Archery

Archery has taken place at WGS for the past eleven years. It is offered to our 4, 5 and 6 Form pupils on a Tuesday afternoon during their sports ssession. We also offer Archery opn a Tuesday to the 1, 2 & 3 form pupils as a period 5 enrcihment activity.

We have produced several U18 County Champions for both boys and girls and some of these pupils have also been placed in the Senior County Championships. As well as taking part in the County Competitions the pupils also take part in wils Archery shoots.

Athletics

Wisbech Grammar School teaches athletics to all pupils from Kindergarten to Sixth form. Pupils are coached to improve their jumping and throwing techniques, speed and endurance in track and field events.

Athletics plays a big part in the sporting life of the school during the Trinity term and pupils compete in Inter-School, County, Regional and National Championships. We compete in the Distrirct Championships, Cambridgeshire County Clubs Championships and the Cambridgeshire County Schools, as well as holding matche against local and regional schools.

In recent years we have had several pupils represent Cambridgeshire and Norfolk in the Anglian Schools Match as well as competing at the National Schools, as well as winning District, County, Regional and National Championships

A highlight of each school year is always the anual School Athletics Championships! Prep 4 to 6 Forms anual day is held at the Lynnsport Athletics track,whilst the Kindergarten to Prep 3 event is held at School.

Sally Webb

Head of Athletics

Basketball

Basketball is a Recreational Sport at WGS played mainly in the Michaelmas and Trinity Terms on the outside courts as well as during the Lent Term inn the Hudson Sports Centre. We offer Basketball as part of our physical wellbing programme in the 4, 5 and 6 Form on a Tueday and Thursday afternoon.

Climbing and Bouldering

On a Tueasday afternoon 4, 5 and 6 Form pupils take part in Physical Wellbeing sessions. Our latsest offering is Climbing at the Fenrock Climbing Centre in Wisbech. Pupils are able to take part in Climbing and Bouldering sessio9ns taken by the qualified staff at Fenrock.

Cricket

Cricket at Wisbech Grammar School is thriving and the school encourages all pupils to play in House and School matches. We have seen an interest in playing cricket increase significantly in recent years. With this in mind the school have appointed a cricket professional, Mr. Steve Goldsmith who played First Class cricket for Kent and Derbyshire CCC and our Head of Cricket, Mr. Neil Taylor has coached Norfolk County Age Group cricket for many years.

Cricket is the main sport for boys and girls in the Trinity term. We currently run 18 teams, representing every age group from U9 to 1st XI. WGS have a robust fixture list that gives opportunities for players to develop their cricket in an enjoyable environment, whilst learning about the gaem and hooning their skills. The majority of school matches are of a shorter format, but the 1st XI also play 50 overs and declaration games, most notably against the MCC and XL Club and these games now take place in September as an extension to our season. The U9s play with a soft ball but hard ball cricket is introduced to all players in Prep 6. During formative years we concentrate on giving all young cricketers the opportunity to build a sound technique, however whilst we coach all cricketers to have a good understanding of technical, tactical, physical, mental and lifestyle choices needed to play sports at a high level, we alsop recognise that it must be enjoyable as that is what instills the lovee of the game.

Cricket training takes place throughout the year, During the Michaelmas and Lent terms 1st XI players receiving group coaching as part of their curriculum. We also offer cricket clubs for 1st to 4th Form pupils during Period 5 throughout the year, which take place in our sports hall which has 4 net bays. The school has excellent cricket equipment including two Kanon and two bowling machines. The outdoor facilities inclue 4 cricket squares, 2 permanent astroturf nets, a full size astroturf playing strip. During the Trinity term we also have portable nets on two of our suqares.

The School currently have numerous players representing both Cambridgeshire and Norfolk at youth level. We encourage our players to play at the highest level possible so, for players that excel, we formed a Schools Partnership agreement with Northants County Cricket Club in 2017, which helps facilitate our players to pursue a career in cricket. George Gowler is currently playing for Northants U18 Academy and Northants Senior 2nd XI. Sports Scholars Phoenix Sherry, Ross Gardner, Hannah Smith, Adam Gardner and Millie Harris played County Age Group Cricket in Summer 2021.

The ethos of WGS is for players to have a passion for sports, play with a smile on their faces, to try their best and encourage all.

Neil Taylor

Head of Cricket

Physical Wellbeing

During the sports lessons all pupils take part in our Physical Wellbeing programme, which offers differing types of sessions throughout the School, depending upon pupils year groups.

In the Early years and Key 1 stage pupils will work on their functional movement skills, along with running and ball skills. They will talk about how exercie makes them feel and how it can help them in life.

During Key Stage 2this will broaden in scope, as they continue with movemnet and agility, as well as running over specific distances and l;ooking at how that effects them and the benefits it could have. In Prep 5 and 6 during the Lent term pupils will also take part in some theory lessons with the Academic Physical Edducation teachers, looking at the importance of a Healthy life style, diet and excercise and being introduced to the idea of measuring their fintness lesvel.

First to Third Form pupils will have Theory sessions in the Lent Term, continuing with the Healthy lifstyle theme but looking at the benefits of this in greater detail. They will also take part andf help to run various fitness tests, so that they are able to assess their own fitness levels and set goals for sport or fitness for life. They will also start to look at societal issues sround sport and hope that this will give them a good insight into the issues that surround us, as well as the importance of exercise for their physical wellbeing. This also give pupils an insight into GCSE PE.

During the 4, 5 and 6 form Sports sessions, for those that do not play in out Team sports we continue to offer fitness sessions to the Senior pupils and encourage them to complete at least one of these per week along with a recreatonal sport that they would see themself puyruing outside school in the future. Thes Fitness activities include Aerobic classes, Yoga, Spinning, attending the Hudson Gym and running.

Hockey:

Hockey continues to flourish under the direction of Mrs Glover who is a GB Advanced Coach, and also coaches at the Regional Performance Centres. She is assisted by one of Cambridgeshire Hockey's Academy Centre Head Coaches, Fred Whatling, and National League player Neil Evans; along with other coaches who have vast experience of playing and coaching. Hockey is the major sport for girls in the Michaelmas term and for boys in the Lent term. The senior boys and girls play indoor hockey throughout the Michaelmas term and compete in the County and Regional Indoor Championships.

The Hockey programme runs from U9 through to 1st XI with 7 a-side teams from U9 to U13,with pupils moving to 11 a-side from U14 onwards. There is a structured development programme in place, supported by experienced hockey coaches, physiotherapy and strength and conditioning provision. A robust fixture list in both terms provides pupils with the opportunity to pitch their skills against local and regional opposition. There are also day trips and overnight tours which enable pupils to further develop as individuals and as a team.

In the last full season of inter-school hcokey the boys 1st XI won the Regional Tournament to make the National Finals at Lee Valley Hockey Centre, but missed out on the experience due to the country moving into lockdown. In the same season the girls 1st XI won the County Championships and competed at the East Regional Finals. This season the Girls 1st XI have already won bthe County U18 Tourmnament.

In the recent past we have had players in the National Age Group Squads, as well as attending Regional and Junior Performance centres.

Andrea Glover

Head of Hockey

Korfball

Korfball is a new addition to our Senior physical wellbeing programme and is available to pupils on a thursday and Friday afternoon. Mr Dunlop who recently joined WGS is a former international Korfball player and a current coach. He has introduced Korfball which is a hybrid of Basketball and Netball this term. The great advantage beside it being great fun is that it can be played by mixed teams or single gender teams. We hope that we will have some competitive fixtures by Michaelmas term 2022.

Netball

Netball is well established at WGS and is the Core sport for girls in the Lent term. Alongside a competitive block fixture card there are day trips and over-night tours which further develop the pupils as individuals and team players; as well as allowing them to experience sport in a different culture.

Pupils are able to develop their skills, understanding and tactical knowledge through training sessions, House and Inter School matches, both local and regional. During the Lent term we regularly put out sixteen School netball teams which gives the girls ample opportunity to represent WGS. We also participate in the County U19 Netball Tournament which allowing our senior girls the chance to prepare during the Michaelmas term. We have an excellent team of specialist and support coaches, all with vast experience of playing and coaching the game, led by Head of Netball, Mrs Heidi Milton

We have been pleased to support eight girls through various trials to take their first steps onto the England Netball Player Pathway and into the Cambridgeshire and Norfolk County Netball Squads and one Lower 6th pupil into the Super-League Franchise, Saracens Mavericks Futures Squad, who we work closely with.

Heidi Milton

Head of Netball

Rugby

Rugby Union is our major boys sport at WGS during the Michaelmas term. It has been well established over the years and the coaching staff want to continue to drive the programme forward. Coached by professional, qualified and passionate coaches, the philosophy of the rugby coaching at the school is all about learning through enjoyment, while using competition in sessions, and playing matches, to improve the individual whilst developing the team.

We run a comprehensive rugby programme throughout the school staring In Prep 5 and going all the way through to the 6 Form. We run teams at U10, U11, U12, U13, U14, U15, U16 and our U18 School 1st XV all training three times per week. They have a comprehensive fixture programme on Saturdays throughout the Michaelmas Term.

During the Lent term we run a comprehensive 7s programme with boy's teams at U18, U16, U14, U13, U12 and U11, whilst the girls have teams at U13, U15 and U18. We host our own tournaments as well as playing locally, regionally and nationally. This concludes with the annual Roslyn Park National Sevens Tournaments.

We have developed some good links locally to support our player pathway, beyond this we and already have strong connections with Premiership team Northampton Saints, Championship team Coventry Rugby, and National 1 Club Cambridge RFC.

We have had several players make representative honours with London Division, Eastern counties and the Lambs Independent School XV. Ben Hoyles (2003) played for England U18 and more recently ex pupils Michael Gillick, Tom Jones and Ryan Hutler played Championship Rugby.

Our most notable pupils is Ali Price (2012) currently plays for Scotland and Glasgow Warriors and this Summer represented the British and Irish Lions the Test Matches against South Africa.

We have several current 3rd & 4th form pupils in the Saints Development Player Programme.

Sports Scholar and 1st XV Vice Captain Ashton Webb is in the current U18 Saints Academy, whilst Sports Scholar and 1st XV player Lewis Wing is in the Saints U16 PDG. Sports Scholar and 1^st XV player Ethan Jones is in the Coventry U18s squad.

Phil Webb

Head of Rugby

Strength and Conditioning:

The School has a fully equipped Weights Room, situated above the sports hall. There is a Weight Lifting platform in half of the room on which the Olympic Bars and Weight plates can be used for Olympic lifting, as well as in tandem with the Squat and Bench Press racks. There is also a 15 metre track on which we use the Powersled and multiple size plyometric boxes. The 5 and 6 Form pupils in the rugby, hockey, netball, cricket and athletics teams are able to work in here during period 5, and in their free periods to develop their speed, strength, agility and power. They use this under the guidance of our School Physio Mrs Taylor.

Work for younger pupils takes place in the Studio, where they are introduced to body weight activities and lifting techniques using the Myrafit bars and free weights, before they move to supervised sessions in the Weights Room in the 4 Form.

Phil Webb

Director of Sport

Swimming

We teach swimming to pupils from Reception to Prep 4 during the Michaelmas and Lent Terms. We use the Hudson swimming pool which is situated next door to the School and offers a 25 metre, 5 lane main pool and a small pool for learners.

Our swimming programme includes levels from Introductory to Level 10 which is for the advanced pupils, along with Distance Swimming and Speed Awards. When pupils complete these awards they receive a certificate.

We are ambitious to provide the best provision for our swimmers so that all pupils form Kindergarten to Prep 4 have the opportunity to learn to Swim and may achieve the highest standards possible and many of our pupils swim competitively outside of school.

Sally Webb

Head of Swimming

Badminton and Table Tennis

Badminton and Table Tennis are played throughout the Senior School as part of our Physical Wellbeing programme. In the Lent term pupils in 1, 2 and 3 Form take part in a bloc of lessns, which introduce them to the skills and rules of the game. From the 4 From upwards pupils are then able to opt to play badminton or table tennis during sports sessions, as well as taking part in a fitness activity during the Senior Sports lessons.

Tennis

We have re-introduced Tennis as an Option for 4 to 6 form pupils durin g Tuesday, Thursday and Friday Sports lessons during the Trinity Term 2022. Pupils are taken to Wisbech Town LTC where they play on their hard courts.