SPORTING EXCELLENCE AND SCHOLARSHIP at Woldingham
SPORTING EXCELLENCE AND SCHOLARSHIP Sporting achievement and excellence are supported, recognised and encouraged at Woldingham. Sport is central to life at Woldingham and sport scholarships are highly prized honours. Sport is everywhere and for everyone at Woldingham. Sport scholarships are one way potential and achievement are recognised and provide an opportunity for students to develop their skills and fitness. As well as representing Woldingham in their chosen sport, current and recent sport scholars have played at the highest levels including representing their county, region and country as an individual and as part of a team.
SPORT SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMME Sport scholars are supported to develop their sporting skills through a bespoke programme designed to make the most of their talent through opportunity, skills development and competition. All sport scholars have a weekly fitness session with a specialist personal trainer and an assigned PE teacher to provide one-to-one support to identify personal targets. Sport scholars represent the school in their chosen sports and have opportunities to captain their team. We also provide help and support to students who excel in sports outside those offered in school. We encourage sport scholars, especially younger students, to try lots of different sports. As well as a wide range of sports in timetabled PE lessons, Woldingham has a huge variety of co-curricular sport clubs ranging from archery and rock climbing to taekwondo and golf.
WOLDINGHAM SPORT SCHOLARS AT UNIVERSITY AND BEYOND Sport scholarships provide a fantastic springboard to success at university and throughout life. Woldingham alumna, hockey player and former 1st X1 captain Alex is in her first year at Dartmouth, an Ivy League university in New Hampshire, USA on a hockey scholarship. Alumna Charlotte, a talented runner, was selected for the England Athletics Youth Talent Programme and a sport scholarship at the University of Birmingham. Upper Sixth student Olivia has been offered a sport scholarship for Brunel University’s well-regarded rugby programme. Current and former students have represented their country and university at a huge range of sports from skiing to swimming and from athletics to rugby.
CELEBRATING PROGRESS, EFFORT AND SUCCESS Individual and team performance and spirit are celebrated at assemblies and shared with the wider community in school newsletters, magazines and social media. We also have our annual Sport Awards highlighting achievement, effort and progress. Recent guest speakers include Commonwealth gold medal winner Montell Douglas, England Rugby Player Shaunagh Brown and Vicky Gosling, GB Snowsport CEO. Current Sport Scholars are displayed in the Sport Centre as well as Honour Boards of Sport Ribbons and to recognise national level representation. Students are awarded colours and half colours for representing Woldingham.
Sport is central to life at Woldingham and sport scholarships are highly prized honours. Sport is everywhere and for everyone at Woldingham.
LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES As well as developing sport skills and meeting personal ambitions, sport at Woldingham provides a myriad of opportunities to develop teamwork and leadership skills vital for personal and professional success. No team or individual ever wins every match or competition. Learning to deal with a disappointing result, recovering from an injury and overcoming challenges are all important life skills learned by participating in sport. Director of Sport, Mrs Caroline Treacy said; ‘Sport provides wonderful opportunities for personal growth alongside developing sporting prowess and healthy lifestyles. Supporting teammates, demonstrating resilience and determination to improve and being a good team player all come from playing and excelling at individual and team sports.’ In the Sixth Form, sport scholars are encouraged to apply to become Woldingham’s Sport Ribbon (prefect). The Sport Ribbon is the top student leader for sport in the school providing additional opportunities to champion and lead sport across the school.
IDENTIFYING FUTURE POTENTIAL For many students, sporting potential and achievement develops through teenage years and is not always evident as a 10–11-year-old. This is why we have an athlete development programme (ADP) for students who don’t have a sports scholarship yet but demonstrate promise and commitment. Through the ADP, students have weekly fitness sessions with specialist PE teachers, as well as a personalised programme, so each girl can progress. And because we offer such a wide range of sports, it is often the case that sporting ability is demonstrated through having access to new sports and as each girl develops physically and emotionally in teenage years. There are opportunities to trial again for sport scholarships at 13+ and 16+, and ADP students are encouraged to apply.
Sport provides wonderful opportunities for personal growth alongside developing sporting prowess and healthy lifestyles.
PE AT GCSE AND A LEVEL Sport scholars are encouraged to take PE at GCSE and A Level but it is not compulsory. We also have a Sports Leadership qualification as an option for Sixth Form students, which they can take alongside their academic studies. Woldingham also offers dance as a GCSE option. Every year, Upper Sixth students leave to take up places at leading universities to study sport and to continue their sport at university.
WELL-ROUNDED STUDENTS Our most successful sportswomen do not just excel in their chosen sports but are full members of the Woldingham community, taking advantage of all the fantastic opportunities presented to them in and out of the classroom. Our current Sport Ribbon, Liv had a lead part in this year’s school production of the musical The Wedding Singer, Year 11 sport scholar Livvy also has an academic scholarship and combines sporting excellence on the netball court with high academic achievement. Aspiring vet Immy is a key member of the hockey 1st XI and an outstanding singer.
TOURS, FIXTURES AND COMPETITIONS We run a wonderful range of sports trips and tours alongside an active programme of fixtures against other leading schools. Fixtures generally take place on Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons and Saturday mornings. The standards are high. As well as school representation, we run development squads for students new to a sport and those keen to improve their skills. Every year students move from development squads to a school team where they represent the school. In October 2023, we ran a successful netball and hockey tour to Malaysia and Singapore for our older students, and we have a cricket tour to Dubai arranged for 2025. Every year we compete in the British Schoolgirls’ Races in Flaine, France. In 2023, Oksana, then in Year 11, won both the U16 (non-reg) slalom and combined titles, a fantastic result. We run a weekend hockey and netball tour to Ascot for our younger teams. Senior teams start their season with hockey travelling to Nottingham for a hockey tournament and netball travelling to Condover Hall for a weekend of training, team building and match play. The school runs an annual ski trip to Europe or North America. Cross country is popular at Woldingham with students competing to a high standard. Training makes use of the school’s extensive 700 acres. Cricket is increasingly popular, not just in the summer but all year round using our new indoor nets and bowling facilities. Our annual Sports Day is the highlight of the athletics year and is preceded by our wonderful parent and daughter tennis competition. There are tennis teams for all years and we have an active fixtures programme.
REPRESENTATION School teams take part in district, regional and national competitions. We support our sport students to excel at school and in their chosen sports outside of school. Every year Woldingham students are selected for county representation, particularly at netball and hockey, as well as at club level. Swimming is strong at Woldingham with many swimmers representing their club, as well as school, and taking part in regional and national competitions. Recently in the pool Tarryn in Year 8 was selected for the National Water Polo Performance Centre and Year 10 student Lara competed in the Irish National Swimming Championships last year.
HOUSE SPORT Sport is not just about high performance but also about enjoyment and community. There are annual House sport competitions for cross country, swimming, netball, hockey, tennis, cricket, dance and badminton. On Sports Day, students complete for their House – Stuart, Duchesne, Digby and Barat – as well as for individual honours. Sport scholars often lead the way in House sport.
EXCELLENT STAFF As well developing students’ technical skills to perform at the highest levels in her chosen sport or sports, Woldingham’s PE Department is committed to supporting each student to develop as a sportswoman. Through high level coaching, expertise in sports psychology and individual personalised attention, Woldingham students achieve high levels of performance not just at school but outside of school and in their lives afterwards. Masterclasses are organised regularly with current leading sportswomen and men. Recently we’ve welcomed England netballer Fran Williams, Scottish hockey player Nikki Lloyd, and Olympic gold medallist swimmer James Guy to inspire and motivate our young sportswomen in masterclasses. For more information on and sporting excellence and sport scholarship at Woldingham, contact: Mrs Caroline Treacy, Director of Sport treacyc@woldinghamschool.co.uk or Mrs Linda Underwood, Director of Admissions registrar@woldinghamschool.co.uk
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Marden Park, Woldingham, Surrey, CR3 7YA (for satellite navigation please use postcode CR3 7LR)
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