LET THE GAMES BEGIN

““Playing netball for Cranleigh was amazing! It felt great being able to play with my teammates after so long. We worked hard to get to the point where we participated in matches.”

Mid-October was when, for more than 18 months, our over 16s had been waiting: sport against other schools was fully back! The joy on pupils’ faces as they took to the field, court and pool with their friends was evident. The positivity, grit, and enthusiastic team spirit that competitive sports bring to pupils’ lives at Cranleigh seemed more acute than ever. But, unfortunately, it wasn’t until March that we could resume our programme entirely. With only a few weeks remaining of the cooler weather, we packed the calendar full of events to ensure as many as possible had the opportunity to participate.

Term 3 was focused on indoor sports, namely basketball, volleyball, swimming, and badminton. The skills, level and fitness of the individuals involved in these teams have significantly increased. We thank all the parents who have cheered on the teams from the sidelines; we value and welcome your support.

Looking forward to next year, we are excited to see school sports return to season-based competitions in a safe and organised environment. Enabling access to a quality experience in more sports for all pupils is our goal at Cranleigh. With the increased provision and the ambitious and busy calendar, feel next year will be the best yet. Finally, I thank all staff involved; the joy you bring to the community is a significant reason our pupils love coming to school.

Since March 2022, we have enjoyed nearly 200 fixtures involving pupils from Years 3 to 13 in football, netball, volleyball, basketball, badminton, swimming, water polo, and chess.

Intra-School Athletics

A fun quadrathlon event with all pupils from Years 3 to 13. Our Cranleigh athletes ran, sprinted, threw, and jumped for House points. The engagement, effort and enjoyment on display were fantastic!

ADEK Sports Cup

We entered the inaugural ADEK Cup with our U14 boys’ and girls’ football teams. Hosted in Abu Dhabi, it was fast-paced and our teams played brilliantly. The boys lost in the semi-finals on penalties, and the girls finished third overall, receiving their medals at Al Jazira Stadium.

80% win rate for the girls’ basketball teams

Jr NBA League

Participation in the Jr NBA League occurred every Saturday during Term 2 and 3. Our teams represented the Chicago Bulls (boys) and the Washington Wizards (girls). The players received a coaching clinic and met some former NBA players, including a special visit from ‘Big Shot Rob’ Robert Horry, who has won 7 NBA titles in a 16-year NBA career. Our girls finished with Bronze medals overall. A brilliant experience and a real highlight of the year.

Inter-House Rounders

Spirits were high at this House event, where teams battled it out on the field. Many a home run was smashed, and great fun was had by all!

BTEC Sport

This was our second year offering the BTEC International Level 3 in Sport Qualification. In January, our Cranleigh BTEC Sport students had a glimpse into university life and possible future career pathways when they visited Abu Dhabi University. They engaged with industry experts, participated in fitness testing, and collected sports nutrition data. The average grade for students enrolled in BTEC Sport at Cranleigh this year was a Distinction.

“The most memorable experience was the bioelectrical impedance analysis, a device that measures body composition. I was amazed by the accuracy of the results and the detail it gave us. It was beneficial for the course because I can now better understand how certain tests work.”

Zoe, BTEC Sport, Year 13, Distinction

2 years of delivering BTEC Sport