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Sport

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 which in turn build pupil self-esteem and physical self-confidence.

The Sports Curriculum & Teacher-to-Pupil Ratio

Students take part in mixed and single-sex lessons following a four-year progressive modular programme. Five full-time PE Teachers are responsible for the teaching of the curriculum. In addition to this outside coaching specialists are used in activities such as swimming and badminton. 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.

 

Physical Education Lessons

(Single-sex & mixed lessons)

 

Games Lessons

(Single-sex & mixed lessons)

 

MICHAELMAS TERM

 

 

Badminton, Volleyball, Dance &

Swimming

 

Boys’ Rugby & Girls’ Hockey & Netball

 

 

 

LENT TERM

 

Badminton, Volleyball, Dance &

Swimming

 

Boys’ Football

&

Girls’ Hockey & Netball

& Football / Rugby

 Fitness Suite

 

TRINITY TERM

 

 Athletics

&

Tennis

Cricket

&

Rounders

 

 

 

Enrichment & Extension

A wide range of sporting and physical activity enrichment and extension activities are offered throughout the year; during lunch break and in Period 6 EE sessions as well as after school. These activities are very varied and include, for example, athletics, basketball, football, hockey, netball,  rounders, rugby, swimming and tennis.

Sporting Facilities

The school has its own swimming pool with an adjoining well-equipped modern fitness suite which overlooks the pool. There is a four badminton court modern Sports Hall with strength and conditioning studio. Outside facilities include extensive grass pitches, with pavilion, for football and rugby and three tennis courts. We also have easy access to picturesque cricket pitches and hockey astroturf pitches close by for training and matches. 

Competitive Sport

In addition to the curriculum-taught sports and the EE coaching schedule, the PE Department runs an extremely comprehensive and challenging competitive fixture programme.  Most academic years see us competing in well over 400 fixtures. All teams play on a friendly but competitive fixture list and in regional competitions and national championships. Both individually and collectively our successes are many and varied. 

Touring Abroad

Since 1996, when the rugby team toured South Africa, senior students at Rishworth have had the opportunity to play sport overseas. In 1998, 34 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 whilst in 2012 a hockey, netball and rugby tour to Sri Lanka proved hugely successful. In 2015 we visited Canada and USA and South Africa in 2018. Due to Covid we were unable to tour Thailand and Malaysia, but we remain optimistic that a tour of South Africa in 2022 will be possible. 

Academic PE

Students at Rishworth are able to do PE as a GCSE and at post 16: A-Level and BTEC option. Results across all 3 forms of assessment are outstanding with over 70% of GCSE PE students achieving a Level 7 or above in the last two years and 100% of students achieving a level 5 or higher. At A-Level 66% of students have achieved an A or A* and 100% of students have achieved a grade C or higher. At BTEC results have been as equally impressive with over 60% of students receiving double distinctions and all students acquiring at least a double merit in the Level 3 award. Many of the students studying PE at post 16 have gone on to study Sports Science related degrees at Universities including Loughborough, Bath, Durham and Exeter Universities.

Sport Scholarship Programme

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 our admissions team who will be happy to give you more information.

Achievements and Representative Honours 2021-2022

Current Students, include:

Gina Speakman: GB Modern Pentathlon U18’s, Olympic Podium Potential programme

Alice Weightman & Amber Mothersdale: GB Junior Dressage Squad

Emma Fletcher: Manchester Thunder Netball U18’s

Tom Parkin, Yorkshire Rugby Academy U19 and Doncaster Knights

Tom Inman: Warrington Wolves RL U19’s

Finlay Stewart: Huddersfield Giants U19’s

Spencer Peel: Huddersfield Giants U19’s

Jack Billington: Huddersfield Giants U19’s

Louis Inman: Yorkshire Rugby Academy U18’s

Ben Parkin: Yorkshire Rugby Academy U18’s

Jasper Male: Leicestershire CCC U18’s

Former students include

George Ford: Leicester Tigers RUFC & England Rugby Union

Emyr Huws: Ipswich Town FC and Wales, formerly Manchester City FC

Gareth Widdop: Warrington Wolves and England RL

Josie Rixon: England Hockey U21’s

Daniel Kelly: Leicester Tigers, England RUFC

Richard Hunwicks: Head of Human Performance at Catalan Dragons, previously England RL

Joe Ford: Coach at Doncaster Knights RUFC, previously played for Northampton Saints and Sale Sharks RUFC