Summer Term Review of Sport

Despite the understandable focus on public exams for the Upper Sixth and Fifth Forms, commitment and continued participation in sport and school fixtures has been notable. Analysis highlights the following average participation rates of pupils representing the school in competitive sport across the year: Third Form 98%; Fourth Form 93%; Fifth Form 87%; Lower Sixth Form 78%; Upper Sixth Form 79%.

The Summer Term has seen cricket, tennis, athletics, rowing and sailing take centre stage. Live streaming of both boys’ and girls’ cricket matches has again been well received. Cricket has enjoyed a 57% win ratio; tennis has seen a 62% win ratio. In athletics, nine pupils qualified for the Mason Trophy regional final, two of whom who will compete at the National Schools Finals this weekend.

In the Rowing Club, two Fifth Form boys were selected to represent the Eastern Region at the Junior Inter-Regional Regatta at Nottingham. The golf squad continues to go from strength to strength. They reached the area final of the HMC competition, with the added bonus of the new golf simulators allowing more readily available training to pupils across the school.

Over the year, pupils have continued to enjoy the outstanding facilities of the Oundle School Sports Centre. Recreational use and participation continue to thrive. None more so than in the pool where there has been an impressive development in the School’s performance and competitive swim programmes. School records have tumbled with almost weekly regularity, and success achieved at the Bath and Otter Cups and Whitgift Cup. Representation outside of school events has increased enormously. Oundle has also been able to host a number of Adam Peaty Race Clinics in the 50m pool during the year.

The final Friday afternoon before Half Term hosted Sports Day for Third to Upper Sixth Forms in a fitting end to the first half of the Term. The First and Second Forms enjoyed their own event on the final Wednesday of Term.

Beyond the competitive fixtures, pupils engaged in sporting events in support of charities, including a charity hockey match, a 24 hour swim-a-thon, 24 hour row-a-thon, and a charity weightlifting competition.

In May, Oundle hosted the Prep Schools’ Triathlon with 900 pupils in Years 3 to 8. They swam, cycled and ran, and had a huge amount of fun while raising £88,000 for charity.