Sport philosophy

Beyond the classroom

Sports Philosophy

Sport is an integral part of day-to-day life here at Emanuel. At the heart of our offering is an understanding that sport and activity provides opportunities for improving health and fitness, boosting wellbeing, and developing character. We believe in engendering a love of sport and activity, where every pupil can benefit from being involved as part of team and as an individual.

Current pupils have achieved significant representative success and honours, including competing for England in rowing, numerous county representatives in netball, hockey and rugby, and selection for professional performances pathways including Surrey County Cricket, London Pulse Netball West Ham United FC, Harlequins and London Irish rugby clubs. We are aiming to be the top co-educational school for sport in south-west London and to build on recent successes at national and regional level across our sports.

Representing the school and opportunities to improve

We are ambitious, running over 1000 inter-school fixtures each year with significantly more teams than many other independent schools in our performance sports. Our sports facilities are very busy throughout the week with training and fixtures with significant numbers of pupils having the opportunity of representing the school and competing alongside their peers. The majority of these matches take place on Saturday mornings – meaning the school and sports grounds are alive with pupils and parents at the weekend - though regional and national cup competition fixtures will often be scheduled for midweek. Our co-ed House sports competition ensures that girls and boys have opportunities to compete alongside one another as part of their House teams. Training sessions take place before and after school, as well as during designated Games afternoons for each year group, with a full programme of sports specific strength and conditioning to prepare our athletes. All sessions are coached by highly-skilled, qualified sports specialists many with extensive experience within professional sport as competitors and coaches.

Current and future sports facilities

Our on-site sports facilities are excellent with Emanuel pupils benefiting from 12-acres of playing fields, a large sports hall with a climbing wall, two fitness suites and dance studio, a new dedicated strength and conditioning gym, a mini-astro, indoor and outdoor cricket nets, tennis and netball courts, and an indoor swimming pool. Off-site, the school has its own boathouse at Barnes Bridge with its very own strength and conditioning suite, ensuring our rowers occupy a prime position on the river for training and events. At our Blagdons site in Raynes Park, the school has a further 14-acres of playing fields to help support the sporting programme. Over the coming four years, subject to planning the school intends to develop its own full size hockey Astro Turf, with the ability to support other sports including tennis, football, practice facilities for other sports and supporting the outreach programme with local underprovided schools and charities, new cricket nets, a new sports pavilion and further hard-court areas for netball and tennis.

Sports tours

There is a regular programme of sports tours designed to extend and challenge our girls and boys, while also providing them with opportunities to broaden their experiences playing cultures and styles. In the next twelve months our senior pupils will tour Netherlands for netball and cricket and take part in a residential rowing camp in northern Italy.

Cricket

Sport is extremely strong.

TATLER SCHOOLS GUIDE 2021