Physical Education

Introduction

The PE department is a thriving and successful department that not only excels in a wide range of sports but also caters for the demands of all standards of ability.  The intention is to maintain and stimulate pupil interest and enjoyment in sports and to promote health and fitness for current and future lifestyles.  It is also a major aim to develop a range of desirable personal qualities such as politeness, perseverance, initiative and independence via the establishment of pupil self esteem through the development of physical confidence.

The Sports Curriculum

The Department follows guidelines as laid out in the National Curriculum with students taking part in both mixed and single-sex lessons following a four-year progressive modular programme. Four full-time PE Teachers and a professional Rugby Coach are responsible for the teaching of the curriculum. In addition to this outside coaching specialists are used in activities such as basketball, squash and tennis. This enables the Department to operate with an excellent teacher-to-pupil ratio, sometimes as low as 1:15 in P.E. and Games lessons.

Extra Curricular

A wide range of extra-curricular sports and activities is offered throughout the year during lunch break, after School hours and in the evening.  These activities are very varied and include, for example, athletics, basketball, football, hockey, netball, rounders, rugby, squash, swimming and tennis.

Sport Scholarship Programme

Sport scholarships are available to students on entry into Year 7 and the Sixth Form.  Scholarships are awarded on merit and represent a real accolade to successful candidates who must not only demonstrate a high level of ability but also future potential. For further information on this matter contact Mr. Andrew Thomas, Director of Sport.

Competitive Sport

In addition to the curriculum-taught sports and the extra-curricular activities coaching programme, the PE Department runs an extremely comprehensive and challenging competitive fixture programme.  During the academic year 2009-2010 we competed in well over 400 fixtures.  All teams play on a friendly traditional fixture list as well as competing in National Championships and the Calderdale Schools’ league.  Both individually and collectively our successes are many and varied as demonstrated by the résumé for the year 2009-10.

Badminton - Year 7 sportsman Tom Hutchinson has been flying the flag for Rishworth with pride, representing Lancashire U12 Badminton squad.

Basketball  - Our own Sixth Form Captain of Basketball, Victor Law has represented National League basketball side Huddersfield Heat, a considerable achievement especially as he was part of a promotion-winning team.

Cricket - Liam Parfitt represented Lancashire as an opening bowler and middle order batsman on a regular basis and has been put forward to North of England trials - the first step towards England selection.

Football  - Sean Collins had an outstanding season scoring two consecutive hat tricks in the ISFA Shield competition, managing to secure a post-16 apprenticeship at Huddersfield Town and rounding the year off by representing England Independent Schools FA.  Jack Poxon secured his apprenticeship at Oldham Athletic – we wish him well for the future.  In Year 9 James Pollard continues to be part of  Huddersfield Town FC’s Academy side whilst in Year 7 Elliot Ascroft was a part of Rochdale’s squad.  Abdulla Alkhater and Sultan Alsuwaidi have now completed their second year at Manchester City whilst Mohammed BaDhafari, Khalifa AlMenhali and Mohammed AlZaabi are well settled after their first year with City.

Golf  - 2009/2010 Head of School Helen Searle is preparing to take up her golf scholarship at a leading American University having continued to be part of the England Ladies U21 side this year, and we wish her well on this superb venture. Year 9 student Henry Butterworth teed off his promising golfing future when he was selected for the Yorkshire U14 side.

Hockey - No less than 11 students from Rishworth represented Calderdale at various age groups with Liberty Baxter Cox, Annalea Staples, Philippa Wilkinson and Hannah Newby going one step further by being selected to play for West Yorkshire at U17,U15, U14 and U13 levels respectively.

Netball - Jessica Moloney and Alex Stanton were selected for the West Yorkshire U16 Regional Academy, whilst Georgie-Anne Quinn was selected for the Greater Manchester Academy. Eight other girls were selected for Calderdale. 

Pentathlon  - Sadie Greetham continues to blaze a trail; she is a member of the GB squad in Pentathlon and fencing. Joelle O’Neill, despite an injury-ravaged year, was selected for the U20 fencing team, won the Yorkshire Women’s title and was also selected for the GB modern pentathlon team. We wish Joelle well in her quest to represent GB as an Olympian.

Rugby Union - there were some outstanding individual accolades. George Ford was an established member of the England U20 squad, becoming a Grand Slam and Six Nations winner and a World Championship runner-up, pipped by the mighty All Blacks.  William Milner earned the ultimate sporting honour when he captained England RL U16s against France at Odsal stadium.  He now has his sights firmly set on becoming a professional player in the not-too-distant future and we have every confidence in William’s ability to do this.  He is presently at Warrington Wolves where Year 10 students Liam Parfitt and Harry Wallace also continue to work hard and show promise.  Liam’s appearances for Lancashire as a Number 8 are further testimony to his excellent work rate and undoubted potential in both codes.

Swimming - Scott Lewis and  Kate Roodhouse swam their way into the National Championships, such is their talent and dedication to their sport.

Waterpolo - Anna Sutcliffe has consolidated her position in the GB Water Polo squad where we hope she will progress to Olympic success.  Sister Emily is also working her way through the elite ranks in the GB Water Polo Talent  Programme.  

Touring abroad

In 1996 the rugby team toured South Africa, in 1997 the girls toured Ireland, in 1998 thirty four boys toured the Southern Hemisphere and 2000 saw a three-week visit to Canada.  2001 saw both hockey and netball teams travel to Barbados and in the summer of 2002 the boys toured Singapore, Malaysia and Australia.  In 2004 we visited South Africa on our first overseas combined tour winning all but one of 16 hockey and rugby matches. In 2006 over 80 students toured South America playing in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.   2008 saw four teams going to Australia where they played 20 games and lost only 3. In 2010 the School hosted a touring hockey team from Chile.  Plans are underway for a rugby and hockey tour to South Africa and a football tour to the USA in 2012.