Sport

Sport in the Sixth Form

Sport and physical activity play an important part in school life at Wells; it’s a common thread that binds our youngest pupil to our oldest with the expectation that all do some form of physical activity each week. The underlying ethos of the Faculty is to provide opportunity for all pupils to enjoy participation in sport and exercise to their chosen level.

Competitive Sport

Sport at Wells follows two paths in the Sixth Form. On the one hand we compete in all of the major sports against most of the independent schools in the southwest. We also compete locally with our neighbouring state schools. The major sports for the boys are rugby, hockey and cricket, whilst for the girls they are hockey, netball and tennis. We compete strongly in many other sports too including football, boys’ tennis, athletics, cross-country, swimming, badminton and basketball. We have recently toured to South Africa with sports teams and regularly host visiting schools. First team sport at Wells is strong and competitive and our sports captains play a key role in their sports, not only leading the first team, but also encouraging and influencing more junior teams. And most of our younger sports teams are supported by Sixth Form pupils who take on appropriate responsibility.

Games

On the other hand individuals all participate in, and are coached in, games lessons with the aim of enjoyment and progress. Activities that are available include swimming, weights and fitness, badminton, climbing, dance, football, basketball, yoga, zumba, running and aerobics in addition to the main sports of the term.

We also run an inter-house sports competition that sees the houses competing against each other in a wide variety of sports with a friendly rivalry.

Benefits

The benefits of sport and physical activity are considerable and well documented. We hope that all pupils will leave Wells with a desire to continue taking part in regular exercise in an activity or sport they have discovered in their time here. Sixth Form sport at Wells aims to set pupils up and equip them with the skills and knowledge to follow a healthy and active lifestyle.

Leadership Opportunities

In the Sixth Form, pupils are given the opportunity to follow a Sports Leader Programme, which aims to develop their ability to plan, lead and evaluate coaching sessions for younger pupils in and beyond Wells. Time is spent looking at the principles of coaching and the theory behind this. They will also develop transferable skills such as planning and evaluating, group leadership, and running competitions and tournaments. Pupils will also be given the opportunity to gain a recognised first aid qualification.