Overview

SPORT

Overview 2021-2022

What a year it has been! This year more than ever we have been glad to be able to return to some form of normality and have welcomed the return of sport and fixtures.

Since being back, we have had a number of changes within the department, firstly, within the curriculum the transition from Physical Education to Sport and Exercise Science. As a department, we believe we have a unique opportunity to inspire and enrich all students in developing a life-long passion for sport, exercise and beyond through a modern alternative approach to traditional PE. We offer students an engaging, relevant, and inclusive curriculum which provides both academic and performance pathways through the integration of Sport and Exercise Science principles and terminology. This allows students to develop holistically adopting a ‘multi-ability approach’ in alignment with the College’s core values. Students have the opportunity to develop their academic pathways with specific emphasis on health and well-being through our established partnerships and opportunities for further enrichment through trips, events and lectures both inside and outside of the classroom. The numbers taking examined PE next year, especially at A level, are extremely healthy due to students feeling a high level of passion and curiosity for the subject. This breadth of experience allows students to enhance their self-awareness and leadership skills, which leads me on nicely to our Forder programme. Our Forder programme continues to grow with hundreds of students getting the opportunity to partake in a vast array of sporting activities across the course of each week. We believe that not only does sport have a positive impact on our physical and mental health, but it has the opportunity to enhance students’ social well-being. Therefore, we have provided the opportunity for students in Years 10 and 12 to take part and complete a formal sports leadership qualification. As a result, students have been able to use this experience to officiate and lead in a number of Lewisham School Games competitions. This has proved to be extremely successful and is something that we will be continuing to offer moving forward. Whilst you will be able to read the sporting highlights in the reports from our core sports which follow, I feel it is important to mention the particular ‘stand-out’ moments from this academic year. A huge well done to Zaki Fall for his selection to play for Saracens and our senior rugby captain, Zachary Riley Webster for representing Kent U18 – both just awards for their hard work and dedication. Congratulations must go to

Laila Humphreys who represented Bromley in the London Youth Games in kayaking. Well done to the 78 senior school pupils who have been nominated to trial at the London Development Centre, this is the first step on the England Hockey Performance Pathway and gives students the opportunity to test themselves with the best players in the country. A special mention must go to Sam Coulson, Joe O’Connor Coffey and Evan N’da-Koffi who have been selected to represent Greenwich and Lewisham District and London Schools in cricket for their respective age groups. Congratulations to Milla Dao, Nia Ahmad and Esmae Howard who represented the Lewisham Borough at the London Youth Games in netball. Finally, special mention must go to all those who represented the College at the World School Swimming Championships and in particular to Evan Birrane, Rafi Vignoli, Anyka Lin, Ava Holohan, James Sugrue and Stanley Reader who all took home silverware. Finally, we wish our Year 11 and 13 leavers all the best with their future endeavours and say a massive thank you for all their hard work and dedication to Sport throughout their time at the College. We do hope that you continue on your sporting journey and look forward to welcoming you back for our Old Dunstonian sport fixtures and events. As this year comes to a close, it is with sadness that we are saying goodbye to a few members of the Sports Department. Mr Hart, Miss McKay-Pryce and Mr Loveridge all leave us for pastures new. I am sure you join me in thanking them for their relentless passion and dedication and everything they have done during their service to sport at the College. We wish them all the best for their new adventures. Looking ahead, we are excited to welcome new members of staff to the department and to get started on another fantastic year of sport. With changes to sporting provision and the continued evolution of the sports department, I look forward to writing to you with all the news and updates throughout the upcoming academic year.

Mr M McClune

Head of Sport and Exercise Science