Portsmouth’s Fa Cup Trophy Tour Boosts School Attendance

Feb. 2, 2009 - PRLog -- Those who say the power of the FA Cup isn’t what it used to be should think again after the famous old trophy worked its magic on the pupils of Portsdown Primary School in Portsmouth.

The school, which has one of the lowest attendance rates in the city, were delighted when Portsmouth Football Club offered to bring the FA Cup into the school so that pupils could have their photographs taken with it. The response was astounding.

“Getting school attendance up is absolutely crucial for us and yet, despite everything we have tried, we continue to have a group of persistent absentees,” explains Head Teacher Irene Baldry.  “But we made a such big fuss about the FA Cup coming in that many of our classes had 100% attendance that day. We had only five children absent out of a roll of 320. The positive atmosphere and feel-good factor that this created is so beneficial for the school.”

And, says, Mrs Baldry, it wasn’t only the children who were beside themselves with excitement.

“We continue to show the children the pictures from the day in assembly, remind them how exciting the day was and prove to them that it was a good day to be in school, that they didn’t need to be at home. And they’re still talking about it. We even had parents coming in and having their photographs taken.”

Lucius Peart, Head of Operations at Portsmouth Football Club, comments:

“When the club won the FA Cup in May, it was clear just how much the whole city shared in the triumph. That’s why, together with the City Council, we wanted to make sure that every child in Portsmouth schools had the chance to see the cup for themselves and feel part of the FA Cup winning experience, and to show them that they are only going to get these kind of experiences if they are in school.”

Ends.