Sports Report Summer 2022

Sunshine and success in the Summer Term!

Written by Miss Nicholas

The Summer Term is unique for school sport, it always seems to stand aside from the Autumn and Spring I look forward to those warmer and brighter evenings for fixtures, the continuous outside lessons under bright blue skies and of course the change in sports to Athletics, Cricket and Tennis As many are leaving the school gates on the last day of term thankful for the break there is always a part of me sad to see the end of another Summer Term knowing for the next I will have to wait 9 months!

Of course, it is easy to see why it has gone so fast, as we certainly haven’t taken our foot off the accelerator! Extra-curricular sport has continued to thrive The Intermediate Tennis Team have made it through to the Regional Finals in September for their National Team Tennis Competition both the Junior and Intermediate Athletics Teams won the Middlesex Track and Field Cup, progressing on to the Regional A Finals We also can’t forget cricket which continues to thrive with the valued support of Ealing Cricket Club, our hardball teams now well established at U13 and U15 level

The memory, however, I will most take away with me from this term is Sports Day Although the focus may be athletics, I love how the day is always much more than just that It is a chance at the end of the year for all staff and pupils to take some time out and come together as one The resounding house cheers pupils laughing and having fun and the copious amounts of face paint that is circulated all help to make the day what it is Before the day itself I spoke to the Year 12 on the importance of them setting the tone for the day and leading by example - and they didn’t disappoint! The dancing in houses to music, cheering and supporting their younger students, the give it a go attitude which saw many Year 12’s remember just how fast they can run over 100m! For this I am grateful to all the Year 12 so thank you It was truly a super day and I am just about getting over the fact that the staff lost both the tug of war and the staff v students relay again!

As always I hope all pupils have had a wonderful Summer Break and look forward to what Autumn 2022 will bring

Highlights in this issue:

Sports Awards 2022 - Pg 2

GDST Select Sport - Pg 3

Meet our new Games Captain - Pg 4

GDST Athletics Rally - Pg 7

Tennis League - Pg 6

Sports Day - Pg 8

Summer Term sports photos - Pg 10

Sports Awards 2022

Written by Sophie Claxton

On Friday 29th April 2022 the PE department hosted the annual sports awards in the school hall The hall was decorated to the gold and black theme, with every table being a major female sporting event

We were fortunate enough to have not one but three guest speakers – GB and England Hockey player Esme Burge, current U20 British 100m & 200m record holder in athletics Nia Wedderburn-Goodison, and former GB Junior and London Penguins waterpolo player Rachel Bull

The evening started off with Miss Nicholas sharing a powerful message about NHEHS athletes comparing themselves to only themselves and finding a sport that they enjoy, pursuing it to their ability and playing sport for life Then we had a Q&A with the elite athletes, where they shared some of their career highs and lows, how they got into their sports and pieces of advice for all the students attending the evening. It was inspirational to hear how each of them had different journeys in sport.

After food, which was a BBQ, and dessert we got onto the main event – the awards It was fantastic to see all the students winning various prizes in their respective sports, so many of them being Year 7 and 8’s, which shows what talent we have in the younger year groups

The main award that everyone was excited to find out the winner for was the Team of the Year, with it being a very tight contest with so many deserving winners But there could only be one winner and it was the U15 Waterpolo team who won the U15 Nationals

We then ended the evening off with a variety of raffle draws, which we were fortunate enough to have donated by a variety of elite sports teams and companies

It was a fantastic event – definitely a highlight of the year!

Senior Cricket

Written by Jenny Dawson

My time at the GDST select cricket match was one that will stay with me We all met at South Hampstead Cricket Club for our match against the esteemed MCC team for later on in the day. Even though the team had never played together before, we all managed to rally around one another in a way I haven’t seen before in the sport which was amazing to be a part of. I was named as co-captain later on in the day, which was a great accolade to receive playing within such a talented team After a positive training session and a few interviews, we enjoyed our lunch and discussed tactics for the game at 2pm

I then took part in the toss, in which the MCC won and elected to bat Going on to the pitch was a great feeling, with such a strong team behind me and amazing opposition, I knew it was going to be a close match I opened the bowling and bowled three overs in my first spell, looking to bowl my last later in the match Our fielding was exemplary and with a few dives on the square, my white trousers were a grassy mess We had managed to keep the MCC well under 50 runs in the first 10 overs which, in itself, was a great achievement In the 19th over, I bowled my final over and, thankfully, got a wicket caught and bowled The MCC scored 99 overall and I was extremely happy we had kept them under 100, which was our initial aim

U15 Football

Written by Sylvie Todaro

I got selected to play for the GDST Select Football Team, we had our first weekend away last week together which was very exciting We had a match on Friday night and one on Saturday morning I arrived at Oxford High School and we took part in some bonding activities followed by lunchafter receiving our kits we went out to the training ground to prepare for the match ahead Afterwards we had to travel to the Travelodge, where we would be staying overnight Once we got settled in our rooms we had some free time

Our first match was a late kick off at 19:30 Vs oxford Ignite FC, they were a tough opponent as they were a very physical side but we managed to maintain our formation and utilised our pace against them which carried us through to the second half where we had settled into the game much more meaning we were able to score some goals

I had bowled 4 overs with one maiden for one wicket and 4 runs We then went on to bat and set off from ball one Our openers gave a great performance and I prepared to bat at number 7 It was a great experience batting in this match and, despite getting stumped, I really enjoyed my time batting With the last over to go, it was incredibly tight between the two sides as 9 runs were needed off the last 6 balls

We unfortunately lost by 6 runs but it was the closest result achieved against the MCC by the GDST, so this was definitely something to be proud of I loved my time co-captaining the GDST team and being able to lead such a talented team is something I won’t forget

The whistle blew and we had grabbed the win just beating them 3-1 Waking up the following morning,I ate breakfast and we went shopping around Oxford before our final match We were playing the Oxford United shadow squad, knowing this match was going to be an easier win, we played our best and couldn't have gotten a better result, we won 9-1 A fantastic end to a brilliant weekend

Overall, I met some great people and it's an experience I will

U13 Waterpolo Team at National Finals

Written by Jojo Williams & Sophie Clerkson

On Monday the 16th May, the U13 waterpolo team traveled up to Northampton Boys School to the finals, after being unbeaten in the the qualifiers

In the tournament our team went up against: Manchester Grammar School Bolton School Bedford School Alleyn’s and Emanuel Throughout the day we played a collection of 4 matches; we won 1, drew 1 and lost 2 However it was a very memorable and enjoyable day for the whole team

During the tournament, we bonded and created new friendships and strategies The opponents were strong and we spent lots of time coming up with strategies and analysing their different strengths and weaknesses

In the end, we finished fourth out of the six teams in the finals - NHEHS is the fourth best U13 girls waterpolo team in the whole of England

Although we may have wanted to place higher any goal scored created a huge sense of pride and joy within the team and we came out on the other side a much stronger and closer group We were all so grateful for the opportunity and really enjoyed the whole experience

NHEHS Games Captain 20222023

Written by Elina Mistry

Hi Everyone, I’m Ellie Mistry, the new Games Captain! Here’s a little bit about me and what I do in this role

My absolute favourite sport is hockey I started playing in Year 7 and fell in love with the game The fast paced, unpredictable nature of the sport made me want to become the best player I possibly could I love playing sports because I see my friends and have an amazing time pushing myself to try new skills It’s a break from the stress and pressure of life that I really like to take advantage of

My role as Games Captain is to promote and encourage sport within the school, whether it’s getting the older students to play again or introducing new clubs for everyone to enjoy I will be working closely with the Head Girls’ Team and Miss Nicholas to bring my ideas and initiatives into a reality.

My overall aim for the year is to promote sport within the older year groups as the number of students that play reduces quite a lot due to changing attitudes and exam stress. I want to show students that sport isn’t just about aptitude or skill but about enjoying yourself and working as a team I have already come up with a few initial ideas to boost the perception of playing sports in school Some of them are introducing social clubs, playing sports that aren’t in the curriculum, making connections with local boys schools to play sports with mixed teams and broadening the range of local sports trips During the hockey season, I coached the Year 7 hockey team and made loads of connections I find it really rewarding to be able to pass on my knowledge to the younger years and watch them improve throughout the season

Even though I am new to the role as Games Captain, I really enjoy the community feel throughout the school that has been shown at events such as the Sports Awards I am incredibly fortunate to have been chosen for this role and I am excited to make my

U13 team with their fourth place medals

GDST Athletics Rally

Written by Morven Pearce & Addy Moody-Stuart

Earlier in June, we were excited to be taking part in the first GDST Athletics Rally in three years and took teams from Year 5 up to Year 10 to compete in track and field events Here’s how two of our athletes enjoyed the experience:

Morven P, Year 9: “We left on the 12th June and travelled just over 3 hours to Nottingham, where we spent the night in a Holiday Inn We had a delicious dinner before going to bed, ready for a competitive day the next morning We woke up at 7am and left at around 8:30am to arrive with more than enough time to warm up so we were ready for the day It was really fun and everyone did really well in their events We had people competing in high jump, long jump, discus, 300 metre sprints, 1500m and so much more A highlight of the day was the Year 9 team winning their heat and finals for the 4×100 relay The team consisted of Georgia C, Hannah P, Morven P and Zoe J”

Addy M-S, Year 10: “I had such a great weekend at the GDST athletics rally this year Not only was the sun perpetually shining and spirits were sky high but there were some incredible athletes at the competition who performed superbly (most of them were from our school!) The results were amazing with the little Year 5s coming 1st, the Year 6s and 9s 2nd and the year 7s 3rd Although Year 10 didn’t place on the podium only 5 of us attended the competition – Iris C Nicola H Eadi S-J Ellie C and me- so the effort was there and we came and left with a huge smile on our faces We put our absolute all into our events All in all I really enjoyed the experience along with the comradery with all the other GDST schools and the ‘friendly’ competition that came with it In true NHEHS style we brought home the bacon and came 3rd overall!”

Overall, the NHEHS Team from Years 5-10 finished in 3rd place! This is the highest place finish ever for NHEHS at this GDST Rally Well done to all pupils on the team!

KS3 dancers take to the stage

The Key Stage 3 Dance Team took part in a London Schools Dance competition at the Beck Theatre It was great to have them back in action at a live dance competition after so much time out due to Covid restrictions The team placed 9th overall, with a very competitive field of 14 other London schools

The team have worked so hard this year, all leading up to this competition They thoroughly enjoyed themselves and loved being on stage!

Track & Field Cup news

After successfully finishing first in both the junior and intermediate sections of the Track & Field Cup County Round, both teams qualified for the Regional A finals - a first for NHEHS!

The Junior and Intermediate Track & Field Cup Squads competed at the Regional A National Finals on the hottest day of the year (34 degrees)! All students gave it everything they had, despite the extreme heat

The Intermediate team finished in an impressive 3rd, and the Juniors finished a strong 8th

U13 Godolphin & Latymer softball cricket tournament

Our U12A and U13A cricket teams played in the Godolphin & Latymer U13 Softball Cricket tournament on Wednesday 22nd June

The Year 8's had traveled back from their residential trip in Cambridge to participate in the Cup section of the tournament, while the Year 7 team was entered into the Plate section

Both teams had some fantastic performances with both bat and ball, with a special mention to Imi in the U13 team who took some fantastic catches, while Elizabeth & Jojo in the U12 team took multiple wickets throughout the tournament

In the end, the U13 team finished 3rd in the Cup section and the U12 team finished 1st in the Plate section

Tennis League Cup

At the end of June, the Year 9 & 10 Tennis Team played in the semi-final of the division 2 league, in a very close match against North London Collegiate School After the six singles and doubles matches, both schools were level on points It all came down to a penalty shootout tie break, and at 9 all, it was still anyone's game Thanks to some inspired serving from Abby G, and the winning volley from Hannah K, NHEHS won the tiebreak 11-9!

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The Year 7 & 8 Tennis Team played their League semi-final on Wednesday 6th July against Lady Eleanor Holles, unfortunately losing 10-2 Abby G, Sophia D J, Elizabeth O-T, Guusje V and Hannah D all played extremely well

It has been a fantastic season of tennis, with excellent results

Abby G, Hannah K, Emmie L, Beatrice C and Zahara H will now play in the Final for this competition in September against City of London School

The U12A and U13A teams

Somebody gives you an opportunity, say yes to it. So what if you fail? You won’t know if you fail or succeed unless you try.

Ann Meyers

The junior league cup tennis team

A day at Wimbledon

Written by Zahara Harrison

On the 30th June, 8 NHEHS students went on a sports trip to the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club to attend the Wimbledon championships

We traveled via tube to Southfields station and then had the walk up to the venue, which in itself was an experience Walking with so many other excited spectators created the buzz of the day.

We were fortunate enough to win Court 1 tickets via the LTA schools ballot As we got there as the gates opened at 10am, we had time to explore the grounds We learnt about the origins of tennis at Wimbledon by going to the museum, watched some of the matches on the outside courts, and then stood in line for the infamous strawberries and cream

We then went into Court 1 for the start of the first match at 1pm It was great to see some of the top ranked tennis players such as Stefanos Tsitsipas and Igor Swaitek, as well as some upcoming players like Jack Draper

It was an unforgettable experience which we all thoroughly enjoyed

Athletes excel at Middlesex Champs

Several NHEHS students were selected to represent the Ealing Borough at the Middlesex Athletics Championships, which took place at StoneX Stadium

These championships allow all students from various schools to compete for their borough, and we were excited to be part of the Ealing team which had local schools such as St Augustines, St Benedicts, Drayton Manor and William Perkins part of the team

We had athletes competing in a variety of both track and field events, and it was exciting to see them all perform so well!

Some highlights of the competition were:

Morven winning gold in the U15 high jump

Georgia winning gold in the U15 javelin

Natasha winning gold in the U15 800m and setting a new personal best time

Hannah winning gold in the U15 200m

Zoe winning bronze in the U15 200m

Ella winning silver in the U17 high jump

Annabella finishing 4th in the U15 shot put (she is only in Year 8)

Standing outside the front of Centre Court

The view from Henman Hill

Sports Day 2022

Written by Ellie Mistry

Normal NHEHS Sports Day service was resumed last week for the first time since 2019 with a full schedule of track and field events competitive staff v pupils tug of war and relay not to mention a large helping of House spirit and no year group bubbles this year, so students of all ages happily mixed together to cheer on their teammates!

Year 12 entertained everyone from the off, leading Mexican waves and motivational songs, all while dressed up (green or yellow all in one body suits or smurf outfit, anyone?) and covered in House coloured face paint And of course, there was never a dull moment with Dr Pearce and Miss Cagnino as MCs!

An impressive ten school records were broken on the day despite heavy rain early on In Year 7, Meredith J broke the Year 7 200m record In Year 8 Lucia F-R broke the Year 8 Shot Put record Year 9 celebrated five athletes breaking seven school records Morven P and Georgia C broke the hurdles record Morven also broke the High Jump record with a clearance of 145m Hannah P smashed the 200m record with 2659 seconds, which is now a whole school record! Natasha B broke the 800m record (2 mins 25 seconds) and the 1500m record (5 mins 21 seconds) and Georgia C broke the Javelin record. In Year 10, Addy M-S broke the 200m record, No records were broken in Year 12 this year, but they did claim big wins in both the tug of war and staff v student relay!

Year 7: Meredith J

Year 8: Lucia F-R

Year 9: Morven P & Natasha B

Year 10: Eadi S J

Year 12: Amy T

Overall Sports Day winner: Nightingale

Jessica Ennis-Hill winners:

Sporting achievements by NHEHS students

It has been another busy term for NHEHS athletes, participating in a full Summer Term of school sport, alongside their own sport outside of school

Below are some of the many achievements this term:

Ansley V represented Thames London Region at the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta (JIRR), finishing 2nd in the Women's J16 Singles Sculls

Eleanor S competed in the London Youth Games Trampoline competition for Team Ealing.

Zoe D was part of Team Ealing at the London Youth Games Hockey team.

Morven P and Jaspreet G were part of Team Ealing at the London Youth Games Netball team, which finished 3rd

Kate L was part of the Octo Team for Keane Sculling School that placed 3rd in the B Final at National Schools Regatta

Nina P competed in the London Finals for trampolining, finishing 2nd and qualified for British Championships

Abby G and Sophia D J won the consolation tournament at the regional round of the Play your way to Wimbledon tournament.

Daisy S and Alex D have won multiple medals at the County Middlesex Swimming Championships

Alex D swam 12 hour endurance swim in an endless pool to raise funds for charity Several NHEHS students joined her throughout the event to support her

21 students represented Ealing Borough at the Middlesex Athletics Championships

Daisy S and Nicola H represented Team Ealing at the London Youth Games Aqualthon

Alex D and Zara D represented Team Ealing at the London Youth Games Swimming

Over 30 NHEHS students are in county teams for various sports, including netball, hockey, gymnastics, trampolining, swimming, cricket, waterpolo and tennis.

The only one who can tell you ‘you can’t win’ is you and you don’t have to listen.

- Jessica Ennis-Hill

Summer Sport in pictures

U15 Hardball Cricket team in the School Sports Magazine Cup Jaspreet and Moven with their silver medal for the LYG Netball

U14 softball cricket match against St Augustines

Sports Day spirit

U12 & U13 athletes representing Ealing at Middlesex Champs

Sofia Y at GDST Select Cricket

Middlesex Swimming medals won by Daisy S

Saying goodbye to our Year 13's

on talk with Dr Nicky Keay

Year 12 AS PE class

House Captains at Sports Day

Dr Pearce & Miss Cagnino

Field Cup

finals

Abby & Sophia played in the Play your way to Wimbledon regional round