SGA Sports Life Brochure 2023 Entry

Sports at St George’s

Sport is an integral part of school life at St George’s, and our aim is to give all girls the opportunity to experience a wide range of team and individual sports which will inspire them to flourish to their full potential, perform to the best of their ability and develop lifelong learning of physical activity.

We believe that active individuals are confident individuals and we focus on developing movement capability that allows our girls to not only to enjoy success in their physical activities but encourages them to challenge themselves. Girls have the opportunity to study Physical Education at both GCSE and A Level.

Our co-curricular provision, delivered by specialist coaches, ensures that the girls have a diverse programme to choose from. We offer sports ranging from Netball, Cricket, Lacrosse and Swimming to HIIT sessions, Tennis, Pilates and Football.

Our weekday and weekend sports fixtures ensure that the girls are tested to the full. Every pupil who regularly attends sports practices will have the opportunity to play in matches and tournaments throughout the year.

We believe that every individual has a hidden talent and our goal is to help them find it. Team sports are competitive and popular, and many of our top players and Sports Scholars go on to compete for local and county teams. Parents are always welcome to attend matches and galas and enjoy the teas served in the Sports Pavilion.

Dance, in its many forms, is also very popular, and in the Summer Term, St George’s hosts a spectacular Jazz and Dance Show where all dancers perform. There are also opportunities for girls to train with professional athletes, and we are keen for all to reach their individual sporting potential. We encourage our girls to be adventurous and aspirational and to use every opportunity available to them to excel.

We believe the value gained from participating in sport lies not just in the physical and mental benefits, but in the opportunities it provides for developing important life skills of leadership, teamwork and organisation, as well as personal qualities of resilience, determination and commitment, and we are committed to providing these opportunities for every girl at St George’s.

Miss K Wooldridge Director of Sport

Curriculum Sports

PE Lessons at St George’s aim to not only spark an interest and enthusiasm for sport, but also to teach the girls about healthy active lifestyles and to foster habits for lifelong participation in physical activity.

We focus on developing mobility and movement competency as well as all round fitness, which form the foundations for successful performance in a range of sports and, in turn, builds confidence and self-esteem for everyday life. At St George’s we offer a wide range of activities in our PE lessons including a mixture of team, individual and health-based activities.

Netball

• Lacrosse

• Gymnastics

• Fundamental Movement Skills

• Rounders

• Tennis

• Handball

Cricket

• Swimming

• Athletics

• Dance

• Badminton

• Volleyball

• Futsal

• Football

Dodgeball

• Touch Rugby

• Cross Country

• Yoga

• Fitness Sessions (TRX, HIIT, Circuits)

Competitive Sports

Netball

• Lacrosse

• Football Cross Country

• Tennis Cricket

• Swimming

• Handball

Co-Curricular Sports Bracknell Wokingham

Sports Experiences

Tournaments

Alongside weekly matches our teams compete in local and national Tournaments and Cup competitions in lacrosse, netball, athletics, skiing, swimming, cross country, handball, football and cricket. This enables them to gain valuable experience and exposure to high level competition. In recent years, St George’s has been proud to win the National Small Schools Lacrosse Tournament three years in succession. At regional level we host and compete in all the South East Berkshire Netball tournaments as well as the South West Lacrosse Rallies at every age group. With the arrival of our pool, we now compete regularly in swimming galas, including the GSA swimming gala, and also host the Ascot Schools Gala. On a more local level we take part in a number of tournaments and competitions within the Ascot area in a variety of sports including netball, swimming, football, tennis, lacrosse, athletics and cricket.

Sports Tours

St George’s has run very successful overseas Netball tours and also entered the British School Girl Ski Races in Flaine, France. Every year our younger netball teams compete at the GSA Netball Tournament weekend at Condover Hall in Shropshire, a fantastic event which combines competitive netball with the opportunity for team bonding to really set the teams up for the coming season! The school is looking forward to exciting sports tours in the near future as the opportunities for travel increase, starting with a netball tour to Dubai for Year 10 and 11 pupils and the Sixth Form in February 2023.

Sports Review of the Year

Every year St George’s hosts an evening to celebrate the efforts and achievements of all our sport pupils across the academic year, including our dance school. The pupils spend the evening with their teammates and their parents reminiscing about their season, remembering the highlights and celebrating each other’s efforts and hard work. Sports-themed interactive quizzes and games add a competitive element to the evening! It is also a perfect opportunity to recognise and value the girls efforts and performances with a range of progress, achievement and community awards. The highlight of the evening is a talk from an invited speaker to inspire and enthuse St George’s pupils and to share in the achievements of all Georgians.

House Sport

The size of the school helps to foster valuable relationships between girls in all year groups. The House’s vertical structure supports this, and includes pupils from Year 7 right up to the Sixth Form. This creates a sense of camaraderie and fun, as well as giving the girls many opportunities to lead and initiate their own activities. House sports competitions are currently held throughout the year in a variety of sports including Netball, Lacrosse, Tennis, Athletics and Swimming. The House sports events provide a wonderful opportunity for girls to experience competition in these sports, sometimes for the first time, and often lead to new attendees at practice and new members on school teams!

Sports Scholars and Sports Leaders

Coaching from dedicated sports staff has really encouraged our daughter to learn new sports and flourish in those she already loved Year 11 Parent “

Talented and enthusiastic sportswomen at St George’s have many opportunities to develop their skills. Sports scholarships are awarded to girls throughout the school after a rigorous assessment process, whilst students in the Sixth Form can apply to be Sports Leaders.

These students support the activities of the department by assisting at the Prep Schools Netball Tournament and Swimming Galas, Future Georgian and Sports Scholarship days. They also aid the coaching of younger pupils and can even qualify and officiate school matches. A programme of talks and seminars is planned to allow enthusiastic and able sportswomen to share their ideas and hear from expert practitioners on how to improve performance. The St George’s staff, ably supported by a range of specialist coaches, provide individual support within and outside the sports curriculum, to ensure that all our outstanding sportswomen make continuing improvement.

SGA Sports Prefect

It is a privilege for me, as Sports Prefect, to look back on and conclude this year of sport at St George’s. It has been so satisfying to see sporting life normalise once again after the disruption that COVID has caused and we have all really enjoyed playing physical matches against real opponents once again! Different year groups have been able to play together and House competitions have resumed, both of which are positive elements of the life of the School.

For me personally I have loved playing in the First Netball and Lacrosse teams with the Year 11 and Lower Sixth as it has meant I’ve been able to build friendships and form bonds with them through competing together and we have celebrated a love for sport that we all share. Additionally, watching and supporting the lower years in House competitions –whether that be Lacrosse or the Georgian Gallop – has brought the School together again. St George’s girls are often very competitive and fantastic at cheering for their house whilst developing a liking for sports they may not have tried before.

My role as Sports Prefect has given me confidence, communication and leadership skills. It has enabled me to get to know the younger years through supporting them, running the sports council or just sharing a passion for sport. I have enjoyed doing the sports report each week as it has shown me that we are a successful school on the sporting field and it has meant younger girls have got to know me as a face that they can come and speak to when it regards sport, especially within my house where I have organised both House Netball and House Lacrosse teams.

Finally, the sports department at St Georges has really made my experience here at this school. I have always enjoyed getting stuck in, whether that be in participating in the clubs from Year 7 to Year 11, representing the school in competitions or assisting Miss Woolridge this year as being given the opportunity of the position of Sports Prefect. I have learnt that the sports department embraces all talent and tries to encourage everyone to get involved which means that being part of a team isn’t just down to having ‘skill’ but down to loyalty, organisation, good sportsmanship and a work hard attitude which I think is extremely important and enables more people to participate. Additionally being part of a team gives people confidence, which I believe is a skill that should be displayed not just in the classrooms or sports field but a skill that should be kept and carried through life. I certainly will be taking the confidence I have developed through sport at St George’s on with me into the future at University and beyond.