With our Lower III pupils away on residential this week, it was up to our Upper II students to fly the flag for The Abbey Junior School at the Reading School Games Year 5&6 Five-a-Side Football Tournament.

We entered two teams, each placed in separate groups. Both teams got off to a flying start—Team 1 recorded a confident 3-0 win over Emmer Green, while Team 2 secured a 1-0 victory against Thameside. The excellent results continued, with both teams remaining unbeaten throughout the group stages. Only St. Anne’s managed to hold Team 1 to a draw in a closely contested 0-0 match, while Team 2 won all of their group fixtures.

During the presentation, before the finals, the referees—students from Reading School—announced the winners of the Most Sporting Team award. We were thrilled when Team 1 was chosen for this honour, as voted for by the referees themselves.

After a tense wait, the exciting news came through—both Abbey teams had made it to the final!

The final, played between Team 1 and Team 2, was a fantastic showcase of skill, teamwork and true sportsmanship, with friends facing off in the spirit of friendly competition. Team 1 narrowly edged the win to take home the trophy, but all of the students left with medals around their necks and huge smiles on their faces.

We are incredibly proud of every player for their effort, attitude, and outstanding teamwork throughout the tournament. Well done!