Autumn Term 2025

Indoor Athletics

This afternoon, a brilliant group of Year 4, 5 and 6 athletes represented our school at the Indoor Athletics event hosted by Westfield Academy. The team – Nevaeh, Rosie, Grace, Emelia, Lily, Fin, Hunter, Freddie, Riley, Will and Alex – took part in a range of exciting activities including the vertical standing jump, standing long jump, seated howler throw, sprint races, balance challenges and the seated chest pass.

From the moment they arrived, the children showed fantastic focus and enthusiasm. They listened carefully, encouraged one another and demonstrated excellent teamwork throughout every event. Whether they were leaping for distance, throwing with power or sprinting at top speed, each child gave their very best effort.

Their determination and positive attitude were clear to see, and they represented the school beautifully. We are incredibly proud of how well they performed and how brilliantly they supported one another.

Badminton Festival

Pupils went to Preston Secondary to take part in an exciting Badminton Festival, giving them the chance to develop skills and enjoy friendly competition. Barnaby, Phoebe, Alfie and Albie represented the school superbly, taking on challenges and showing great enthusiasm throughout the session. They played games against other schools, practised rallying and movement, and demonstrated excellent teamwork and sportsmanship.

The festival was a brilliant opportunity for the group to grow in confidence and prepare for future competitions. Their positive attitude and determination showed they are ready for the next tournament, where they will take part in full matches. We are very proud of them.

Ansford Cross Country

Our pupils did brilliantly at the Ansford Cross Country on Thursday, showing determination, teamwork, and fantastic sporting spirit. We are incredibly proud of everyone who took part and represented the school so confidently.

In the Year 5/6 girls’ race, Grace stormed to victory with an outstanding first-place finish, closely followed by Lily, who secured a superb third place. The success continued in the Year 3/4 girls’ race, where Emily powered her way to first place, with Molly taking a brilliant second and Harriet finishing strongly in fourth.

Our boys also shone on the day. In the Year 5/6 race, Alex ran brilliantly to claim second place, with Fin finishing close behind in fourth after a determined performance. Jack rounded off our achievements with an excellent third-place finish in the Year 3/4 race.

A huge well done to all of our runners (Will, Maisy, Wren, Rupert, Wilf, Summer, Sophie, Freddie, Henry and Henry) — you were amazing ambassadors for our school!

EFSA Pokémon 'Can Do' Football - Bucklers Mead

A team of Year 5 and 6 footballers represented Countess Gytha at Bucklers Mead. The team played a series of closely-contested matches, including against near neighbours, Milford (1-0 win) and trust rivals, Kingfisher (2-0 loss). A strong display saw the team progress to the second round of league fixtures, where we drew against Oaklands (0-0) which put our team into the  playoff final, once again facing Kingfisher. Despite a valiant team effort, some brilliant shots on target by Jaxon-Blu and saves from goalie, Arlow, we were narrowly defeated 1-0.  

KS1 Multiskills Festival

Our Key Stage 1 children had a fantastic time at the recent KS1 Festival, enjoying a fun-filled evening of sport, teamwork and smiles. Alice, Georgia, Milo, Teddy, Rupert, Arthur, Charlotte and Ari took part in a range of exciting activities designed to build confidence and develop key physical skills. This included relay, football, where the children practised dribbling and passing as part of a team, howler throws to develop their throwing technique, and basketball challenges focusing on shooting and coordination. They also enjoyed trying their hand at tennis, working on control and accuracy, as well as a beanbag challenge where they aimed carefully to land beanbags into a bucket.

All pupils represented the school brilliantly, showing excellent listening skills, determination and sportsmanship throughout. It was lovely to see Alice encouraging her teammates, Milo’s focus during the relays, Ari’s enthusiasm and Teddy’s perseverance with the throwing activities. Everyone showed great enthusiasm and growing confidence, making the festival a truly enjoyable and successful event for all involved.

Year 5 Dance Festival

Year 5 had a fantastic afternoon learning a brilliant dance routine taught by Ansford Academy. The children showed great focus, energy and teamwork, mastering new moves with confidence. It was a fun, active and inspiring experience, and we are very proud of how well they represented our school.

Westfield Netball Tournament

Countess Gytha Primary had a brilliant time at the Westfield Netball Tournament this week, showing fantastic teamwork, determination, and sportsmanship throughout every match. The team played five exciting games, securing impressive wins against Huish (3-2), East Coker (3–1), and South Petherton (3–1), while putting in strong performances against Norton and Holy Trinity. With these results, we finished in 3rd place. 

It was Ella and Wilf’s very first tournament, and both were outstanding – showing great confidence and enthusiasm on court. Phoebe was on incredible form, scoring twice and showing lightning-fast reactions in defence and attack. Liv was superb in front of goal, demonstrating accurate shooting and smart positioning. Albie and Barnaby listened brilliantly to feedback, immediately putting advice into action to strengthen the team’s play. Emelia was fearless in defence, reading the game well and passing with precision.

Every player contributed to a fantastic all-round team performance, full of energy, encouragement, and effort from start to finish. The pupils represented Countess Gytha with pride and positivity, supporting one another and playing with true team spirit. A huge well done to everyone who took part — what a wonderful afternoon of netball!

Cheerleading Festival Fun

Five of our fantastic girls represented our school brilliantly at the recent Cheerleading Festival! They started the session with a fun warm-up before learning new techniques and choreography — including some impressive synchronised moves and stunts such as the nugget, thigh stand, and table top. The girls threw themselves into every activity with energy, teamwork, and huge smiles. They showed great determination, coordination, and spirit throughout. Most importantly, they loved every moment and gave 100% from start to finish — true cheerleaders through and through! Well done Lily, Emily, Emelia, Phoebe and Aurelia.

Netball at Westfield Academy

Our Year 6 netball team had a fantastic day representing the school at the recent Westfield Academy netball tournament! The team — Barnaby, Albie, Alfie, Lily, Rosie, Emelia, Nevaeh, and Grace — showed brilliant teamwork, determination, and enthusiasm throughout the afternoon.

Across six exciting matches, the children gave it their all, winning two games and losing four in some very close contests. They finished on a real high, ending the tournament with an impressive 2–0 victory in their final match. Some amazing shots from Rosie. 

Every player demonstrated great sportsmanship and resilience, encouraging each other and improving with every game.

Well done to the whole team for their effort and positive attitude — you represented the school brilliantly, and we’re all very proud of you!

Cross Country Success!

What a fantastic effort from our cross country team this week! The event took place on a challenging course, with plenty of hills and muddy stretches to test everyone’s stamina — but our pupils showed incredible determination from start to finish. A huge well done to Emily who won her race, Grace, who ran brilliantly to achieve 2nd place, and to Molly, who finished strongly in 6th place. All demonstrated fantastic perseverance and team spirit throughout. Every member of the team should be extremely proud of their performance; their encouragement for one another and positive attitude truly reflected our school values. Despite the tough conditions, everyone gave their best and represented the school superbly. Well done to all our runners — you’ve made us very proud!

Boccia Festival at Westfield Academy

A brilliant group of pupils represented the school at the recent Boccia festival hosted by Westfield Academy. They showed fantastic determination, resilience and teamwork throughout the event.

Team Seb, Phoebe and Eyup faced some tough early rounds, narrowly losing their first three matches, including a game against East Coker. Despite the results, they kept their spirits high and supported one another brilliantly. In their later fixtures, they grew in confidence and finished strongly with a superb 5–0 win over Primrose. They also took on their schoolmates in a friendly match, losing 6–0, but continued to show great sportsmanship.

Toby and Theo had an impressive run of games. After a 2–0 loss to South Petherton, they bounced back superbly, going on to win three matches in total, including a strong victory over Primrose. They showed great teamwork, accuracy and tactical thinking as they grew in confidence with each match. One of their wins came against the other team from our school in a friendly fixture.

Across all matches, our pupils showed excellent behaviour, listened carefully to the rules and encouraged one another throughout. We are incredibly proud of the way they represented the school with resilience and respect.

Well done to all involved!

Dance Festival at Westfield Academy

Eight of our talented children had the exciting opportunity to attend a Dance Festival at Westfield Academy. During the event, they
learnt a fantastic rock n roll routine set to Let’s Twist Again by Chubby Checker. The children threw themselves into the experience,
picking up some brilliant moves and performing with huge smiles and confidence. At the end of the session, they wowed the audience
with a lively performance that showed just how much fun they had.
A big well done to Seb, Lincoln, Wren, Emily, Molly, Harriet, Iyla and Isabelle – what a fantastic achievement!

Netball Tournament at Preston

On Thursday, our netball team took part in a tournament against East Coker, Milford and Oaklands. The results were: a 2–0 loss, a
fantastic 4–0 win, and a hard-fought 0–0 draw.
The team played brilliantly, especially as it was the very first competitive netball match for some of our players — they were even
learning the rules while playing! There was excellent shooting from Albie, Alfie and Olivia, and great teamwork and determination
shown by Barnaby, Grace, Phoebe, Emily and Emelia.
We are really proud of the whole team for their effort, sportsmanship and enthusiasm. Well done everyone!

Benchball Champions!

Our Benchball team had an incredible day at the Westfield Tournament, showing not only great skill but also brilliant teamwork and
sportsmanship.
Huish – Won
Oaklands – Won
East Coker – Lost by just 1 point
Chilthorne Domer – Won
From start to finish, the children worked so hard. Their amazing throwing and catching skills helped them win some very close games.
They listened carefully to the rules, encouraged each other on and off the court, and showed fantastic team spirit throughout.
All that effort and teamwork meant our school finished in 1st place overall!
A huge well done to our brilliant players – Jaxon, Albie, Barnaby, Grace, Wilf, Alfie, Nevaeh, Emily, Rosie, Emilia and Phoebe – who represented the school so proud.

Year 6 Ansford Sports Day

Year 6 had a fantastic time at the Sports Day Festival held at Ansford Secondary School! From the moment we arrived, there was a real buzz of excitement in the air. Pupils from several local primary schools gathered together, ready to show off their skills, try something new, and most importantly—have fun.

Throughout the day, our children took part in a huge variety of sports and activities, including football, rugby, basketball, trampolining, cricket and dodgeball. Each sport gave them the chance to work as a team, show resilience, and enjoy some friendly competition. Trampolining was a particular highlight, with many trying it for the first time—and loving it!

The facilities at Ansford were brilliant, and the secondary school’s sports leaders did a great job running each activity and making sure everyone felt included. It was lovely to see our pupils giving everything a go, cheering one another on, and showing great sportsmanship throughout the day.

We were incredibly proud of the way our Year 6s represented our school—not just through their sporting ability, but also through their positive attitudes and behaviour. A huge thank you to Ansford for organising such a fun and inspiring day!

Football Match Report – vs Ilchester Primary School

Our boys' football team showed great determination and resilience in their recent match against Ilchester Primary School. Although the team found the first half challenging and went into the break trailing, they came back after half-time with renewed energy and focus. The second half was a much-improved performance, with tighter defending and more confident passing. Their efforts were rewarded with a well-earned goal, winning the second half 1–0.

Despite the overall score ending in a 5–1 loss, the boys never gave up and showed fantastic team spirit throughout. A big well done to our team captain, Tom S, who led by example and worked tirelessly from start to finish. Congratulations as well to the rest of the team for their hard work and commitment: Alex, Albie, Wes, Enes, Stanley, Noah, Jack, and Barnaby. We’re proud of the way you represented the school – well played!

Cricket County Finals - Third Place

On an exciting day of cricket, Countess Gytha Primary School proudly competed in the Cricket County Finals, taking on some of the best school teams from across Somerset.

Our squad played four competitive matches, showing skill, teamwork, and determination throughout the day. We secured two brilliant wins – one by an impressive 44 runs and another by 24 runs. In the other two matches, the team fought hard and narrowly missed out, losing by just 12 and 6 runs. These results meant we finished a very respectable third overall.

There were standout performances across the pitch: Cooper showed fantastic leadership as captain, Tom delivered some outstanding fielding, and Jack and Wes treated the crowd to some explosive batting with huge hitting that thrilled the spectators.

A huge well done to our brilliant squad: Cooper, Wes, Archie, Wilf, Albie, Barnaby, Rothen, Jack, Tom and Alfie. You represented the school brilliantly and should be incredibly proud!

Area Cricket Finals at Chard Cricket Club

A huge congratulations to our cricket team who competed brilliantly in the area finals at Chard Cricket Club. In our first match against Chilthorne Domer, the boys played with great determination and skill, securing a fantastic win by 64 runs. Spirits were high as we moved into our second game against Ashlands, where the team really found their rhythm - scoring an incredible 109 runs! Every player gave their all, and their teamwork and sportsmanship were a credit to the school. We are delighted to say that these brilliant performances mean we have qualified for the county finals!

A special mention goes to our team captain, Cooper, for some outstanding batting throughout the afternoon. Well done to Jack, Tom, Wes, Archie, Rothen, Albie, Alfie, Barnaby and Wilf for their excellent effort, energy and enthusiasm. We are so proud of you all and can’t wait for the next stage!

Cricket training with Somerset coach

Well done to all the boys who attended our after-school cricket training session this week. The team showed fantastic focus, teamwork and determination as they worked on their bowling, batting and fielding skills. It was great to see their confidence growing with every over! The session was brilliant preparation for the area finals the following day, and the coach was really impressed by everyone’s attitude and effort. Thank you to the families who came along to support in the extremely hot dome at Westfield. 

Handball training v Y8 girls

Year 5 Boys Enjoy Cricket Training with Somerset Coach

A group of Year 5 boys enjoyed a brilliant cricket training session this week, led by Somerset cricket coach, Shaun. The boys took part in a range of fun games and activities, all designed to build their skills and confidence.

It was a fantastic learning experience, with lots of enthusiasm, teamwork and energy on show. From drills and skills to challenges, the boys threw themselves into every activity with great spirit.

Well done to Albie, Alfie W, Alfie C, Freddie, Rupert, Wilf and William for representing the school so well and making the most of this exciting opportunity. We’re sure we’ll be seeing some future cricket stars in action again soon!

Boys’ Football Team Show Great Determination in Their Match Against Keinton

Our boys’ football team recently took to the pitch to face Keinton in what proved to be a challenging but spirited match. For some of the boys, it was their very first time playing in a competitive game — and they showed real courage and perseverance throughout.

Although the final score didn’t go our way, the team never gave up and kept trying right until the final whistle. Their determination and teamwork were fantastic to see.

A special mention goes to Noah, who was outstanding in defence and put in a solid performance from start to finish. Well done to all the other players too: Wesley, Jack, Cooper, Hunter, Barnaby, Alex, Archie, Alex, Rothen, Tom, and Enes.

We’re proud of the way the team represented the school.

Girls’ Football Team Play Their First Ever Match!

This week, our girls’ football team made school history by playing their very first match — and what a brilliant game it was! Taking on Ilchester girls, the team showed incredible determination, teamwork, and resilience from the first whistle to the last.

The match was full of action, with great tackles, brave saves, and some seriously hard running from every player on the pitch. Although we didn’t come away with a win, we did score a fantastic goal that had everyone cheering on the sidelines!

A special mention must go to Ruby and Rosie, who both gave heroic performances and led by example throughout the match. Well done also to Lucy, Rosie, Evie, Phoebe, and Grace, who gave it their all and made us proud.

What a fantastic start for our girls' team — we can’t wait to see what they do next!

Rounders Match v Keinton Mandeville

Yesterday afternoon, our rounders team took on Keinton Mandeville in an exciting and spirited match. Although we lost 58–36, the game was a fantastic display of teamwork, effort, and enthusiasm.

Keinton Mandeville had a full squad of 12 players, while we fielded a brave and determined team of 10. For many of our pupils, this was their first time playing together as a team – and they rose to the challenge brilliantly.

There were some excellent catches and strong fielding throughout the match, showing great awareness and communication on the pitch. Our batting was equally impressive, with almost every player scoring a rounder – a fantastic achievement and a reflection of the hard work put in during PE lessons.

Although the final score didn’t go our way, the children represented the school with pride and showed brilliant sportsmanship throughout. We’re proud of every one of them and are already looking forward to our next match!

Well done, team!

Rounders

Our Year 5 and Year 6 pupils enjoyed a fantastic rounders match this week, full of energy, teamwork and fun! It was a great opportunity for them to build their skills, learn the rules, and try out tactics ahead of next week’s fixture.  

The children showed great sportsmanship and enthusiasm throughout, and it was lovely to see their confidence grow. They’re now feeling well-prepared and excited for their upcoming match – we wish them the best of luck! 

Area Finals - Cross Country

The girls crowned an outstanding season of races to represent Yeovil in the area finals - well done to Emily, Grace, Ruby and Molly who raced with heart, determination and bravery. You did the school proud.

Tennis Taster Session

Some Year 3s travelled to Yeovil Tennis club on Thursday for a taster session. The children had a great time playing fun balancing games, Jamaican tennis and much more. Well done to: Henry, Emily, Molly, Wren and Harriet.

Spring Term 2025

Cross Country

The final cross country of the year took place this week. We had so many runners again so well done for participating. Remember every participant scores the school points. Again, we had lots of top 10s and top 5s but a special mention must go to Emily in Year 3 who won the race. Amazing! We look forward to seeing who qualified for the next stage. 

Netball Tournament

Congratulations to Betsy, Jack, Georgia, Emelia, Cooper and Lucy who all took part in a netball tournament on Thursday. We played four matches against North Cadbury and we won all four. Well done to Jack for some amazing interceptions and shots, Cooper for great passing and Emelia for playing her first netball match! 

Bucklers Mead Basketball Tournament

The boys participated in another basketball tournament on Thursday against local primary schools. Jack, Cooper, Tom, Noah and Barnaby all played brilliantly in the group stages. We won our first match 12 - 0 with some great shots from Tom, Cooper and Jack. Winning one and drawing one in our final two matches meant we were top of the group and going into the final again. This time the boys drew with Kingfisher even after extra time meaning that we shared the top prize. Well done, boys

Handball

Year 5 and 6 were invited to a handball festival on Monday at Westfield Academy. The boys practised skills such as passing, movement, shooting and the laws of the game. We managed to have one game at the end and we won. Well done to Barnaby, Alfie C, Alfie W, Albie, Jack, and Cooper.

Indoor Athletics

The athletics squad travelled to Westfield Academy on Thursday and competed in an indoor athletics festival. They took part in different events including: speed bounce, agility test, balance, seated throw, seated push pass and a standing long jump. Each event contributed to the overall points total of the school. Results to follow. Well done to the team: Hunter, Jack, Cooper, Albie, Wilf, Ruby, Frayer, Phoebe, Emily and Emelia. A special congratulations must go to Emily and Wilf who both participated brilliantly after only finding out about the festival a few hours before.

Basketball

The team were fantastic on Thursday evening at Preston Secondary. We won the first three matches to nil. Jack was a star performer hitting long shots for fun. Cooper, Noah and Barnaby were brilliant demonstrating teamwork, tenacity and skill. Unfortunately, the team were extremely unlucky in the final losing in the shootout without being able to take a shot. A massive well done to the team! You made the school proud.

Autumn Term 2024

Futsal

Well done to the boys for playing Futsal at Westfield on Monday. We played three matches against East Coker, South Petherton and Milford. The boys drew 0-0, won 6-0 and lost 2-1. We scored some fantastic goals with Jack scoring four of them. It was a fantastic team effort. Congratulations to Wesley, Cooper, Noah, Tom and Stanley.

Badminton

Well done to all of the children who travelled to Preston on Thursday for a Badminton event. We competed in 10 activities across the evening in three separate teams. They all gave it their all and had fun on most of their first experience playing badminton. One of our teams (Jack, Olivia, Grace and Barnaby) finished 3rd and Jack won an individual prize too. Well done to Wilf, Willem, Rupert, Freddie W, Freddie L and Albie who participated too.

Ansford Cross Country

What a fantastic set of results the children achieved this week in cross country. There were 6 races. We won 4 of them and came 2nd in another. The girls Year 3/4 race was won by Emily, Molly came 2nd and Isla came 5th. The boys Year 4 race was won by Freddie W. In Year 5, both Grace and Alex R came 1st with Ruby finishing 2nd in the girls race. In year 6, Tom came 2nd and Frayer performed heroically even though she had a stitch. Well done to all of the children who participated - you supported everyone brilliantly.

Area Finals at Bucklers Mead 

On Tuesday, the football team travelled to Bucklers Mead to take part in a tournament hoping to qualify for the county finals. We started off brilliantly with dominant 4-0 and 6-1 victories. The goals were shared out amongst the squad. In the third game, we came up against an inspired goalkeeper who made save after save and unfortunately we lost to High Ham. In our final matches, we won 5-0 against Chard and drew 1-1 with Kingfisher. We didn't quite quality for the finals but the team played with great spirit throughout. Well done to: Cooper, Noah, Wesley, Jack, Thomas, Hunter, Alex and Enes. 

Football Tournament - Bucklers Mead

The team played five matches at Bucklers Mead against local primary schools on Monday. The team (Wes, Jack, Cooper, Barnaby, Alex, Hunter, Enes and Noah) were great. We won one match, drew three and lost one. Barnaby and Cooper were our goalscorers with Barnaby scoring his first ever goal for the school. Well done to the team and a special mention must go to Noah who was the standout performer on the day.

Hockey

On Thursday, our hockey squad travelled to Westfield to take part in a training session put on by Yeovil Hockey club. The team learnt skills like dribbling, passing, trapping the ball, tackling and moving away from a defender. It was a great experience especially to those who hadn't played before. Well done to Freddie, Lucy, Alfie, Barnaby, Cooper, Noah, Emelia, Grace and Ruby.

Cross Country - YTFC race

Once again, a strong contingent of children representing Years 2-6 ran in the third cross-country event, hosted at Yeovil Town Football Club. We are always proud to field such large numbers at events like this and each finisher contributes to the overall team score for the season, which helps to encourage such large numbers of participation and team spirit. If you have not yet been to a cross-country event, I think you would be surprised at the level of camaraderie and support from peers! Congratulations to all of our runners this week, with particular mentions for those finishing in the top 25 of their age categories: Emily B (1st), Grace G (4th), Molly S (7th), Fin R (12th), Ruby W (13th), Harriet A (16th), Jack G (19th), Alex R (22nd) and Iyla G (25th).

Year 2 went to Ansford this week to take part in a games festival run by Year 9 leaders. The children enjoyed games such as: caterpillar cricket, netball, badminton, tag rugby, boccia and Danish longball. It a great experience for the Year 2s and it enabled them to build confidence, teamwork and skills in a variety of different sports. 

Netball at Westfield

The team played five matches on Thursday performing valiantly in each one. The squad (Jack, Tom, Georgia, Cooper, Ruby, Grace and Betsy) were playing their first netball tournament as a team so did really well to compete with some of the largest schools in Yeovil. A special mention must go to Jack who played excellently throughout and Ruby who showed great team spirit. 

Cross Country at Bucklers Mead

Boccia

The Boccia squad travelled to Westfield today where we competed in a Boccia tournament against two other primary schools. For some of the team, it was their first ever competition and they all were fantastic. The team: Phoebe, Grace, Tayana, Willem, Noah and James should be incredibly proud of themselves. Also, a massive congratulations to two of our players Tayana and James who picked up player of the team awards!

Football Tournament at Ansford

A huge congratulations must go to the squad this week for taking part and winning a football tournament with the Ansford Learning Partnership schools. The boys were fantastic showing teamwork, skills and leadership in their 4 matches winning all 4. Well done to Jack, Cooper, Wesley, Noah, Thomas, Hunter, Albie and Enes.

Football Tournament

Well done to the team (and Mr Bunter) who all endured torrential conditions at Bucklers Mead this week. The boys were excellent showing grit and determination in their 5 matches winning 3 and losing 2. Well done to Tom, Jack, Cooper, Wesley, Noah, Freddie, Stanley and Enes.

First Cross Country Race of the Season

Well done to our mightily impressive squad who competed in the first cross country race at Yeovil Rugby Club this week. We had almost 1/5 of the school participate which is fantastic. Our results were great too - Emily won the Year 2/3 race which was incredible and we had lots of top 10 finishes too from other children in all the age groups. We look forward to hearing about your successes at the next race. 

Netball at Westfield

Yesterday, the netball team travelled to Westfield for a coaching session and to experience some friendly matches against East Coker and Milford. The team had never played before and were listening intently to all the coaching that Westfield offered. You all did yourselves proud by trying your best even when it was tough. Well done to Grace, Georgia, Betsy, Cooper, Tom and Nevaeh - you've all learned a new sport and its rules and you will be better players for it.