Sport
Sport is a fundamental part of a well-rounded education and an integral part of life at Claremont. At the Prep and Senior Schools, our aim is to create an environment where students can learn and develop skills in a broad range of sporting pursuits, as part of a team and as an individual. We inspire pupils to compete and instil a life-long love of Sport so that when the winning stops, pupils continue to play sport well into their adulthood. To do this we nurture a sporting environment of inclusion where an ‘A team’ is only as good as the development teams coming up through the ranks. We believe in hard work, commitment and team spirit. It’s not just the ‘taking part’ that counts, ‘playing YOUR part’ makes all the difference and although we have a competitive ‘Claremont spirit’, we always strive to be both humble in victory and gracious in defeat.
Grass Roots Coaching
Coaching from a grass roots level means that key skills are taught early and by the time children reach the Prep School in Year 3, they are keen to test out their sporting skills on a more competitive level against other schools. Throughout the school year, a full fixtures programme allows them to do just that and includes inter-house matches and tournaments to also encourage healthy competition amongst peer groups. As resilience levels build, Prep School children are inspired to compete, whatever their level of ability and many quickly find their niche. Various lunchtime and after-school sports clubs provide further opportunity for children to do more of what they love or to simply try their hand at something new in a learning environment where all are welcome. For children who can demonstrate a particularly aptitude for sport, scholarships are awarded for entry into Year 7 and 9, whatever level of sporting ability, by the time prep school children leave for senior school, we aim to instil a love of sport that will endure well beyond Year 13.
Senior School
At the Senior School, Sport plays a crucial part in a dynamic Co-curricular programme designed to challenge and inspire in equal measure. As at the Prep School, we instil the notion of hard work, perseverance, self-respect, pride and resilience in both our elite and novice athletes, as part of a wider aim to promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Whilst gifted and talented cricketers and footballers are well catered for with
our academy programmes, all students make full use of our extensive sports facilities to include over 50 acres of grass pitches, a sports hall and fitness centre, floodlit Astroturf pitches, tennis and netball courts, the use of world class equestrian facilities and an exceptional cross-country course, sections of which meander through stunning woodlands.
Respect for the opposition, post match reflection and the ability to motivate and inspire team members who are feeling the pressure are crucial life lessons and ones that continue for senior school students with a full programme of competitive match fixtures. These provide numerous opportunities for students of all sporting abilities to represent the school, improve their skill levels but ultimately have fun in the process. Success for a Claremont sports team is built on an ethos of participation and a culture which recognises the wider value of sport so we are just as proud of the unbeaten Under 11 D team as we are the First XI!
Qualifications
Year 11 students can take GCSE Physical Education and in the Sixth Form we offer a BTEC in Sports and Exercise Science. Equivalent to two A levels, the BTEC course is both popular and demanding owing to the continual assessment throughout. The course also allows athletes time to train both inside and outside of school which ensures students are able to keep up with their other academic studies. Students go on to a diverse range of university and further education courses, both sports-based and in fields as diverse as accountancy, psychology and the military.
Our talented and dedicated coaching teams work with across both the Prep and Senior Schools and have many years of playing and coaching experience between them. We also have six strength and conditioning coaches.
