Towards the end of the course of the “Playing for Success” term at the Diamonds Study Centre a week was set aside for Year 8 students, from Latimer, Montagu and Southfield Secondary schools as well as Year 5 pupils from Grange, Avondale and Millbrook Junior schools and a group of looked after children, from the Northamptonshire County Council “Kicin2study” project, to interview the Diamonds first team players. 

Grange with Lee and Jon

Latimer with Michael and Curtis

 Millbrook with Andy and Phil

Avondale with Martyn and Lawrence

They all had a great time interviewing first team players Phil Gulliver, Curtis Osano, Marcus Kelly, Tom Shaw, Lee Phillips, Michael Jon Challinor, Michael Rankine, Martyn Margarson and Lawrence Lambley as well as some of the clubs prospective future stars in Adam Sharpe and Sean Calcutt
The “Playing for Success” project is part of a national initiative which involves a partnership between the DCSF (Department for Children, Schools and Families) Northamptonshire County Council and the football club itself and one of its major objectives is to raise standards in literacy.

Montagu with Adam and Sean

Southfield with Marcus and Tom

The interview activity and the follow up work proved to be an extremely worthwhile exercise in the improvement of their speaking, listening and writing skills in a very enjoyable way. The stimulus of being enabled to interview professional footballers and to write about the experience proved to be invaluable in that the students were motivated to record what they had been told during the course of the interview.

The Diamonds Study Centre held its Presentation Evening on Tuesday July 22nd to celebrate the end of the Summer Term of “Playing for Success” sessions at the centre. The sessions have been run in the evenings, at the Study Centre based at Rushden and Diamonds Football Club, as part of a national government initiative with the aims being to improve the children’s standards in Numeracy, Literacy and Information Technology as well as to boost their confidence and self-esteem through the medium of “sports related” activities. The scheme involves a partnership between the Department for Children, Schools and Families, Northamptonshire County Council and the football club and is geared towards Year 5 and Year 8 students in the year before their end of key stage tests.

The Presentation Evening for the Diamonds Study Centre was held in the Kimberley Suite at Rushden and Diamonds Football Club and the room was full as relatives and teachers watched the youngsters, aged between 9 and 14 years, being presented with their certificates by Rushden& Diamonds first team players Sam Smith and Jake Beecroft . 

The schools involved in the scheme this term have all come from the Kettering area namely from Latimer, Montagu and Southfield Secondary Schools in addition to the younger students from Grange, Avondale and Millbrook Jumior Schools.

Sam Smith with Latimer Arts College

Jake Beecroft with Grange Community School                 

Diamonds Study Centre Manager Rob Jones said, “The Presentation Evening was a superb occasion for all concerned and it was pleasing to hear some of the young people talking both to their teachers and their families about their achievements during the course of the term and it was particularly pleasing to see Kettering born player Sam Smith present certificates to students from his old school Latimer Arts College.The youngsters have been a credit to their families and their schools and the tremendous turnout reflected the high regard shown for the Playing for Success initiative. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank their teachers and parents for their assistance this term and to commend Rushden and Diamonds Football Club for its involvement with the local community and the support it has given to the Study Centre during this academic term.”  

Speaking on behalf of Rushden & Diamonds Football Club, Rachel Roberts added, “It was really nice to see so many parents come to the Presentation Evening, and from the displays and comments made on the night, the children really enjoy the work they do. This scheme is so important, its nice to think that Rushden & Diamonds FC had a part in helping the children improve their education in a fun way.”