Apparently it is!  Chess is officially recognised as a sport by organisations such as the International Olympic Committee, and many countries classify it as one.  It's a sport because it involves intense mental strategy, physical endurance for long tournaments, competition and strict rules.

      So when Mr Cox told me that he could not attend this week's league match for the Nottinghamshire Primary Schools Chess Association, I leapt at the chance to take his place and went along to investigate ...

       In PSHE lessons, Year 5 are currently learning about life in the wider world.  This has involved exploring the ideas of sexism and gender stereotyping, using deeper thinking skills to ascertain why some television advertisements have been banned or withdrawn in the UK.  For example, they watched and discussed a Volkswagen commercial which stereotyped men as adventurers and women as homemakers and babysitters.

 Last week's PSHE sessions also looked at how and when gender stereotyping can be instilled in children, and how - if left unchecked - it can limit opportunities for both boys and girls.
      This clip made for especially interesting viewing, and inspired Year 5 to see if stereotyping presents as much of a problem in our all-girls school as it did in this co-ed classroom: