SPORT
A sporting
Why is sport more important than ever to the school curriculum and extracurricular timetable? Charlotte Phillips gathers local experts’ views and experiences
S port at school matters. And yes, that might sound like restating the blindingly obvious, but as anyone involved in the business of adding literal get-up-and-go to children’s education will tell you, it’s something that bears repetition. As Peta Girdwood, director of sport at The Perse School, explains, physical activity delivers a cornucopia of much sought-after and desirable skills. “Sport builds belonging, particularly when every pupil can find an activity that suits them. It fosters leadership, communication, resilience and responsibility – skills the working world values highly.” Naturally, games, PE and other physical activity intersect with the public consciousness most when associated with high-profile competitions – something that’s just as applicable to schools in our area, where well-stocked trophy cabinets and silverware shimmering under the spotlights are often even more visible than academic honours boards. Recent successes in our area are many and varied, including girls’ netball successes at Impington Village College
Sport fosters leadership , communication , resilience and responsibility (where their year 9s are currently through to regional finals) and football prowess at Stephen Perse Cambridge, where one boys’ and two girls’ teams are powering ahead in national competitions. At The Perse, both the U14 girls’ and boys’ hockey teams have reached the national semi-finals of the England Hockey Tier 1 Cup, placing them among the top four schools in the country, while the 1st XI boys’ hockey team have progressed to the last eight nationally in the same competition. The U15 rugby team are through to the semi-finals of the National Bowl, and the school has earned national recognition in target rifle shooting. Younger pupils, too, are making their mark, with year 5 and 6 pupils at Bishop’s Stortford College winning the East Anglian schools cross country teams competition.
56 APRIL 2026 CAMBSEDITION.CO.UK
Powered by FlippingBook