Sport supports good health, but how does its competitive edge feed into a positive culture – helping young people rise to challenges and also experience something bigger? Leading independents give us their take on its important role in both school life and pupil success
Oakham School
At Oakham, sport is a fundamental part of school life – every child has at least three sessions a week. But Director of Sport Dr Iain Simpson says there’s something much more. “It provides a buzz to the school campus on match days when hundreds of pupils take to the playing fields, the pitches, the courts, and the pool to compete.”
With around 50 inter-house sporting competitions each year, pupils are encouraged to take part and support their peers. All abilities get the chance to play regular matches against other schools – it’s as busy for the D team as their A team counterparts – all celebrated in the Oakhamian annual magazine via a season report. Oakham has many pupils playing for academies or on sporting pathways. “We formally support and recognise these achievements at our annual Sports Colours Presentation ceremony. When our 1st XV boys’ rugby team won the National Schools Cup at Twickenham for the third time in 2023, 850 pupils, parents and staff travelled to London to watch them compete,” says Iain Simpson. The school community was also out in force when the U16 girls’ hockey team carried off silver in the final of the Tier 1 National Cup Competition in March
The players in winning teams become role models to those in the school, as do elite athletes at national and international level. “The most powerful role models are people like themselves,” says Iain Simpson. With that in mind, Oakham also celebrates alumni who have gone on to great things, inviting them back to talk to pupils or run coaching sessions. And this has a massive impact. “For example, when England rugby player Jack Van Poortvliet returned to visit his old House and talk to pupils in Years 7 and 8, it was hugely motivational.”
Not everything ends in triumph – and Iain Simpson believes it’s far better to have competitions that are closely fought and some even lost when it comes to life lessons. “We reframe the idea of failing and view it as simply not achieving everything that we set out to do,” he says. “It is really important that we challenge our pupils so that they encounter a mixture of success and failure and are equipped to react to both in a way that is reflective, positive and purposeful.”
This translates back into the classroom. “As part of Oakham School’s Connected Curriculum, we overtly teach the skills, behaviours, and habits that young people learn through sport and show our pupils how they are transferrable into so many parts of their lives,” adds Iain Simpson. “The child who learns to set targets and work hard towards challenges in their sporting environment and to problem solve and overcome those challenges is then equipped to do the same thing in the classroom and beyond.”
Oakham School oakham.rutland.sch.uk
Reed’s School
At Reed’s in Surrey, there’s long been great success in sport – with recent wins in areas such as hockey, tennis, ski racing and golf, alongside swimming and athletics. But Director of Sport Andy Watts says that wins aren’t the only measure of success at school level – and sometimes they aren’t the best measure. “Setting up fixtures that include challenge is vital, as it builds resilience, helps with problem solving and encourages different ways to overcome adversity.”
The school offers team sports from A-F level and beyond, and with an expectation that all pupils are involved on Saturdays for sport in First and Second Forms (Years 7 and 8). Coaching and facilities, and matching players to teams with comparable depth, support success but also build up other skills. “Involvement in sport only enhances what happens in the classroom. Developing time management skills, working collaboratively with others, and stepping out of your comfort zone can all contribute to academic progress,” he says. “Being involved in a wide range of activities, such as sport, music, and drama, is crucial to pupil welfare and wellbeing.”
Reed’s has highly ambitious pupils in sport, who may start their day in the gym, fitting in one-to-one technical sessions in their free periods and then committing evenings and weekends to training and competing “This level of dedication is one of the most impressive aspects of the modern pupil athlete,” says Andy Watts. But it isn’t just pupils pursuing elite sports pathways who commit time to improve – the school has noticed increasing demand for its Strength & Conditioning programme across the cohort.
Success is recognised weekly via assemblies. “Captains read out all results: the wins, draws and losses. It is important to recognise all competition and sometimes the best received reports are losses where teams have given their all. This public recognition is important and encourages players to represent their team, the school and, most importantly, their peers,” says Andy Watt.
Reed’s encourages young people to aspire to sports leadership roles. “The skill of coaches and teachers in schools is to try and provide opportunity for success, but also learning how to deal with losing, coping with adversity, and overcoming any fear of failure,” says Andy Watts. “Communication of selection is vital face-to-face, as indeed is rewarding effort, not just the outcome.” He adds that it’s important not to shy away from the effort involved in all competition. “Without it, sport becomes play. Success isn’t just about winning, as nice as that is, it is about the hard work behind the scenes.”
Reed’s School reeds.surrey.sch.uk
Tonbridge School
At Tonbridge, sport is part of day-to-day life. “Sport is integral to our school’s ethos, with all students engaging in activities at least three times weekly,” says Director of Sport Chris Morgan. “We believe it fosters character development, offering equal opportunities for personal growth regardless of skill level or team affiliation.”
National and international achievements significantly influence Tonbridge pupils’ enthusiasm about sport. All the better when you have alumni to get behind. Current OTs shining bright include Ben Earl in rugby and Zak Crawley in cricket – both now England regulars. “They serve as inspiring role models, driving increased interest and participation,” adds Chris Morgan. Those on a potential elite sports pathway receive tailored support through the school’s mentorship programme. This includes guidance from performance coaches, lectures and staff members who have navigated similar elite challenges. “This holistic approach prepares students to aim high while equipping them with strategies to manage setbacks.”
Winners and losers both deserve positive feedback, and the focus here is on building a supportive culture. “Coaches, supported by teachers, provide context and understanding, emphasising the broader educational value of sports,” says Chris Morgan. The Tonbridge team know that the lessons learnt in sport translate into the classroom and help students confront fear of failure. “These sports experiences equip them with essential life skills, fostering adaptability and perseverance in facing challenges.”
Not every child can be (or aspires to be) top in games. “We promote a culture that values participation and emphasises the broader educational benefits of sports,” says Chris Morgan. There are some 20 sports here – all the mainstream choices plus more offbeat options such as fives, ultimate frisbee and rackets. In the ‘major’ sports the school regularly field 25 rugby teams, 14 hockey teams, 17 football teams and 17 cricket sides on weekend fixtures.
Tonbridge’s ultimate aim is to engender a love of sport that lasts into adult life. By that marker, they are definitely winners. “The OT cricket side has won the Cricketer Cup more than any other school, the OT Golf side has won the prestigious Halford Hewitt the most times and the OT football club has continued to grow in recent years and now, on a weekly basis, fields two sides,” says Chris Morgan.
Tonbridge School tonbridge-school.co.uk
Malvern College
While there has always been a tradition at independent schools of playing to win, at Malvern College there is recognition that there’s a much broader purpose and meaning to success. Silverware and top rank still matter, but the primary intention of the school, alongside the fun and the health benefits of sport, is to develop personal qualities. Training is designed to develop collaborative skills and encourage students to compete while developing empathy for others.
The school believes that playing sport, whether at elite or recreational level, is a means of developing both talent and character. Challenging games and hard-fought matches teach transferable skills and wider intelligence. Malvern College is, of course, proud of those alumni who go on to shine at an elite level.
Upper Sixth pupil Noah Goryn is part of British Fencing’s athlete development programme. This means he has balanced studying for his IB Diploma while winning gold at the British Youth Championships. For Malvern College, the benefits beyond his sporting achievements are in giving Noah the opportunity to travel the world, developing his cultural intelligence and language skills as he competes against his international counterparts. He’s also managed nutrition, sleep and wellbeing practices that enhance his fencing and are hugely beneficial to preparing for exams.
Last year, Fergus Morris and Will Clayton donned the striped shirts of the U18 Barbarians Rugby Club. The sports team at Malvern College say they reap the benefits of these school successes because when a pupil trains with and develops their talent alongside a specialist coach or team, they bring these skills back with them. Also, the skills they learn on the road to success are hugely transferable in learning and life situations.
Malvern College pupil Daisy Tuthill, who plays hockey for Wales U18, models the skills of organisation, self-regulation and discipline on a daily basis as a College Prefect. She was nominated by the pupils in her boarding house to represent them because they see her as a role model. And when Old Malvernian Rose Harvey made headline news as ‘The Covid Lawyer turned Olympic Runner’ she demonstrated to students at the school how the skills and qualities that bring success in work sit hand-in-hand with the skills and qualities needed by an elite athlete.
Malvern College malverncollege.org.uk
Wycliffe College
Sport is integral at Wycliffe College – all the way from prep years to the top of the Senior school, says Director of Sport Ben Taylor. “Pupils have a huge variety of opportunities to play competitively but also engage in a wide variety of co-curricular sporting activities that cater for our culturally diverse community.” He believes there has been a shift in the way young people view elite sport in the past decade, perhaps in part due to the switch from watching the whole game on TV to catching highlights via social media. “These easily accessible highlight reels of goals, tries and celebrations are a great motivator, but can also provide pupils with an unrealistic perception of what sport might be like.”
Wycliffe’s approach helps to counteract that medals and glory perspective. “The highlight of the school sporting calendar is our ‘Legacy Sports Day’ held before our traditional Athletics Sports Day,” says Ben Taylor. “At this event, no one can play a sport that they have competed for school in before and must try something new. This creates a brilliant level playing field.” With all the traditional sports on tap, Wycliffe has also diversified to ensure everyone finds something they enjoy.
There are many pupils at the school who are on elite pathways, supported through Wycliffe’s Sports Scholarship Programme. Wraparound care includes a strength and conditioning coach, physio and sports therapists. There’s also nutrition advice from specialists and access to sports psychologists “We are also fortunate enough to have current professional players from different sports come in throughout the year to talk to pupils about their journey and give the pupils real world advice,” says Ben Taylor.
Inevitably, the elite pathway can mean setbacks if a pupil is released. Ben Taylor says it’s a matter of working closely with external pathways, managing disappointment and helping students to either progress or use this setback as a learning opportunity and continue to enjoy their sport at the level they choose.
Of course, disappointment doesn’t just happen at the elite end – and it can feel more crushing further down – so there’s an important balance to be struck. “We encourage all pupils to look deeper into their losses and use them as a development tool be it through video feedback or 1:1 discussion on performance. There is no straight line to success and if we can help pupils to understand this then the benefits can be seen in all areas of their sporting and academic lives.”
Wycliffe College wycliffe.co.uk
Kew House School
Sport fosters a sense of community at Kew House. The school says that celebrating wins, supporting teams and individuals and recognising achievements all promote a positive culture around sport – also reinforcing ideas around teamwork, dedication, and perseverance. But the school believes it’s also vital to teach children that failure is a natural part of both sport and life. The emphasis here is on effort rather than simply outcome and teachers and coaches provide constructive feedback to help young people cope with setbacks and build resilience.
The support is designed to help young people to reflect, set realistic goals, and focus on continuous improvement. This fits one of the mantras of Kew House: ‘What can I do differently next time?’. Not all children are naturally gifted at sport, and there’s emphasis on inclusivity and variety – helping children discover sports and activities they enjoy and may excel in. That’s why the school maintains a compulsory curriculum time for girls and boys to be playing together in Core PE lessons. The school believes it’s important that young people learn to appreciate playing sport together throughout Years 7 to 11.
The sports team know that providing a variety of choices of sport, emphasising skills development over competition, and giving encouragement to less able or willing students works. It’s about reinforcing the value of participation and personal improvement rather than just winning. All abilities get the opportunity to participate in interschool fixtures against carefully matched teams throughout the school year to highlight the fun and camaraderie of a competitive sporting environment.
For young people on an elite sports pathway, there’s the school’s Top Performing Athlete Program (TPAP), offering guidance on goal setting, time management, and coping with setbacks such as injury or de-selection. It includes sound advice around physical development – including the importance of continuing education, maintaining wellbeing and building life skills to prepare for alternative pathways and a future beyond sports. The results for Kew House students have ranged from from international wake-boarding champions to girls and boys winning places in football academies across west London. Rowing is also developing into a key strength.
The team say that sport is an essential and vibrant element of the school community, but also helps to shape young people’s attitudes, skills and values. By fostering inclusivity, resilience, and a passion for physical activity, it helps young people to to promote their personal development and ability to thrive in the future.
Kew House School kewhouseschool.com
Concord College
At Concord College in Shropshire sport is used to broaden the international cohort’s experience and present alternative challenges. It is also a key tool to help young people manage their physical and mental health. The focus is giving each student the opportunity to play sports they enjoy and at a level they choose. It’s also a key area of House competitions, so a vehicle for friendly rivalry and relationship building.
Every Wednesday there are varied games sessions for Years 9 to 11. All students have a ‘twilight’ programme available in their 4pm activity time, while boarders attend one ‘sports prep’ a week where they choose their own activity. Wins and achievements are celebrated school-wide and via social media, as many parents are international. Concord College recently made it to the Society of Heads U18 National Cup Final for football for the first time – taking many supporters with them to cheer along the team.
With such a diverse community, the team at Concord College also see diverse attitudes to sporting fails. They place emphasis on personal growth and persistence This is all supported by the adventurous outdoor programme, which uses the fantastic local landscape to expose young people to carefully supported challenges. The repeated practice needed to master a new sport or face an unfamiliar challenge such as abseiling is a great resource to draw on in class.
Concord College’s highly successful DofE programme dovetails with sport and outdoor education – last year four students achieved gold and one became a DofE Ambassador. Such challenges help students deal with stress, teamwork and find out more about their own capabilities. Reflection and goal setting are also carried back to class. Staff and pastoral teams make sure they celebrate determination and ability to get back up and try again alongside every success.
Some students join Concord in Year 9 unable to swim or ride a bike and the progress to National Lifeguard Qualification or mountain biking can be a milestone achievement. Others join with high sports aspirations and, while there are no sports scholarships here, the elite programme provides staff mentoring and specialist support.
There have been high achievers in many fields, from cricket to fencing, Formula 4, wind surfing and golf. Last year, Concord College came top in the county for basketball and fielded successful badminton and table tennis teams. And a Year 13 runner scooped a Welsh national fell running championship and headed off to Oxford where she now has a Blue in cross country. Another Year 12 student has already brought home a silver medal for Singapore in a major men’s windsurfing competition.
Concord College concordcollegeuk.com
Further reading: Why Humanities are so important
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