"I would like to thank all the coaches for their dedication, hard work and making my son's week fun and enjoyable! Thank you very much...10/10"
"It's such a relief to leave my son knowing that he is in a safe, fun environment. Thank you Sportstars!"
"The staff were extremely friendly and had a great rapport with the children."
"A really good week - excellent value, the girls were really happy, we knew they were safe and the performance was great! This is our second time and we'd definitely come again."
"I brought four children to the scheme, ranging from 5 to 10. They all loved coming and ran in every morning. Excellent...10/10"
"I was a bit concerned about leaving my son as he's only just four, but the coaches were so friendly and confident it put my mind at ease straight away. Thanks all. 10/10"
"The coaches have all been fantastic with the children - an excellent balance of fun, learning and discipline. They really manage to communicate with all the children regardless of their age or ability - very impressed indeed!"
"(Sportstars) supply extremely high quality planning, preparation and assessment cover and after school activities, all at a reasonable cost to already stretched school budgets".
"As a Headteacher I have been challenged by the latest educational reforms of providing good quality cover for staff while they have their 10% Planning Preparation and Assessment Time. I tried a range of providers before and themes for the pupils before employing the services of Sportstars... I have now decided to use Sportstars to cover all the schools PPA requirements for next year and have been very impressed with the company...the services they provide have been a real godsend to Headteachers and the quality of staff are of a high standard".
"Sportstars has been working in Kitchener Primary school for the past year. The enthusiastic and energetic coaches are well trained and motivate the children in a wide variety of sports during the year. Sportstars also provide end of year reports for the teachers with whom they have been working."
"Sportstars is very well organised, has excellent coaching personnel, offers a diversity of sports and is excellent value for money! Sportstars has addressed the Health and Safety issues and the coaches have a code of conduct - both of which are so important where the safety and security are concerned'.'The work being done by Sportstars in schools and in holiday clubs, will play a major role in the fight against obesity and also encourage children to take a more active role in sport".
"We are a small school and it's been fantastic to receive fresh new faces bringing in their expertise. Sportstars is a very dependable company and we have never been let down. We had been having great difficulty covering PPA in the past but now we have no worries."
"I have been extremely impressed by the professionalism and enthusiasm of the staff of Sportstars. They enthuse and engage the pupils which will lead to them continuing to enjoy the benefits of sporting activities throughout their lives."
"We have been working with Sportstars since September 2006, when financial pressures meant we were unable to fund a qualified teacher to provide PPA cover. Coaches work closely within existing school policies and frameworks. They have proved extremely popular with our pupils and are highly respected by staff as they bring extra specialities into our school routines."
"The qualified coaches of Sportstars are making a significant contribution in our school, both through covering classes for PPA and also by raising standards of achievement across all year groups. With their detailed planning, accurate assessments and good class management, they have quickly won the respect of teachers and the trust of pupils. I recommend them highly."
"Sportstars is a well organised and very efficient service. They have excellent coaches who cover the full range of the PE curriculum. Detailed lesson planning is provided and is tailored to suit our school's individual needs."
Sporting Chance for Livewire Winner
03/06/07
The 25-year-old founder of a sports-coaching venture has won the title of Wales Shell Livewire Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2006.
James Taylor, of Sportstars, will now compete for the £10,000 national title against fellow innovators from across the UK. He won the £3,000 regional prize after judges were impressed by his service which coaches 4-to-12-year-olds. It supports primary schools by encouraging sports in term-time and holidays.
Mr Taylor graduated with a BSc in Psychology in 2003 and then completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Education. He launched his business in 2005, supported by an entrepreneurship scholarship from the Knowledge Exploitation Fund. Last summer the company ran courses at 10 venues in South Wales, involving 760 children.
Each finalist's business plan was scrutinised by an expert panel of judges including James Lewindon, representing the National Assembly, Ellin Davies of Style Boxes, and Ed Periera of Periara Media. Mr Taylor said, "Winning the Shell Livewire Award is a great boost for my business and recognises my achievements so far in moving from an idea to reality. Now I'm looking forward to competing against other young entrepreneurs from across the country for the overall national award at the London final in June."
Andrew Davies AM, Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks presented the award. He said, "The finalists make excellent role models and are clear evidence that high calibre businesses can be created in Wales. Shell Livewire's support is much valued, not least by young entrepreneurs in Wales."
Story taken from Western Mail (June 3rd 2006)