Independent School Medallists at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics 2020 (Summer 2021)

Independent Schools continue to make a significant (disproportionate) contribution to British Sport - this is something that we should celebrate. 

The final statistics:

• 53 women won medals for TeamGB (4 won 2 medals), 20 of whom were educated in independent schools (38%)
• 55 men won medals for TeamGB (6 won 2 medals, 2 won 3 medals and 1 won 4 medals), 17 of whom were educated in independent schools (31%)
• Overall, 108 competitors won medals for TeamGB, 37 of whom were educated at UK Independent schools (34%)

(school data not available for Equestrian Eventing Team)

Congratulations to the following former pupils of Independent Schools who won medals at the Olympic Games in Tokyo:

Team GB Gold Medals 

• Cycling
• Katie Archibald (Glasgow Academy) Madison
• Diving 
• Tom Daley (Plymouth College) Synchronised 10m Platform 
• Modern Pentathlon
• Kate French (Cobham Hall) Individual
• Joe Choong (Whitgift) Individual
• Sailing
• Hannah Mills (Howell's Llanduff) 470
• Eilidh McIntyre (Mayville High School Southsea) 470
• Swimming 
• Freya Anderson (Ellesmere College) 4x100m Mixed Medley Relay 
• James Guy (Millfield) 4x200m Freestyle Relay 
• James Guy (Millfield) 4x100m Mixed Medley Relay 
• Calum Jarvis (Plymouth College) 4x200m Freestyle Relay 
• Duncan Scott (Strathallan) 4x200m Freestyle Relay 
• Triathlon 
• Jonathan Brownlee (Bradford Grammar) Mixed Triathlon Relay 

Team GB Silver Medals 

• Cycling
• Katie Archibald (Glasgow Academy) Team Pursuit
• Rowing 
• Harry Leask (George Heriots) Quadruple Sculls 
• Angus Groom (RGS Guildford) Quadruple Sculls 
• Sailing 
• Anna Burnet (Lomond) 
• Swimming 
• Duncan Scott (Strathallan) 200m Freestyle 
• Duncan Scott (Strathallan) 200m Individual Medley 
• Duncan Scott (Strathallan) 4x100m Medley Relay 
• James Guy (Millfield) 4x100m Medley Relay 

Team GB Bronze Medals 

• Athletics
• Imani-Lara Lansiquot (Trinity Croydon) 4x100m Relay
• Josh Kerr (George Watsons) 1500m
• Diving 
• Tom Daley (Plymouth College) 10m Platform 
• Equestrian 
• Karl Hester (Elizabeth College, Guernsey) Team Dressage 
• Gymnastics
• Amelie Morgan (Wolsey Hall, Oxford) Artistic Team
• Hockey
• Grace Balsdon (Kent College)
• Maddie Hinch (King's, Taunton) 
• Sarah Jones (Howells Llanduff)
• Shona McCallin (Repton)
• Hannah Martin (Ipswich School)
• Lily Owsley (Clifton College) 
• Izzy Petter (Cranleigh)
• Ellie Ryer (Claire's Court)
• Anna Toman (St Gabriel's Newbury)
• Susannah Townsend (Sutton Valence)
• Leah Wilkinson (Repton)

• Shooting 
• Matthew Coward-Holley (Felsted) Trap Shooting 
• Rowing 
• Thomas George (Radley) Men's Eight 
• Charles Elwes (Radley) Men's Eight 
• Oliver Wynne-Griffith (Radley) Men's Eight 
• James Rudkin (Stowe) Men's Eight 
• Thomas Ford (Grange School) Men's Eight 
• Henry Fieldman (Latymer Upper) Men's Eight 
• Sailing 
• Emma Wilson (Bournemouth Collegiate) RS:X Windsurfing 

Medallists competing for other nations who were educated at UK Independent Schools: 

Gold Medals 

• Triathlon 
• Flora Duffy - Bermuda (Mount Kelly - then Kelly College) 

Bronze Medals 

• Swimming 
• Frederico Burdisso - Italy (Mount Kelly) 200m Butterfly 
• Frederico Burdisso - Italy (Mount Kelly) 4x100m Medley Relay 

Medallists at the Paralympic Games who were educated at UK Independent Schools: 

Gold Medals 

• Rowing
• Oli Stanhope - GB (Hampton) PR3 Mixed 4+
• Swimming 
• Ellen Keane - Ireland (Mount Kelly) SB8 100m Breaststroke
• Hannah Russell - GB (Mount Kelly) S12 100m Backstroke
• Triathlon
• Lauren Steadman - GB (Mount Kelly- then Kelly College) PTS5 Individual

Silver Medals 

• Athletics
• Kare Adenegan - GB (Bablake and King Henry VIII School) T34 100m
• Wheelchair Fencing
• Dimitri Coutya - GB (St Benedict's) - Team Foil
• Oliver Lam-Watson - GB (Dulwich College) - Team Foil 

Bronze Medals 

• Wheelchair Fencing
• Dimitri Coutya - GB (St Benedict's) - Individual Épée
• Dimitri Coutya - GB (St Benedict's) - Individual Foil
• Dimitri Coutya - GB (St Benedict's) - Team Épée
• Oliver Lam-Watson - GB (Dulwich College) - Team Épée
• Swimming 
• Toni Shaw - GB (Albyn School) 400m Freestyle S9 
• Triathlon 
• Claire Cashmore - GB (Mount Kelly- then Kelly College) PTS5 Individual 

Please contact me if you spot any errors or omissions. Many thanks 

Related posts 

• Independent School Medallists at the Rio Olympics 2016 
• Independent School Medallists at the London Olympics 2012

Why did so many of the England World Cup Rugby team go to Independent Schools?

Today England play South Africa in the Rugby World Cup Final. Nine of the starting XV were educated at HMC Independent schools (12 out of the 23 man squad). 

HMC schools' disproportionate involvement in the England Rugby Squad is not a story of privilege, but a story of investment. HMC schools believe in school sport. We believe in competition. There are great rivalries between our schools going back over a century in many cases. We devote a significant portion of our school week to sport. We invest in top-quality coaching. Furthermore, we believe in giving talented young people the opportunity to benefit from all of that history and heritage. That is why we award scholarships and bursaries. This is a perfect example of how HMC schools benefit our nation by promoting excellence and widening opportunities.
HMC schools have an amazing track record of fostering sporting talent (See my articles on Independent schools' contributions to the GB Olympic teams in London 2012 and Rio 2016). 

It should be recognised that the school most represented in the team is not an HMC school, rather it is a boarding and day school, St George's, Harpenden with three players (Farrell, Ford and Itoje - who later went on to Harrow). 

Here's where the England Rugby World Cup Squad went to school - congratulations to all those schools and their dedicated coaches who inspired this generation of players:

England team to play South Africa: 

• Elliot Daly; Whitgift School, Croydon (HMC)
• Anthony Watson, St George’s Weybridge (HMC) 
• Manu Tuilagi, John Cleveland College (Maintained) 
• Owen Farrell, St George’s School, Harpenden (Maintained) 
• Jonny May, Hartpury College (Maintained) 
• George Ford, St George’s School, Harpenden (Maintained) 
• Ben Youngs; Gresham's School (HMC) 
• Mako Vunipola, Millfield (HMC) 
• Jamie George, Haileybury College (HMC) 
• Kyle Sinckler, Epsom College (HMC) 
• Maro Itoje, Harrow School (HMC) 
• Courtney Lawes Moulton College (Maintained) 
• Tom Curry, Oundle School (HMC) 
• Sam Underhill, Sir Thomas Rich’s School, Gloucester  (Maintained)
• Billy Vunipola, Harrow School (HMC) 

 Replacements: 

• Luke Cowan-Dickie, Truro College (Maintained) 
• Joe Marler, Heathfield Community College (Maintained) 
• Dan Cole, Robert Smythe Academy (Maintained) 
• George Kruis, St John’s Leatherhead (HMC) 
• Mark Wilson, Kirkbie Kendal School (Maintained) 
• Ben Spencer, Bramhall High School (Maintained) 
• Henry Slade, Plymouth College (HMC)
• Jonathan Joseph Millfield (HMC) 

Olympic Sport and the Nation's Health

My article published in the latest edition of the HMC Insight magazine

Related posts

• Independent School Medallists at the Rio Olympics 2016
• Independent School Medallists at the London Olympics 2012

Independent School Medallists at the Rio Olympics 2016

Independent Schools continue to make a significant contribution to British Sport (28% of Team GB for Rio 2016 come from Independent Schools) - this is something that we should celebrate. 

The final statistics in detail:

• 62 women have won medals for Team GB (2 won two medals), 22 of whom were educated at a UK independent school – 35% 
• 73 men have won medals for Team GB (1 won 3 medals, 5 won 2 medals), 20 of whom were educated at UK independent schools (2 won 2 medals) – 27% 
• 135 competitors have won medals for Team GB, 42 of whom were educated at UK independent schools – 31% 

Congratulations to the following former pupils of Independent Schools who have won medals for Team GB at the Rio Games:

Gold Medals:

• Cycling
• Katie Archibald (Glasgow Academy) Team Pursuit (WR)
• Equestrian
• Nick Skelton (Bablake) Individual Showjumping
• Hockey
• Crista Cullen (Oakham) 
• Alex Danson (Farnborough Hill) 
• Maddie Hinch (King's, Taunton) 
• Shona McCallin (Repton)
• Lily Owsley (Clifton College) 
• Sam Queck (Birkenhead High - then GSA)
• Susannah Townsend (Sutton Valence) 
• Georgie Twigg (Repton) 
• Nicola White (Oldham Hulme Grammar)
• Rowing
• Helen Glover (Millfield) Coxless Pair 
• Heather Stanning (Gordonstoun) Coxless Pair
• Constantine Louloudis (Eton)  Coxless Four
• George Nash (Winchester)  Coxless Four
• Tom Ransley (King's Canterbury) Eight
• William Satch (Shiplake) Eight
• Andrew Triggs-Hodge (Belmont Grosvenor) Eight
• Phelan Hill (Bedford) Eight
• Sailing
• Hannah Mills (Howell's, Llandaff) 470
• Triathlon
• Alistair Brownlee (Bradford Grammar)

Silver Medals

• Canoeing
• David Florence (Stewarts Melville) C2
• Equestrian
• Fiona Bigwood (Croydon High) Team Dressage
• Karl Hester (Elizabeth College, Guernsey) Team Dressage
• Rowing
• Victoria Thornley (Rydal Penrhos) Double Sculls
• Olivia Carnegie-Brown (Queen Anne's Caversham) Eight
• Katie Greves (Headington) Eight
• Frances Houghton (King's Canterbury) Eight
• Polly Swann (George Heriot's) Eight
• Zoe de Toledo (St Paul's) Eight
• Rugby Sevens
• Dan Bibby (Kirkham Grammar) 
• Alex Davis (QEH Bristol) 
• Ollie Lindsay Hague (Millfield) 
• Tom Mitchell (Worth) 
• James Rodwell (Berkhamsted)
• Marcus Watson (St George's Weybridge) 
• Swimming
• James Guy (Millfield) 4x200m Freestyle Relay
• Duncan Scott (Strathallan) 4x200m Freestyle Relay
• James Guy (Millfield) 4x100m Medley Relay
• Duncan Scott (Strathallan) 4x100m Medley Relay
• Triathlon
• Jonathan Brownlee (Bradford Grammar)

Bronze Medals

• Athletics
• Emily Diamond (Bristol Grammar) 4x400m Relay
• Diving
• Tom Daley (Plymouth College) Synchronised 10m Platform
• Gymanastics
• Amy Tinkler (Durham High) Floor [NB current pupil]

Looking Back to London 2012

• Why did pupils from Independent Schools win so many Olympic medals in London 2012?
• Independent Schools and Team GB Medallists in London 2012- The final Stats

My thanks to Georgina Belcher at the ISC for helping me with identifying the former schools of TeamGB.

Independent Schools, Elite Sport and University Entrance

Letter to the Daily Telegraph
Published Saturday 21st June 2014

Sir,
Sir Michael Wilshaw, the head of Ofsted, argues that a disproportionate number of independent school pupils represent Britain at elite sport. So what do we do? Do we have quotas of state pupils who represent GB at the Olympics or England at Rugby? No of course we don't. We aspire to bring sport in the maintained sector up to standard of sport in independent schools.
Independent schools also provide a disproportionate number of pupils to Oxford and Cambridge and Russell Group universities, so why is Offa seeking to impose a system of quotas? Why not try to raise academic standards amongst the most able in state schools?
Both TeamGB and UKplc need the best proven talent to compete on a global stage and quotas aren't going to help - a broader talent base will.

Mark S Steed
Principal, Berkhamsted School
Berkhamsted, Herts

What School Sport teaches young people (especially girls).

The Value of School Sport

Independent Schools devote a significant proportion of the curriculum to sport; indeed, here at Berkhamsted pupils spend more time at Key Stage 3 each week playing games than they do learning mathematics. We do this because we believe that sport has true educational value. 

Hilary Levey Friedman, in her book Playing to Win: Raising Children in a Competitive Culture, identifies five ways in which sport develops important transferable skills:

1. Sport internalizes the importance of winning;
2. Sport helps young people to learn how to bounce back from a loss to win in the future;
3. Sport teaches the importance of performing within time limits;
4. Sport helps young people to learn how to succeed in stressful situations;
5. Sport teaches the importance of being able to perform under the gaze of others.

Girls, Sport, Success, Self-esteem and Body Image

A study by the Women's Sports Foundation (in the USA) found that:

1. High school girls who play sports are more likely to get better grades in school and more likely to graduate than girls who do not play sports. 
2. Girls and women who play sports have higher levels of confidence and self-esteem and lower levels of depression. 
3. Girls and women who play sports have a more positive body image and experience higher states of psychological well-being than girls and women who do not play sports. 

Girls, Sport and later Business Success

A survey of top women business executives published by the Oppenheimer Foundation in February 2013 discovered that 81% of top women business executives played organized team sports growing up.

When asked how playing team sport contributed to their business, they commented that,

1. Sport developed leadership skills, 
2. Sported engendered greater discipline, 
3. Sport developed the ability to function as part of a team

A final thought . . . 
One of the most important aspects of School Sport is the camaraderie that it brings. When Old Boys and Old Girls come back to school more often than not they end up reminiscing about their sporting triumphs. It was a great privilege a forthnight ago to sit between two 95 year-old Berkhamstedians at a special lunch. It was not long before they were talking about their days in the First XV - one played Full-back and the other Lock - and that was some 77 years ago, but just like yesterday to them!

References and Further Reading:

• Hilary Levey Friedman, Playing to Win: Raising Children in a Competitive Culture (September 2013)
• Hilary Levey Friedman, 'Do Your Kids Need More Competitive Capital?'  Harvard Business Review Blog 03/09/2013
• 'Benefits - Why Sports Participation for Girls and Women' Womens Sports Foundation
• 'Successful Women Business Executives Don't Just Talk a Good Game... They Play(ed) One'  Oppenheimer Foundation Report: (February 2013)

Why did pupils from Independent Schools win so many Olympic medals in London 2012?

39% of the medals won by TeamGB at London2012 were won by pupils who were educated in UK independent schools, despite only the sector accounting for only 7% of the total school population (for full stats and a list of medallists and schools see previous blogpost)

There are very good reasons why these schools are so successful in fostering sporting success. Ultimately it comes down to valuing sport as an important part of the curriculum, and investing in it:

1. Time. Pupils in Independent Schools do on average over twice as much sport a week than pupils in the Maintained Sector. Pupils in top teams routinely have practices both before and after school, in addition to their games and PE times.
2. Facilities. Independent schools have invested millions in providing state-of-the-art facilities. Like most schools, Berkhamsted has a sports hall, 6 lane 25m swimming pool, extensive games pitches, weights rooms, gymnasia and so on. Furthermore, we have partnership arrangements with the local Squash and Tennis club and with the local Fitness studio.
3. Coaching. Most importantly, Independent Schools invest in quality sports coaching and expertise. My last school, Kelly College in Devon, has produced 26 Olympians (mainly in Swimming) since 1980, including six Olympic medallists, with only a four-lane 25m pool. A school can boast the best facilities in the world, but without the drive and expertise of top coaches, it will be in vain.
4. Bridging the 16-18 Gap. One important aspect of the sport debate that has been missed by the Government in their recent pronouncements is that young people not only need to take regular exercise and to play sport during the period of compulsory schooling, but they need to keep going from 16 until 18, when many will go on to University. Most Independent Schools make sport compulsory in the sixth form, which means that when young people move into adulthood they are accustomed to taking regular exercise and have experienced the social and health benefits of being part of team or training group.

Building a Healthy Nation.

This debate is far more important than a discussion about winning Olympic medals in 2016 and beyond. Unless we foster good habits in our young people, we are in danger that this generation will be so obese that it will trigger a health crisis that will stretch nation’s resources to breaking point. Schools, Colleges and Universities have an opportunity – and I believe a responsibility - to encourage young people to develop habits in relation to regular exercise that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Independent Schools take seriously this responsibility.

Last year 98% of the girls in Year 7 at Berkhamsted represented the school at sport. Many of them will continue with school team sports for the whole of their time at school, others will move to other forms of exercise. By the sixth form over a third of the year group are representing the school, but every single one of them will be doing at least three hours sport a week. Some will be swimming, some will be going to the gym (spinning, kick-boxing, circuit training etc), and some will be doing yoga.

Independent Schools believe that sport and exercise are a fundamental part of a British education and they are willing to back up that belief with the resources that are required (time, facilities, coaching) . There is here a model that the Government would do well to replicate in the Maintained Sector.

Independent Schools - Inspiring a Generation.

See also

• 'Why are so many of Britain's Olympic athletes privately educated?' Daily Telegraph 02/08/2012
• 'Olympics 2012: third of Team GB medallists came from private schools' Guardian 14/08/2012
• 'London Olympics 2012: four-in-10 Team GB medallists "educated privately"' Daily Telegraph 14/08/2012
• 'Private Kids on the Podium' The Sun 14/08/2012

Independent Schools and Team GB Medallists - The final Stats

Former pupils of UK Independent schools accounted for 44 of Team GB's 114 medalists in London 2012. The stats in detail:

• 46 women won medals for Team GB (5 won two medals) and 19 of them were educated at UK independent schools (1 won two medals) – 41% 
• 68 men won medals for Team GB (7 won two medals) and 25 of them were educated at UK independent schools (1 won two medals) – 37% 
• 114 competitors won medals for Team GB (12 won two medals) and 44 of them were educated at UK independent schools (2 won two medals) – 39% 

Congratulations to the following former pupils of Independent Schools who have won medals for Team GB at the London Games:

• Cycling
• Sir Chris Hoy (George Watson's) Team Sprint
• Sir Chris Hoy (George Watson's) Keirin
• Equestrian
• Laura Bechtolsheimer (Stonar and St Mary's Calne) Team Dressage
• Karl Hester (Elizabeth College, Guernsey) Team Dressage
• Rowing
• Helen Glover (Millfield School) Coxless Pair
• Heather Stanning (Gordonstoun School) Coxless Pair
• Tom James (King's, Chester) Coxless Four
• Andrew Triggs Hodge (Belmont Grosvenor) Coxless Four
• Katherine Copeland (The Yarm School) Lightweight Double Sculls
• Sophie Hoskin (Kingston Grammar) Lightweight Double Sculls
• Sailing
• Ben Ainslie (Truro) Finn
• Shooting
• Peter Wilson (Millfield School) Double Trap
• Triathlon
• Alistair Brownlee (Bradford Grammar) 

Silver Medals:

• Canoeing
• David Florence (Stewart's Melville College) Canoe - Double
• Equestrian
• Mary King (Manor House School, Honiton) Eventing - Team
• Zara Phillips (Gordonstoun School) Eventing - Team
• Tina Cook (Bedgebury School) Eventing - Team
• William Fox-Pitt (Eton) Eventing - Team
• Nicola Wilson (Teeside High School) Eventing - Team
• Rowing
• Chris Bartley (King's Chester) Lightweight Four
• Richard Chambers (Coleraine Academical Institution) Lightweight Four
• Peter Chambers (Coleraine Academical Institution) Lightweight Four
• Zac Purchase (King's Worcester) Lightweight Double Sculls
• Sailing
• Iain Percy (King Edward VI, Southampton) Star
• Andrew Simpson (Pangbourne) Star
• Hannah Mills (Howell's) 470
• Tennis
• Laura Robson (St Catherine's, Twickenham)

Bronze Medals:

• Diving
• Tom Daley (Plymouth College) Diving 10m
• Equestrian
• Nick Skelton (Bablake) Team Show-jumping
• Gymnastics
• Beth Tweddle (Queen's, Chester) Uneven Bars
• Hockey
• Alex Danson (Farnborough Hill) 
• Laura Bartlett (Glasgow Academy) 
• Crista Cullen (Oakham) 
• Ashleigh Ball (St Edward's, Cheltenham) 
• Anne Panter (Wellingborough) 
• Georgie Twigg (Repton) 
• Nicola White (Hulme Grammar, Oldham) 
• Sally Walton (Bromsgrove) 
• Rowing
• Alex Partridge (Monkton Combe) Men's Eight
• Phelan Hill (Bedford School) Men's Eight
• Tom Ransley (King's Canterbury) Men's Eight
• Greg Searle (Hampton School) Men's Eight
• Constatine Louloudis (Eton) Men's Eight
• George Nash (Winchester) Men's Pair
• Will Satch (Shiplake) Men's Pair
• Alan Campbell (Coleraine Academical Institution) Single Skulls
• Triathlon
• Alistair Brownlee (Bradford Grammar) Triathlon 

Congratulations also to Ruta Meilutyte (Plymouth College) who won gold in the 100 metres breaststroke for Lithuania. 

I am indebted to Malcolm Tozer of Physical Education and Sport in Independent Schools who is providing these data to ISC.)

Let's celebrate Independent School Olympic success

One of the remarkable aspects of the Independent sector is its ability to produce world class sportsmen and sportswomen. A disproportionate number of those who have won Olympic medals in the past few Olympics were educated in Independent Schools and London 2012 is going to be no exception. If UK Independent Schools were a country it would be 12th in the Medal table.

Congratulations to the following former pupils of Independent Schools who have won medals for Team GB at the London Games:

Gold Medals:

• Helen Glover (Millfield School) Rowing - Coxless Pair
• Heather Stanning (Gordonstoun School) Rowing - Coxless Pair
• Peter Wilson (Millfield School) Shooting - Double Trap
• Sir Chris Hoy (George Watson's) Cycling - Team Sprint
• Tom James (King's, Chester) Rowing - Coxless Four
• Andrew Triggs Hodge (Belmont Grosvenor) Rowing - Coxless Four
• Ben Ainslie (Truro) Sailing -Finn
• Katherine Copeland (The Yarm School) Rowing - Lightweight Double Skulls
• Sophie Hoskin (Kingston Grammar) Rowing - Lightweight Double Skulls
• Alistair Brownlee (Bradford Grammar) Triathlon
• Laura Bechtolsheimer (Stonar and St Mary's Calne) Equestrian - Team Dressage
• Karl Hester (Elizabeth College, Guernsey) Equestrian - Team Dressage
• Sir Chris Hoy (George Watson's) Cycling - Keirin

Silver Medals:

• Mary King (Manor House School, Honiton) Equestrian Eventing - Team
• Zara Phillips (Gordonstoun School) Equestrian Eventing - Team
• Tina Cook (Bedgebury School) Equestrian Eventing - Team
• William Fox-Pitt (Eton) Equestrian Eventing - Team
• Nicola Wilson (Teeside High School) Equestrian Eventing - Team
• Chris Bartley (King's Chester) Rowing - Lightweight Four
• Richard Chambers (Coleraine Academical Institution) Rowing - Lightweight Four
• Peter Chambers (Coleraine Academical Institution) Rowing - Lightweight Four
• David Florence (Stewart's Melville College) Canoe - Double
• Zac Purchase (King's Worcester) Rowing - Lightweight Double Skulls
• Laura Robson (St Catherine's, Twickenham)
• Iain Percy (King Edward VI, Southampton) Sailing - Star
• Andrew Simpson (Pangbourne) Sailing - Star
• Hannah Mills (Howell's) Sailing - 470

Bronze Medals:

• Alex Partridge (Monkton Combe) Rowing - Men's Eight
• Phelan Hill (Bedford School) Rowing - Men's Eight
• Tom Ransley (King's Canterbury) Rowing - Men's Eight
• Greg Searle (Hampton School) Rowing - Men's Eight
• Constatine Louloudis (Eton) Rowing - Men's Eight
• George Nash (Winchester) Rowing - Men's Pair
• Will Satch (Shiplake) Rowing - Men's Pair
• Alan Campbell (Coleraine Academical Institution) Rowing - Single Skulls
• Nick Skelton (Bablake) Equstrian - Team Show-jumping
• Beth Tweddle (Queen's, Chester) Gymnastics - Uneven Bars
• Alistair Brownlee (Bradford Grammar) Triathlon
• Alex Danson (Farnborough Hill) Hockey
• Laura Bartlett (Glasgow Academy) Hockey
• Crista Cullen (Oakham) Hockey
• Ashleigh Ball (St Edward's, Cheltenham) Hockey
• Anne Panter (Wellingborough) Hockey
• Georgie Twigg (Repton) Hockey
• Nicola White (Hulme Grammar, Oldham) Hockey
• Tom Daley (Plymouth College) Diving 10m

Congratulations also to Ruta Meilutyte (Plymouth College) who won gold in the 100 metres breaststroke earlier this week for Lithuania.

(I am endebted to Malcolm Tozer of Physical Education and Sport in Independent Schools who is providing these data to ISC.)

According to last week's Daily Telegraph (Team GB chief: dominance of public schools is unacceptable") Lord Moynihan, Chairman of the British Olympic Association, has condemned the dominance of public school-educated athletes in Team GB as “wholly unacceptable” and called for an overhaul of the education system to increase the number of state-school pupils winning medals.

"Around 50% of the medals won by Team GB in Beijing in 2008 were secured by athletes educated in the independent sector, who make up just seven percent of the population."

It is one of the worst statistics in British sport, and wholly unacceptable that over 50% of our medallists in Beijing came from independent schools, which means that half of our medals came from just seven percent of the children in the UK.

There is so much talent out there in the 93% which should be identified and developed and given equal opportunity through a sports policy that reaches out to able-bodied and disable children whatever their background."

(Lord Moynihan was educated at Monmouth School, and at University College, Oxford, where he won Blues for both Rowing and Boxing.)

This is a typical British negative reaction to success. Why not celebrate that we have outstanding independent schools in this country, who not only produce some of the best academic results in the world (according to the PISA survey) but also produce some world class sportsmen and women? I support fully the call for better sporting opportunities in the Maintained Sector, but let's not knock those areas where we are doing well.

The greater threat to the standard of British sporting success is that the Governing bodies of some sports - Rugby, Hockey and Cricket to name but three - are continually putting obstacles in the way of top independent school pupils combining School and Representative sport. Independent School pupils are discouraged from playing school sport and even to leave top sporting schools to participate in the centralised Academy structures. Bearing in mind that over half of the World Cup winning Rugby and Ashes winning Cricket sides were independent school educated, this approach is very short-sighted indeed.

Rowing is far more enlightened. It acknowledges the excellence in coaching at Eton, Radley, Hampton et al., but also have an outreach programme to pupils who do not have the advantage of going to a school that happens to own an Olympic rowing lake.

The Foundation for British Tennis

Yesterday I was lucky enough to visit the National Tennis Centre at Roehampton, which has been the home of the LTA since February 2007. It may not have the splendour of Queens Club, but Roehampton combines excellent office space for the administrators and state-of-the-art tennis facilities for the players. With 6 acrylic indoor courts, 6 acrylic outdoor courts, 4 grass courts and 6 clay courts - two of which are covered - this is where Britain's elite can eat, sleep and, of course, train. They have access to strength and conditioning training and to top coaching: it was great to watch Greg Rusedski coaching one of GB's best under 16s. [Isn't it encouraging that someone who probably doesn't have to work is giving British tennis 100 days a year coaching!]

But Roehampton is not just about elite sport. There is vision here for developing the future of British tennis, for Roehampton is also the home of the Tennis Foundation. Paul Reagan, Head of Education at the Tennis Foundation, has set out to make tennis much more accessible in schools. In the past year, the TF trained 8,000 Primary School teachers and invested some £3.8M in equipment. His plan is simple and realistic. Recognising that not everyone has the facilities of Roehampton, the TF have designed teaching materials and courses that can be delivered to classes of 30 in a typical Primary School hall. They have produced an outstanding DVD that makes teaching tennis straight forward for the teacher. The TF are providing these DVDs free; but knowing how easy it is for a good teaching resource just to sit on a shelf in a classroom, they are giving them only to those who attend a three hour training course. This ensures that a teacher is familiar with the material and confident in using the DVD before they face the class of 30. There is a challenge here for all Heads and Heads of Department - how often do we purchase resources without putting the necessary training in place to use them effectively?!

Making tennis accessible to teachers, and thus available to young children, are important steps in developing a broad playing base that will ensure the future of the sport and of national success. Well done the Tennis Foundation! Keep up the good work.

Details of the courses and other resources are available from www.schoolstennis.org

Education is a Risky Business

The case of Timothy Sutton, the eight year old who was killed by a falling tree while walking with his family in Dunham Massey Park, was tragic. The subsequent legal battle over liability typifies the societal shift that is undermining so many important components of a good education.

I welcome the decision by the Health and Safety Executive [HSE] not to prosecute the National Trust, but find their reasoning for doing so more worrying:

"This was a complex case, and our conclusion that there was no realistic prospect of conviction for any breaches of health and safety law reflects the opinions sought from expert witnesses and legal advisors."

Manchester Evening News; 17th February 2009

We have moved to a blame culture. Accidents don't happen anymore. It is always somebody's fault. Someone can always be sued. The scope for "acts of God" is diminishing by the year. Sadly, the HSE's decision not to prosecute reflects a pragmatic view based on the likelihood of a conviction, rather than a shift in belief about the existence of accidents.

Safest Children in the World?
The UNICEF Innocenti Research Group [Innocenti Report Card #2] concluded in 2001 - based on data from 1991-95 - that the UK's children are the second safest in the OECD [after Sweden]. The UK had a child injury death rate of 6.1 deaths/100,000 population [down from 14.3 in 1971-75, when the UK was the fourth safest country in the OECD]. It is not unreasonable to speculate that by 2011-15 that the rate will have fallen still further.

I am concerned that our children are not learning to handle risk, because danger is taken from them at every opportunity. They don't get so much practice crossing the road, because they are driven to school. They don't go for bike rides, for fear of accident or abduction. Once they cross the threshold of any institution, they are not allowed to climb trees, to throw snowballs, to play conkers and so on, lest the lawyers have a field day. They live controlled lives - no wonder there has been an explosion in "extreme sports". No one wants to see a child die - but I would like to see them live too.

This is madness. The time has come for the Nation to say that enough is enough. I believe that the price of being the safest country in the world is too high. We have gone too far.

Home
Earlier this week my eleven year old son spent a very happy morning, whittling a tree branch into a spear with his Swiss Army knife before proceeding to build a camp fire on the patio, on which he cooked [cremated?] some bacon for what he considered one of the best bacon sarnies he had ever eaten. There was no direct adult supervision, no risk assessment and no accident. My son had a lot of fun and he learned a lot. I suspect that the same would have applied even if he had cut or burned himself. It was not without risk. In fact, the risks were probably so great that few schools would allow the activity to take place – or, if they were to do so, that the “control measures” would have been such to have sanitised all the fun and educational value from the exercise.

A “Risk-free” Education
I do not believe in a “risk-free” education. Of course schools have a duty of care, but we must acknowledge that we do have to take risks if we are to allow young people to grow and develop. We have moved from a culture of minimising and managing risk to one of eliminating it. Sadly, the consequence of this in many cases is not to do certain activities. I find it depressing that Chemistry teachers report that certain experiments are no longer allowed in schools, or that pupils have to watch demonstrations rather than doing the experiment themselves. How dangerous were the experiments of my youth? How many serious accidents were there then?

School Trips
There is evidence from the Maintained Sector [See Select Committee on Education and Skills Second Report] that staff are less willing to take school trips and run activities for fear of litigation. The NASUWT, the second largest teaching union, advises its members:

Because of the great personal and professional risks involved, members should consider carefully whether or not to participate in non-contractual educational visits and journeys. If members ignore this advice then every effort should be made to minimise the risk.

Trips and Journey section of NASUWT Website

At present the NASUWT are alone. The [usually more militant] National Union of Teachers [NUT] take a reassuringly more positive approach:

The Union believes that school visits can be of substantial benefit to pupils in the development of their characters and social skills. For many they offer opportunities to broaden their horizons and enrichen their experience, which would otherwise be unavailable in their lives. School journeys and visits are generally considered to be of educational value in developing the potential and qualities of children and young people. Recent tragic incidents, however, have shown that proper and full concern for health and safety must be an imperative at every stage.

NUT Health & Safety Briefing: School Visits; Amended 5/3/08

School Sport
If the accident records in the schools in which I have worked are anything to go by, the most dangerous activity in most schools by a considerable margin is playing rugby. By its very nature, a full contact game is going to cause accidents. Change is coming here too. The RFU, as guardians of the game, are concerned that they will be liable in the event of an accident. The RFU presently “recommends” that all rugby coaches and referees are properly qualified or supervised by those who are.

Clubs and Schools are strongly advised that qualified coaches supervise all persons who do not hold current coaching qualifications appropriate to the age grades they are coaching.

RFU Rules and Regulations: 16 Coaching Education

It is likely that this will become a requirement in the near future; and the ESRFU is advising schools to get staff on a course at the earliest opportunity. I would be amongst the first to argue that young people deserve good coaches and good referees. And, yes, these do go some way to making the game safer. However, I would not equate good coaching with paper qualifications – just because a member of staff is “badged up” it does not make him a good coach and it does not necessarily mean that his game will be safe. Above all, I am concerned that teachers in schools and volunteers in Clubs will decide not to become coaches for fear of litigation.

Risk Assessment
The whole question of Risk Assessments are at the heart of this debate. I believe that the purpose of Risk Assessments is to demonstrate that a teacher or school has considered the risks and has put reasonable measures in place to ensure that a particular activity is likely to be safe. At the end of the day it is not a guarantee that an accident will not happen. They should not be used either as a mechanism to pass the buck or as an excuse not to do a particular activity.

The role of Headteachers and Governors
I believe that School Governors and Headteachers have an important part to play here, for it is they who are ultimately responsible for Health and Safety matters. The easy course of action is for a Governing Body or Head to give an overly cautious lead – it might be safe option but I am not sure that it would be right educationally. If teachers are going to continue providing young people with the enriching and stretching education opportunities, then they must feel and be supported by Governors and the School SMT. There needs to be trust between teachers, SMTs and Governors.

Heads and SMTs need to make it easy for staff to be able to take trips and run those activities that entail a higher level of risk. In-house expertise - be that in the form of full-time Health and Safety Officers or a designated member of the SMT- has an important part to play in enabling us to retain these higher risk activities on the school curriculum. Teachers need advice and support lest the NASUWT approach permeate to our sector.

Education is a risky business – long may it remain so!

Competitive Sport and Self-esteem

I must confess that I was rather surprised to read the headline Competitive sport 'humiliates pupils' claims leading headmaster. As is so often the case, the substance of the article was much more balanced that the eye-catching headline would suggest. Keith Budge, Headmaster of Bedales and himself a former Oxford Rugby blue, argues for a broader vision for School Sport:

"For some, careering around the rugby pitch is absolutely fine, but there will be a lot of people who find it totally miserable and humiliating," he said.

"I think that for some highly competitive individuals, team sport is going to be very important. Where I take issue with it, is that in order to produce 15 people, say, who go out onto the rugby field to represent the school and uphold the school's pride, it means you have to have another 400 who are going out and trudging around the field like an article of faith. I don't see that as a very enlightened way to do things.

"I question how much it is in the interests of the individual student sometimes to have this heavily competitive approach to sport. Apart from anything else, what often seems to get squeezed out are the sports people are more likely to pursue in later life as part of a healthy lifestyle. You are unwise to play rugby for any great length of time, but playing badminton, swimming, using the multi-gym and playing tennis a more sensible investment."

I will nail my colours to the mast from the outset. I believe in competition. I believe that it is a good thing. Competition gives focus and impetus to striving to do one's best and thus is a driver for improvement and progress. Competition helps young people find out where their true talents lie. Competition prepares young people for what is an increasingly competitive world. Competition teaches young people about success and failure - how else will young people "meet with Triumph and Disaster" and learn to "treat those two impostors just the same"? I believe that it is an important component in a young person's education. Educationally it matters not whether that competition is a National sporting final or participating in the Choir in the Inter-house Music competition, but clearly competitive school sport has an important role to play here.

Schools make compulsory what they regard as important. If Sport is to justify a compulsory place in the curriculum, it needs to be educational. Clearly the image of the 400 being cannon-fodder for the 15 falls outside this definition. Competitive sport needs to be just that - competitive - there can be no place for mismatches for this is when sport can deteriorate into a "miserable or humiliating" experience. Directors of Sport bear the responsibility to ensure that this does not happen.

Most independent schools have embraced the broader vision for school sport for which Keith Budge is arguing, at least in the upper part of the school. It is increasingly rare for the major games to be compulsory in the sixth form and a range of sporting and fitness-related activities are available at this level. Independent schools already have an established reputation for their contribution to elite sport, but we are also are well placed to take a lead in the wider health and fitness agenda.

I believe that every child should have some experience of competitive sport, be that in a house match or representing the school in the Under 12 D team. There is something magical about a well-contested school derby or the intensity of a house match. These are occasions that build and shape a sense of community and of belonging. Sport builds character and it fosters friendships.

Ultimately, competitive sport is just one component of a good education. We must not forget that the most valuable thing that young people can get from their time at school is self-esteem. If a leaver can look at him or herself in the mirror and be happy with the person looking back, then a school has succeeded in one of its most important tasks. This is done by encouraging a young person to find at least one activity in which he can excel - something on which he hang his hat. It does not matter whether that be Rugby or Lacrosse, playing the violin, completing expeditions, doing the lighting for school plays, visiting a home for the elderly each week, or whatever. It is vital that schools provide positive experiences for young people throughout their formative years. I believe that competitive school sport continues to do this and has been the "backbone of Independent Schools" for good reason.