(Photograph) - A day in the life of Woodford Halse C of E School. Daventry, Northamptonshire.
When keen athlete Dom Murphy joined Woodford Halse just over 10 years ago he set up a cross-country club which soon bloomed into an annual competition with four or five local schools. On March 18 this year - “we always hold it on the Thursday nearest to St Patrick’s Day - more than 500 pupils from 20 primaries took part. Dom, who teaches Year 5-6, says the three-quarter mile course is “quite tough” for the 8 to 11-year-old competitors, as it includes two steep climbs in the school’s nature reserve. Younger pupils watch from the sidelines - or spend time honing their culinary skills.
SNAPS by JOEL CHANT
* Pole position: Emma Simmonds (left) and Chloe Rambaldini.
* Sole man: head Chris Bazeley acted as the day’s official race starter.
* Ready to roll: Kayleigh Howard (in black tee-shirt) leads the 200 runners in the girls’ ‘B’ race.
* Concentrated effort: Dom Murphy and his year 5-6 class.
* Flour power: Harvey White (left) and Oliver Courtney-Thompson.
* After the gun: the start of the boys’ ‘B’ race.
* U2: the girls’ ‘B’ race goes through the nature reserve.
