AWARDS
2011 AWARDS
The judges have met and the votes counted after another terrific year for competitive school sport.
It’s been a particularly tough series of decisions but here are the winners of the School Sport Magazine 2011 awards.
State Sports School Of The Year, sponsored by Mark Harrod Ltd
A sporting revolution that recognizes the value of combining education with specialist sports coaching has won a Bristol centre of a learning the state sports school of the year.
Filton College started their Academy of Sport several years ago to give talented young sportsmen and women to chance to train with like-minded individuals.
It’s achievements in 2011 included winning the national ESFA U18 College’s Cup for Girls and the National Schools U17 Cricket Cup as well as finishing runners-up in the ESTTA U19 table tennis championships.
More than that though, Filton expanded its range of sporting academies to eleven with taekwondo and American Football the latest to join more traditional sports such as rugby, netball, golf and basketball.
Judges agreed that the “Filton model could be used a blueprint for sport all over the country and could even be expanded and adopted by schools for younger age groups.”
Independent Sports School Of The Year, sponsored by Ram Sports
It takes an exceptional school to win a national award once. To do it twice in three years means you have probably surpassed your previous achievement.
That’s just the case with the winners of the 2011 Independent Sports School of the Year award – Whitgift School, from Croydon.
The Surrey school won an incredible ten national titles spread over five different sports to replicate the award they won in 2009.
The run started in January when their U16 and U18 teams won their respective national indoor hockey titles – the first time any school has achieved this.
In March, the 1st XV secured a historic double by becoming one of only three schools to have won the Daily Mail/RBS Schools’ Rugby Union U18 Cup in consecutive years.
Two weeks earlier the U13 and U15 football teams became ISFA national football champions while, after the Easter break, the U13 and U14 outdoor hockey teams claimed national titles - with the 1st XI losing in the national final on sudden death penalty flicks.
In cricket, the U13 team won the ESCA David English Bunbury Cup and the U15 team claimed the ESCA Twenty/20 national schools trophy while their biathlon team won the U13 British Schools title.
Alistair Osborne, who oversees more than 140 school teams and 1200 fixtures as director of sport, said: “This has been an exceptional year.”
Boys Sports Team Of The Year, sponsored by Huck Nets
Wycliffe College squash players in Bristol completed their best ever season in 2011 by doing the double in the national schools championships.
It’s an achievement which has led the Gloucestershire school to beating off 46 other worthy nominations to land the boys sports team of the year award.
Andy Naish, director of sport, enthused: “Wycliffe last won the U19 title back in 2002 when Alister Walker (currently number 19 in the world rankings) was in the team. Since then, the title has belonged to Millfield.
“To win both the boys U19 and U15 titles – a feat which no other school has ever achieved in the 70 year history of the competition – was incredible but richly deserved.”
The award will be especially rewarding for Wycliffe squash coach Dave Morrish, who leaves at the end of the year to take up a coaching position in Canada.
Primary Sports School Of The Year, sponsored by Bishop Sports
The fantastic work being done by primary schools all over the country can often be overlooked when the secondary school sporting canvas is so vast.
But among a host of outstanding performances in 2011, the primary sports school of the year goes to Stanley Primary School, from Teddington in Middlesex, who capped a great year by becoming the first team ever to retain the national schools tag rugby title.
Led by PE co-ordinator James Watson, the school also excelled in a variety of sports, winning borough competitions in netball, football, basketball and cross-country.
Michael Skinner, competition manager at Richmond School Sport Partnership, said: “I have been fortunate to work with the school for the past four years and they have broadened the sporting landscape available for its students by competing in many external events.
“For someone in my position that is trying to work with schools to increase participation rates, raise the profile of the benefits of sport, and to establish pathways for elite performers, Stanley is a pleasure to work with as they exhibit all of these values.”
Sports Teacher Of The Year, sponsored by Crazy Catch
Sports teachers are the unsung heroes and heroines of the school sport community – often going above and beyond the call of duty with no expectation of reward.
Among a plethora of fantastic nominations, judges agreed that this year’s winner should be Eartha Pond, who combines her teaching job at Westminster Academy with playing professional football for Birmingham City.
As one judge put it: “We’d like to see John Terry or Wayne Rooney trying to do the same thing.”
In two years, Eartha has developed her teaching skills to such an extent that she gained an “outstanding” judgement been awarded a teaching certificate judgement through the graduate teaching programme.
But as Westminster Academy’s head of PE Dave Gorton explains: “As well as her footballing commitments, Eartha has been instrumental in raising the profile of girl’s sport and encouraging the aspiration of both boys and girl’s football.
“To further encourage the uptake of sporting activities, particularly amongst the large group of Muslim girls at the Academy, Eartha has escorted groups to cricket initiatives at Lords, introduced tag rugby in the curriculum and formed a swim squad for the local swim gala.
“As a role model in her local community, Eartha can also often be found visiting the local youth clubs developing partnerships between the Academy and the community.”
Girls Sports Team Of The Year, sponsored by MKK Sports
There was a time when Plymouth College’s sporting achievement didn’t extend beyond the county boundaries.
But a decision to focus on swimming as one of the Devon’s school’s main sports several years ago has being paying off with increasing recognition.
And while acknowledging the achievements of the school’s male swimmers, judges agreed the achievements of the girls swimming team deservedly won them the girls sports team of the year award.
Winning four of the six titles on offer at the 53rd English Schools Swimming Association championships underlined that achievement and talent.
Stephi Baker, communications manager at Plymouth College, enthused: “The team are dedicated and passionate about their sport, getting up at 5am every day to be coached, putting many hours into their training both before and after school.”
Sporting Schoolboy Of The Year, sponsored by Maude Sports
The sporting schoolboy of the year category was highly competitive this year with 65 nominations across a range of sports.
But the judges were unanimous in awarding the prize to 14-year-old Joseph Brown who won not one but two national schools titles in 2011.
Incredibly the Portsmouth Grammar School pupil only took up the javelin a few months ago after teachers noticed how far and fast he could a cricket ball!
Yet in July, Joseph won the English Schools junior javelin title with a throw of more than 50 metres – just six weeks after an operation on his foot left him in a cast for two weeks.
The talented all-rounder was also a key member of the Portsmouth Grammar team that won the ESCA Lords Taverners U15 cricket title for the first time.
Chris Dossett, director of sport at Portsmouth Grammar, said: “At 48-4 against Bradfield College in the semi-final, Joseph scored 75 in a partnership 152 of to save the game for PGS.
“Then in the final against Denstone College, his javelin arm came into great use when, fielding on the longest boundary, a flat throw ran out one of their key batsman by at least five metres.”
Sporting Schoolgirl Of The Year, sponsored by Maude Sports
Sometimes a pupil’s all-round sporting ability within the school environment is worthy of wider recognition.
Such is the case with Surbiton High School pupil Tamara Mulley who has represented the school in no less than six different sports, netball, hockey, gymnastics, trampolining, rounders and tennis, and who wins our sporting schoolgirl of the year.
In between competing, the young teenager also helps coach weekly netball sessions for the year 7s and scored the highest GCSE PE grade in her year.
Lucy Roberts, head of PE at Surbiton HS, said: “Tamara is an outstanding student of sport. She is a committed athlete who balances her academic work with her sporting commitments. She should be highly commended for her efforts, enthusiasm and maturity.”
2010 AWARDS
Eight titles were up for grabs this year and, unlike other awards, ours are given out for sporting achievement in school-related competitions.
One thing for certain is that it’s been a bumper year for sporting excellence and achievement in state schools.
But one school, who picked up a hat-trick of national titles, are the worthy winners of the School Sport Magazine State Sports School Of The Year, sponsored by Mark Harrod Ltd.
Barking Abbey School, from Essex, were crowned national U18 netball champions while their boys picked up the national ESFA U18 football crown.
And to cap a fantastic year for the Essex sports college, Barking’s girls triumphed in both the U16 and U19 national schools basketball championships.
Judges agreed: “Barking Abbey have shown a degree of commitment to excellence that is second to none. To achieve national titles at three different sports in the same year is a fantastic achievement.”
One of the most keenly contested awards is the Ram Sports-sponsored Independent Sports School Of The Year.
And last year’s winners Whitgift, from Croydon in Surrey, came close to being crowned victors for the second successive year.
Whitgift arguably surpassed their achievements of last year by bring crowned Daily Mail RBS U18 rugby union cup winners, ESCA U11 hardball cricket champions, ESFA U12 soccer victors, U16 indoor boys hockey winners and U13 boys biathlon champions.
But congratulations to Millfield School, from Somerset, who, in the eyes of the judges, surpassed even those accomplishments and are therefore deemed worthy winners.
Among their list of national titles were triumphs in the ESCA Lords Taverners U15 cricket trophy, the ESAA girls U15 Track and Field Cup and the Rosslyn Park rugby union national schools sevens.
There was also the national schools U15 and U19 squash championships and five titles at the English Schools Swimming Championships - not to mention national success in tennis and golf.
In the words of the judges’ panel: “Millfield’s range of success in a number of sports and diverse competitions meant they have raised the bar and fully deserve the award.”
Primary school sport is flourishing if the 121 entries to our Primary Sports School Of The Year award, sponsored by Bishop Sports, is anything to go by.
And if you are looking for a team that achieved above and beyond the usual call of duty then look no further than this year’s winners Oakley Church of England Junior School, from Hampshire.
Their girls’ cricket team were crowned national U11 Kwik Cricket champions in July at Derbyshire County Cricket Ground.
Yet none of the girls had played the game outside school before this summer – and of the squad of ten, only one was a year six pupil – so they will all be around to defend their title next summer.
Deputy headteacher Steve Rich said: “Their dedication and commitment to achieve at the highest level is remarkable. They practise at school for five hours a week during every break and every lunchtime. I am proud of their commitment and inspired by their desire to improve.”
Celebrating success and extolling the excellence of girls’ sport is taken very seriously at School Sport Magazine.
So one school in particular are worthy winners of this year’s Girls’ Sports Team Of The Year, sponsored by Davies Sports.
That is Castleford High School, whose U12, U13, U14 and U15 girls’ rugby league teams completed a clean sweep of national titles at this year’s Carnegie Champion Schools Finals.
To win a national schools competition is the pinnacle of achievement for any team.
To do so in a competition that traditionally has been dominated by independent schools with their plethora of resources is exceptional.
For that reason, the winner of this year’s Boys’ Sports Team Of The Year, sponsored by Huck Nets, is Wilmslow High School, from Cheshire, who beat the odds to land this year’s Daily Mail RBS U15 Rugby Union Cup.
The team defeated a talented Wellington College in an exciting final at Twickenham having previously beaten some of the best rugby schools in the country, including QEGS Wakefield, Bedford School and Manchester Grammar.
It is those sports teachers who go above and beyond the usual call of duty who do more than anything to inspire our next generation.
Just such unsung service has led Kristie Donovan, of Kings Langley School in Hertfordshire to win this year’s prestigious Sports Teacher of the Year, sponsored by Crazy Catch.
Over the last five years, Kristie has given up a considerable amount of her own time to develop girls' football within both the school, the district and the county.
Nominated by John Annett, learning leader for sport at King’s Langley, Kristie manages four girls teams at school, runs competitions, leads coaching courses – and even helps run boys’ fixtures on Saturday mornings.
John says: “It goes without saying that without the excellent level of commitment and dedication shown by her, then the level of activities available to pupils at Kings Langley and within Hertfordshire would not be as high.”
Breaking school records that have stood for many years – in this case all the way back to 1866 - don’t happen every day.
When doing so coincides with helping your school to national success, it makes the achievement all the more memorable.
So congratulations to Bedford School’s James Kettleborough for landing the prestigious Sporting Schoolboy of the Year, sponsored by Maude Sports.
This year, James broke England batsman Alastair Cook’s all-time 1st XI run-scoring record and smashed a huge 156 runs to help his side to success in School Sport Magazine’s inaugural U17 National Schools Cup final.
Last, but by no means least, the winner of the Sporting Schoolgirl of the Year award, also sponsored by Maude Sports, goes to our youngster-ever victor.
Eight-year-old Emma-Louise Stilwell, from Naphill and Walters Ash Combined School in High Wycombe, beat allcomers to land a host of national schools cycling titles throughout 2010.
Emma-Louise triumphed in a range of disciplines from hard track, mountainbike, roller racing and cyclo-cross championships. Watch out for her in the future.
All our winners will receive sports equipment or clothing from our award sponsors.
2009 AWARDS
Coopers Company & Coborn School, from Upminster in Essex, have become the first winners of the State Sports School of the Year in the 2009 School Sport Magazine Awards.
Judges decided that the Essex sports college, who reached the final stages of a host of national competitions, demonstrated “a high-level of achievement at national level in a range of sports, both for boys and girls, and therefore fully deserved the award.”
Coopers were one of eight winners in the annual awards, now in their fifth year, run by School Sport Magazine, published today.
In another new category, Whitgift School from Surrey have become the first winners of the Independent Sports School of the Year.
In a successful year for the school, Whitgift were crowned national boys U16 hockey champions, both indoors and outdoors, U13 Bunbury Cup cricket champions and U13 Rosslyn Park National Schools Rugby Sevens winners.
Primary School Sports Team of the Year were Bengeo Primary School in Hertfordshire who triumphed in the 2009 National Kwik Cricket Tournament at Headingley.
Their victory was all the more remarkable as the team have no cricket square at their school and had never even won their local district competition before.
Winner of the Girls Sports Team of the Year was Maltman’s Green School U11 gymnastic team, from Gerrard’s Cross in Buckinghamshire, who have been unbeaten in artistic schools gymnastics competitions for three years and this year notched up no less than four national titles.
Southend High School for Boys were deserved winners of the Boys Sports Team of the Year for winning the English Schools Cross Country Cup for the second year running with the lowest points total since the competition started in 1984.
Georgia Peel, 15, from Farnborough Hill School in Hampshire, won the sporting schoolgirl of the year award after taking an incredible eight seconds off the 1500m English Schools Athletics Championship record.
In a double triumph for schools athletics, Clovis Asong, 14, from Manchester’s Our Lady’s Catholic Sports College won the sporting schoolboy of the year title after breaking the junior boys 400m record in a time of 48.86s.
Gordon Campbell, from Winsley Primary School, near Bradford-on-Avon in Wiltshire was named Sports Teacher of the Year.
Phil Tusler, publishing editor of School Sport Magazine, said: "This has been a remarkable year for competitive sport in schools and the awards are a celebration of that.”
“We had hundreds of nominations this year and deciding the winners has been a difficult but very rewarding endeavour.”
Full details and further information about all the award winners can be found in the new edition of School Sport Magazine, published today.
