Our Vision
St Joseph’s College to be considered the premier independent school for Sports and Physical Education and well being, regardless of gender in the East of England.
Our Mission
To nurture a growth mindset, ideas, intellectual curiosity, collaboration and resilience through the medium of sport and physical education for girls and boys of all ages and abilities.
The College's motto of Faith, Hard work and Tenacity provides the foundation on which we build, maintain and further develop excellence in sport and physical education.
Director of Sport - Mr O'Riordan
Here at St Jo’s, sport is a fundamental thread in the tapestry of College life. We are proud of our traditions and pedigree but are not bound by the past. What excites us most is our commitment to innovation: to stand apart whilst always respecting what sport and physical education has to offer our children, staff, families and the wider community at its core.
As Director of Sport, my personal mission has always been to ensure that our students have equal opportunity regardless of their gender and equally high expectations placed upon them from within the Sports faculty and wider School community.
The College has been at the forefront of evolving a gender-blind provision which in recent years has seen, for the first time in the College’s history, national trophies, professional contracts and an aspirational culture for female students as well as male students.
Deputy Director of Sport – Mr Ingle
Sport at St Joseph’s College is at a crossroads as the landscape of school sport has shifted in the last decade.
In an increasingly sedentary society where the principal leisure activities of teenagers have moved online, there is a growing awareness of the importance of leading healthy, active lifestyles.
As a result of this, we are now presented with a unique opportunity for modernisation and transformation. It has become more important than ever to produce an appropriate and future proof approach to sport at St Joseph’s College.
My underlying missionis to establisha programme which will impactupon all students and build enduringly positive attitudes towards being active for the school career and beyond.A nurturing and inclusive environment where all get a chance to improve and compete at their own level.
The game changing science shows that exercise improves learning, memory and concentration at a cellular level. With this in mind, I want to produce a breath taking standard of sport and allow dedicated athletes to pursue their ambitions to excel, whilst supporting their educationboth academically in the classroom, but also holistically in developing desirable personal qualities.
The programme will crucially be underpinned by a strong culture where it will be cool to be involved, to sweat, and to get on the team bus.
The time has come at St Jo’s to build a sporting legacy that provides the resource and provisionto deliver the quantity and quality of sporting outcomes that all students desire and deserve.
Head of Prep School Sport – Mr Wenham
I have joined the College at a truly unique time, with a collective ambition for sportingexcellence and engagement radiatingacross students and staff alike. My particular focus is to create a thrivingPrep sportsprogramme that acts as the foundationfor an all through schoolof sportingexcellence. This broad,balanced sports programme is delivered in our exceptionalfacilities,encouraging a lasting love of sport for a healthy and happier life.
We will deliver a programme that allows players to participateand persevere, whilst providinga platformto perform. We do, of course, have an ultimate ambition to develop the next 1st team players at the College, providingopportunityfor our pupils to reach the highest level of youth sport and beyond, reflected in our recent PE and Games provision alignment. We believe that no student has a sportingambition too great and we aim to foster and support the highest of goals for our young athletes. This will be supported by our programme for Sport scholars,College performancepathways and our sector leadingpractitioners,consequently improvingthe quality of competitivesports teams.
More holistically,through our PE and Games provision,my mission is to raise awareness and develop responsibility,providingthe knowledge and confidencefor pupils to make good decisionsin life and on the pitch. I cannot wait for the journey to start.
Introduction
Following a period of reflection and review, the College and its sports faculty have agreed to set the tone for how physical education, physical wellbeing and sport will be delivered over the coming years. In a spirit of positive self discovery, the College has engaged with a broad range of industry experts to ensure our programme is not only fit for purpose and future proofed but that it also delivers a holistic and broad range of physical activities for our community as a whole.
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We take pride in our distinctive sporting offer and providing the very best environment to support our students as they mature both as athletes and young people. We are confident that a focus on individual development - as well as resultswill generate the very best opportunities for all students to fulfil their potential.
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Sport Faculty
Putting the team in #teamstjos
Sport Faculty
Putting the team in #teamstjos
Physical Education, Wellbeing and Sport for All
• Ensuring our Core PE provision transitions seamlessly from Prep through to Senior School. Student journeys will be physically plotted so they can chart their progress and the relationship between practical PE, GCSE PE and BTEC Sport
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Ensuring an outstandingSport provision which is gender-blind in opportunityand exposure to teaching,coachingand competition, championingequality, diversity and inclusion across all aspects of College life
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Fostering a positiveculture of health and fitness across all areas of the College, facilitated by the addition of a coachingteam focused upon physical health and wellbeing, which builds upon an already outstandingstrength and conditioning provision
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Evolving our Development Hour provision to maintain a broad range of sport for all, in addition to activities available via our PE and Games offering
• Creating individualswho embody the College motto by havingfaith in one and other, demonstratingthe tenacity to weather challenges, and exhibitingcore values which enable them to work hard both in their personal and professionallife beyond St Jo’s
Academic Physical Education (GCSE PE & BTEC SPORT)
• Continuingto ensure excellentacademic achievement by all studentsthrough our offering of GCSE PE, BTEC Sport and other wide-ranging industry qualifications
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Providingexperiences and opportunitiesbeyond the classroom to enrich, inspireand challenge students through continuingto engage with providersof Higher Education,professional sportingorganisationsand industry, both within and outside of the UK
• Developing future industryleaders in sport science, professionalsport and education
Performance Sport
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Providinga wrap around holisticprovision informed by current sport science and pedagogical trends
• Defending and promotingthe position of our PerformanceSport programme as the most successful in nurturing student athletes into elite and professionalsport on a nationallevel
• Leading the independent schoolsector in relationships with professionalsportsclubs, such as Ipswich Town FC, Ealing TrailfindersRFC, NorthamptonSaintsRFC and BUCS University sport
Performance Sport continued
• Developing further as one of only two independent schoolsin the country accredited with TASS Dual Career status. More recently becoming the first UK independent Schoolto deliver an NCAA High SchoolDiploma Curriculum, we are uniquely poised to facilitate the transition of student athletes into the world of performance sport
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Ensuring the College’s performancesports (Rugby, Netball, Cricket and Football)achieve and attain locally, nationallyand internationally
• Utilisingthe Development Hour provision to further stretch and challenge our most able student athletes
• Ensuring rugby is acknowledged as a sector leading programme nationally
• Prep Sport being the springboard into our Senior SchoolPerformanceSportsprogramme
• Prep Sport reviewing its involvement and participation in Suffolk SchoolsGames, with a view to supportingand participatingin Independent Associationof Prep School(IAPS) sportingfixtures, Festival and Cup, facilitating regional and nationalcompetition
• Restructuringthe games lesson provision of Prep SchoolSport to align Years 3&4 games with Years 5&6 ahead of September 2023
Communication, Community & Culture
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Providinga range of events across the academic year to promotefurther, the feeling of family and community
• Ensuring communication is timely and effective and supportivefor all stakeholders
• Developing a structure and programme for alumni to connect and reconnect with College through current and new sportingevents
• Creating ambassadorialroles for alumni in the world of professionalsport
Campus & Facilities
• Building for the future, the faculty will periodically audit on sitefacilities
• With the support of the board of governorsand senior leadership team, strategically plan, research and propose investment into facility development
• Ensuring the faculty is abreast of technological developments;where possible engaging with these technologiesto enhanceour provision
Retention & Recruitment
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Re-establishingretention and recruitment as an integral part of the sportsfaculty in partnership with the admissionsteam
• Supportingthe College’s awarding scholarships in line with its evolving strategic objectives,ensuring that a rewardingscholars’ programme is in place
• Developing partnersand relationshipsin key strategic markets to enhanceour sports provision
Trips and Visits
• Embarkingon an ambitious programme of educationaland sportingtrips and visits whilst planningfor and acknowledging the current economicclimate
• Planningfor and promotingpotential internationalsport trips for female and male students to South Africa, Dubai, Portugal, Holland,Kenya and the USA
• Continuingto compete in UK competitionsand festivals which will incorporateresidentialstays, including IAPs competitionsfor the Prep School
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