SPORT SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS
Sport Scholarships and Awards The PE Department at Downe House prides itself on nurturing talented girls to achieve and exceed their sporting goals. Our Award Holders play an important role at the heart of the sporting life of the School. Types of Award We offer two types of Award. Full Scholarships are given to pupils who are exceptional in their ability and attitude, while Exhibitions are offered to pupils who have impressed us with their level of play and who we feel show potential. Value of Sports Awards The position of a Sports Award Holder is an honour and a privilege, allowing the recipient to play a prominent role in the life of the Department and take on leadership opportunities. Award Holders benefit from a wide range of opportunities as part of the Scholarship Programme. They receive regular mentoring, and have access to external clubs and super-curricular activities such as workshops, trips to national tournaments and masterclasses with visiting sportspeople. Eligibility and Procedures Sports Scholarships are awarded to applicants in line with general entry at 11+, 13+ and 16+. Candidates at 11+ and 13+ should be playing in the A/1st team in at least two of the following sports: lacrosse, netball, hockey, tennis, swimming and cricket. At 16+ they should also be representing their county in at least one of those sports. Although we would welcome applications from candidates who excel in other sports. Evidence for these applications would need to be provided through video and competition records. These candidates would also be required to participate in the scholarship day and would have to choose two sports from the list above. Candidates must be under 12 years old on the following 1 September of the year of entry for 11+
or under 14 on the following 1 September of the year of entry for 13+. Awards are given on the results of a day of sport and fitness and an interview with the Sports Scholarship team. This takes place in March of the year of entry. Headteachers are also asked to write a report on their candidate’s sporting ability and progress. There is no fee for the assessment, however, girls who are not already registered for the School will be required to register before being considered for a Sports Scholarship. Duties of a Sports Award Holder Sports Scholars will be expected to maintain a high level of attainment through participation in the sports teams and be excellent role models to their peers. A Sports Scholar is required to: • Show a love of sport and a mature approach to personal development. • Demonstrate the commitment and motivation to improve and achieve. • Represent the School with pride. • Maintain a high level of performance and attitude at all times. • Show leadership qualities and be a role model. • Be prepared to participate in a range of sports when required. • Maintain frequent communication with the Scholarship team and Sports Mentor regarding training, performance, injuries and achievements. FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Is it a problem that my daughter has not played lacrosse before? No, the majority of the girls that come to Downe House have not played lacrosse before. This would not affect your daughter’s assessment for
a Scholarship. If you are particularly concerned about this, there are many lacrosse camps available and details of these can be found on the English Lacrosse website. What are you looking for in a Sports Scholar? At 11+ we are looking for an all-round sportswoman who can demonstrate the values required of a Scholar such as commitment, leadership and a drive to improve. This is largely the same for 13+ Scholars, although at both ages we would consider a girl who is extremely specialist in one sport. We hope that our Scholars would be able to represent the School in a number of A teams throughout the year. What criteria are used for the assessment? The assessment takes place on one day and includes a fitness test in the morning, sports assessments throughout the day, a general games assessment and an interview with one of the Scholarship team. The girls are given the opportunity to demonstrate their strengths in their chosen sports and we hope to see evidence of the values we are looking for in each of our Scholars. How long is the Scholarship held for? Will my daughter lose her Scholarship if she does not perform well? Scholarships are formally reassessed after two years for 11+ candidates and three years for 13+ candidates. However, being part of the Scholarship Programme does require a commitment as well as high performance levels in training and matches. Therefore candidates are also continuously monitored and Awards are subject to change before the next formal assessment. What are the benefits of being a Scholar? Being a Scholar at Downe House allows girls to access many additional training sessions including strength and conditioning with our specialist coach and fitness sessions that help to create a sense of ‘team spirit’ for all our Scholars across the whole school. In addition, Scholars are given the opportunity to engage with focus groups on a variety of topics, be taught by external coaches,
learn from speakers and attend a Scholars’ outing. Each Scholar is assigned a Mentor who will work with her alongside the Scholarship team and help to monitor her progress and performance including injuries and rehabilitation. We hope to foster a true passion in each of our Scholars and help her to achieve her individual sporting aims whilst at School and beyond. What do you offer Scholars? At Downe House we aim to offer our Scholars a well-rounded and personalised approach to elite level sport. We want our Scholars to develop a true sense of excellence, achieve their full potential and excel at sport both at School and in the future. We offer: • A personal Sports Mentor to assist with additional training, such as strength and conditioning, fitness and rehabilitation. • Support through focus group meetings to cover goal setting, sport at university, training during exams, sport psychology and recovery. • Events including guest coaches and speakers. • A personalised training programme. • Pre-season training for all senior teams. We care about each individual athlete and help her to stay focused to achieve her sporting ambitions. Decisions about Scholarships The final decision about all matters relating to Scholarships lies with the Headmistress. How to apply If your daughter is registered and has received a conditional offer to join Downe House, the Registry will automatically write to you in November/ December of the year prior to entry with details of how to apply for Awards. Further details regarding Sports Scholarships are available from the Director of Sport, Mrs Katie Lauder (lauderk@downehouse.net). For general enquires about Scholarships please contact Miss Angela Nutt, Registrar, on nutta@downehouse.net or 01635 204701.
Cold Ash, Thatcham, Berkshire RG18 9JJ T: 01635 200286 www.downehouse.net
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