Ex-headteacher and sports enthusiast, Michael Thomas, from Llantilio Crossenny, is taking on a new educational challenge by helping to make sport accessible for all pupils in Wales, whatever their ability. Michael, 55, who was a headteacher at the Llandaff City Church in Wales School, Cardiff for 13 years has recently been appointed Head of Education at one of Wales' most promising young companies, SportStars. In his new role, Michael will be responsible for expanding the PPA (planning, preparation and assessment) cover the company offers schools in Wales, while ensuring the company continues delivering the high standard of sports teaching to a curriculum level. Michael said: "Teaching in Wales is constantly changing and the demands on teachers increasing. "But SportStars gives schools and its pupils a chance of experiencing all types of sports by qualified sport coaches, while freeing up the teacher's time for lesson preparation and marking. "The company is about giving pupils, whatever their sporting ability or size, the opportunity to enjoy all types of sport, which they may not have experienced otherwise, while delivering coaching to the highest of standards." Michael's appointment is seen as important next step for the company, who has recently won the Natwest Startups Business of the Year, with its ambitious plans of increasing the number of schools they are in by 800 per cent by the end of 2008. James Taylor, Managing Director of SportStars said: "Mike is going to be a very important asset to our company, as he has a wealth of experience in the educational field but also a real passion for sport that is an essential requirement for all our staff." Michael, a father of three, is a keen sportsman himself, who has run the London Marathon and is an avid supporter of the London Welsh, the Llanelli Scarlets and the Welsh rugby team. He is also Vice Chairman of the National Association for Able Children in Education (NACE) and an Estyn inspecto.r SportStars offers sports coaching to four to 12- year-olds and has more than 150 coaches on its books and is now working in 50 primary schools in Wales.
