A State Service of Thanksgiving for the Right Excellent Sir Garfield Sobers’ has prompted Bay Primary School to reflect on its historic link to the National Hero and the example his life continues to set for its pupils.

The cricket icon’s legacy lives on in classrooms as much as on cricket fields, said Bay Primary School principal Stacy Blunte, who described the National Hero’s journey from student to sporting icon as an inspiration to the school’s children to pursue excellence.

Blunte said Wednesday’s state funeral at Kensington Oval, which is to be held a day after what would have been Sir Garry’s 90th birthday, carried special meaning for the school.