Annual Fund Sport 2020
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Welcome “Our commitment to an all-round education for all pupils at Wells is core to our being. I passionately believe that all pupils should have opportunities to enjoy and be stretched by their experiences not only in the classroom, but in a whole variety of ways outside the classroom too. Ensuring that all our pupils, whatever their age, are actively engaged in sport throughout their time at the School is one very important way of achieving that. “I am delighted that we have a 'sport for all' philosophy at Wells, and that we make weekly sporting activity part of the core curriculum for every pupil here. I am also delighted that there are myriad opportunities beyond this core curriculum for our pupils to get involved in and benefit from participation in sport from competitive fixtures to extension activities, from lunchtime clubs to after-school training sessions. I am also proud of the way we cater for a whole range of sporting abilities and interests - from pupils who represent their country and county, to those who just want to enjoy a game! Aside from the well-documented benefits that an engagement with sport brings young people in terms of physical activity, fresh air, teamwork and general well-being, I want in particular to 2
encourage all pupils at Wells to get involved and try new things, even if that means they take themselves out of their comfort zone from time to time. I believe that by doing so, pupils can discover for themselves passions which they didn't think possible and talents they didn't even know they had. And these passions will propel them through School and beyond. “Sport is already central to the life of the School. I am keen to reinforce that commitment, to support colleagues in delivering the best possible sporting training and opportunities for our pupils, and to provide the best possible facilities for pupils of all ages. That is why we are launching an Annual Fund this year for Sport at Wells. This brochure gives details of some of the ways we want to enhance our sporting provision here at Wells. To achieve this, we need your help. If you feel able to support our campaign, I would be enormously grateful - and so would countless current and future Wellensians. Your generosity has the chance to help more and more Wells pupils discover a sporting passion for life. Thank you in advance for making a donation to our Annual Fund.” Alastair Tighe, Head Master
Our Vision “The philosophy of the Sport Department at Wells is for all pupils to increase their participation in sport and engage in a wider range of sporting activities which aim to develop the health and fitness of the whole school community. We look for a variety of opportunities to support our talented individuals to achieve honours in their chosen sports and to encourage our sports teams who compete at regional level by providing them with year-round training facilities enhanced by modern sports technology.� Tom Webley, Director of Sport
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About our Annual Fund The Wells Cathedral School Foundation through which funds are raised; it is committed to the ethos of the School and has a responsibility to the community to support the education. The Foundation also aims to facilitate the re-establishment of past friendships and helps to renew contacts with the School. The Annual Fund provides an additional revenue stream allowing the normal activities of the School to be augmented and enhanced in a way that cannot be achieved through fee income alone. The Annual Fund finances such extras: small to medium scale projects, which can enhance the everyday life and education benefitting both present and future pupils. We would not be able to offer many of our current fantastic experiences for pupils if it weren’t for the generosity of previous generations of parents, alumni, staff and supporters. Any donation - no matter the amount - can play a vital role in supporting our pupils and ensuring that each pupil is given the chance to develop who they are. The focus of the Annual Fund for 2019/20 is sport. This focus has been chosen to augment existing sporting opportunities at the School, and the money raised will provide equipment that enhances our sports provision and will positively affect the learning experience of all our pupils. Our identified projects will have tangible and immediate impact on pupils’ sporting experiences and will benefit our pupils from those starting in Little Wellies and up to Upper Sixth. 4
Sport at Wells One of the strengths of sport at Wells is that it benefits pupils of all abilities - not just elite athletes. We aim to empower all pupils to progress, develop vital sporting skills at the appropriate level and understand key life skills such as being part of a team. Throughout the School we aim to involve every pupil in matches where the emphasis is on the enjoyment of sport and gaining positive experiences and encouragement. Our ‘Be What You Are’ ethos encourages a life-long love of moving and sport, so it becomes part of pupils’ culture and what they do on a day-to-day basis.
Celebrating excellence and being healthily competitive contribute to our goal of keeping everyone physically active, so that they develop the ability to make healthy choices, which will impact on their physical fitness. We are very lucky to have a wide range of outstanding facilities, including our world class cricket pitch, pavilion and astroturf which give our pupils leadership and teamwork opportunities on and off the pitch. The pupils at Wells have access to superb coaching opportunities, and we are looking to build upon this by enhancing our facilities in order to train our teams year round.
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Building Sport at Wells together Over the past 10 years, together with the School, OWs, parents and friends have been wonderfully generous in their support of sport at Wells. In part due to your generous donations we have been able to: • • • • • • • •
Open the Sports Pavilion, providing changing facilities, spectator seating and a reception room with bar Resurface the Astroturf Construct the cabin at Beckington providing changing rooms, kitchens and toilets Build a climbing wall in the Sports Hall Provide an all-weather surface for the Pre-Prep and Junior School Redesign the Senior School changing rooms Purchase equipment such as an indoor rower, tennis ball lobber and significant coaching aids Support pupils on sports tours representing Wells across the world
Over the next year, your donations will help us to support small to medium scale projects which aim to provide items that are the ‘icing on the cake’ for sport at Wells; enhancing our facilities, and supporting each pupil to develop their love and ability for sport.
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“Sport at Wells has helped me develop my overall fitness and mindset. I’m lucky enough to represent the School in a broad range of sports, and have gained some outstanding coaching and support. This has enabled me to get selected for Somerset CCC, of which I’m extremely proud. The new scholars programme has driven me and opened up many extra opportunities, particularly in cricket.” Dougie, Year 9
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“On joining Wells in Year 7, I started playing the three main sports with very little sporting experience. Now, I have the privilege to represent the first team in all three. At Wells everyone is encouraged to get involved, and I love the enthusiastic sporting environment that allows development without fear of mistakes. I’ve created and strengthened many friendships through the team games as well as being offered endless opportunities. Sport has played a huge part of my life during my time at Wells and I’ve learnt so many new applicable skills shaping me into the person I am today.” Amelia, Lower Sixth 9
What we are raising money for
Multi Use Games Area (MUGA) £45,000 Our major project aim will be to build a MUGA which will offer a significant increase in provision across the school. A MUGA offers pupils a place to have fun, enjoy learning and benefit from exercise on a surface which can be used throughout the year. Integrated court markings on the safety surface allow football, netball, hockey, touch rugby and cricket to be practised in the same area making this a hugely versatile space that can change purpose on a daily basis. Being able to host several different PE activities on one area will have big space saving benefits for the School whilst extending the range of sports options, which we can offer throughout the School.
High jump equipment £2,000 In the Junior School, we run a fundamental movement skill programme that teaches all pupils to move effectively preparing and giving them the confidence to move through fundamental movements, including running, throwing and jumping. We aim to equip every pupil with physical literacy and give them skills which can serve them throughout their sporting life. High jump equipment would make the programme fully deliverable and help to fulfil the vertical jumping skill portion of the programme throughout the year.
Junior School Mini AstroTurf £2,500 We would like to put a Mini Astro Turf on one side of the lawn in front of Jocelyn. This facility could be used as a playing area at breaktime as well as enabling us to host matches and training sessions closer to School.
Sports Outdoor IP Camera with 4K Ultra HD Panoramic View for Astro £1900 This camera will enable coaches to analyse hockey performers, develop patterns of play and provide invaluable feedback to our pupils throughout the school. This equipment can be used to provide highlight tapes for prospective university applications as well as GCSE and A-Level moderation videos.
Cricket cage £1,700 A portable cricket cage will provide an additional training area around the grounds to enable cricket teams to practise on the grass wickets and thus reduce ground wear, improve training possibilities and make the most of those facilities already in place at the School.
Gymnastics air tumble mat £500 An air tumble mat would be an exciting addition to the fundamental movement skill programme to allow pupils access to more challenging and innovative movements, including parkour.
Cable crossovers for gym £1,500 We are working to enhance the facilities in our gym so it can cater for as many pupils as possible. Cable crossovers will enable pupils to develop their core strength.
Sound system for the gym £300-500 There is currently no sound system in the gym; the purchase of one will enable the sound to be linked up to gym equipment, enthusing pupils and engaging them to increase their fitness.
Netball crazy catch £300 This is crucial to help our netballers develop their catching skills at a range of angles.
Sports Travel Bursaries Each year across varying year groups the School offers different sporting experiences providing pupils with insight into different cultures and countries. This fund provides financial assistance to pupils who need help to travel where they act as excellent ambassadors for the school community, taking with them the skills of team playing and leadership wherever they go in the world.
Swimming pool benches £1,500 To supplement those already generously provided by the PA, we would like to purchase more benches for the swimming pool to allow us to accommodate more pupils and increase the swimming provision across the School.
Black Knight shuttle dispenser £400 Badminton is one of our strongest sports at Wells; we have some outstanding individuals who are competing at a national level. This piece of equipment would be invaluable for the performance badminton players as well as in PE lessons to encourage beginners and engage pupils in different ways to improve their skills. 11
How to Donate The money raised, through your generous donations contributes to providing the best learning experiences for all our pupils. Please click here to find our Donations Form.
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