We encourage every girl to lead a healthy lifestyle, as part of our commitment to supporting pupil happiness and well-being.

Rowing at St Mary's

Sport for all

• Enjoyment and choice - From joining an extra-curricular club, to participating in competitive sport, or simply finding a physical activity they enjoy, student participation in sport reflects individual abilities and choices. Girls pursue sports they are passionate about, supported by specialist teachers, and our elite sportswomen regularly compete at county and national level.
• Competition - We field sports teams in each year group, competing with great success against local schools, and in district and county championships. Students also enjoy participating in the Girls’ Schools Association (GSA) Gymnastics Display, Sports Day and our Holland Hockey Trip (Year 9 and 10)

Sporting news in Senior School

Our curriculum sports

Sport and girls

Research by UK charity, Women in Sport, Reframing Sport, highlights the critical relationship between sport and self-worth, confidence and body image in young girls. The positive impact of our ‘Sport for All’ policy is evident in our recent Senior School student survey, which aimed to understand how St Mary's girls experience sport:

• 88% of St Mary’s girls enjoy PE versus 49% in Reframing Sport
• 97% of St Mary’s girls believe exercise is an important versus 56% in Reframing Sport

We are very mindful that we must continue to evolve our approach, to ensure girls continue to enjoy physical activities throughout their time at St Mary's and beyond. The key principles of Reframing Sport are now integrated with our overall approach to sport:

8 Principles of Success

1. No judgement – we take the pressure off performance, with plenty of opportunities to play and enjoy activities such as boxercise, dance, gymnastics and Zumba.
2. Invoking excitement – by offering a diverse choice of sports and activities, there is a sense of adventure at every stage - there is always more to discover!
3. Clear emotional reward – sporting achievements are 'moments of pride' not just winning. Of course, everyone enjoys the feeling of winning a hockey match or a relay race, but there are also moments of pride to be found when we don't win. Achieving a personal best; a successful pass between players; seamless teamwork and support; the buzz of helping secure a goal. These are all moments to be proud of.
4. Opening eyes to what’s there – here sport is much more than just PE lessons. We open up multiple team sports and solo pursuits that girls can enjoy throughout life. Our popular Zumba, netball and running clubs are great examples of enjoying sport beyond the curriculum.
5. Building existing habits – through less 'traditional' sports such as yoga and dance, we build sport into existing habits.
6. Giving girls a voice and choice – we believe that #YesSheCan at St Mary’s and this empowering approach ensures every girl can live her best life by taking part in a sport they enjoy.
7. Championing what’s in it – sport is about more than just health. It’s about developing invaluable life skills, such as motivation, leadership and teamwork skills, and building relationships and making great friends in the process!
8. Expanding the image of ‘sporty’ – we are lucky to have so many great role models in our teaching community who inspire girls to take part in sport and to aim high.

This approach builds on our established Sport for All policy and aims to reframe sport as something that ALL girls’ value and perceive to enhance their lives.

More about Reframing Sport