Dance taster session for Nursery and Reception
Mesrure Alniacik-Walton -
PE Team, The Abbey Junior School
Sessions
Theme - Celebrations
Story - If you’re happy and you know it!
By Ian Omerod & Lindsey Gardiner
Warm up - “Move and Freeze” song and actions
Dance 1- Busy Feet
Dance 2 - Express emotions through dance
Dance 3 - Celebration Dance: Skipping, hopping, turning, jazzy hands
Dance 4 - Cool down
Mesrure has been teaching PE and Dance for over 24 years now and still loves to see the positive impact of physical movement on children.
“My journey starts in my home country of Türkiye, where I joined a Folk and Modern Dance group in Ankara. I also developed a love of competitive basketball.
I completed a degree in PE & Sports Management and Teaching Training Qualification in Ankara University, which led to me teaching in two state schools. Since moving to England, I have focused mainly on encouraging children in EYFS and KS1 at The Abbey Junior School.
I am particularly passionate about how dance forms from around the world can help children to express themselves and discover more about different cultures ”
Local Clubs
Joining us this year are the following local clubs. Please visit the dining hall to found out more information about joining their clubs:
Reading FC Community Trust
Reading Gymnastics
Sonning Hockey Club
Woodley Netball Club
Reading Athletics Club
GDTennis
Saturday 10 May - Sunday 1 June
2025
Venues across Reading
This year’s festival celebrates its 36th anniversary with three fun packed weeks of events and activities for children all over the borough The festival gets off to an exciting start with Forbury Fiesta on Saturday 10 May, where there will be something for everyone to get involved with on the day. Reading Children’s Festival promises to bring plenty of fun, mayhem and madness
Check out this year’s guide of everything happening for Reading Children’s Festival!
For the full programme of activities and events taking place on the day, view the Reading Children’s Festival brochure
You can find the full programme of activities online
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ReadingCFest
X: @ReadingCFest
Our thanks to Holroyd Howe, caterers of The Abbey School, for their support of The Abbey Festival of Sport 2025.
The Abbey is a proud to have been recognised in national and local awards for its work to help girls and young women find lifelong belonging in sport #AbbeySport
Last years’ event
The Abbey Festival of Sport 2024 with Kelly Simm, GB Gymnast and Ellie Olds, Fulham Football Club
