Tell us about sport at Bromley High School.

We provide teams for all girls to participate in sport at every level. We try to provide as many teams as possible with competitive matches and supportive training so that all girls achieve their full potential and discover the joy of sport.

We offer a range of activities for pupils to take part in as part of their extra-curricular clubs including netball, hockey, swimming, gymnastics, dance, cricket, football, badminton, table tennis amongst others. We do not just run A-teams, but also B, C and D teams, ensuring everyone that is committed to training is given the chance to represent the school.

What do the girls learn from sports?

The single best identifier of future success is ‘grit’ and determination. We don’t set pupils tasks in lessons and training that are easily within their reach; we want the girls to learn to persevere when faced with a challenge.

Do you feel there is a connection to sport and success in the classroom?

There is a profound link between mind and body. Working the body hard can help to focus the mind. I certainly think that the post-workout endorphin glow contributes to increased levels of productive concentration.

How would you sum up the facilities at Bromley High School?

We are lucky to have a 25-acre site with a 25-metre pool, sports hall, gym, floodlit astro and courts and a new fitness suite opened this year.

On the field, how successful are the girls?

Highly successful – our Junior School teams enjoy the advantage of benefitting from facilities and breadth of specialist coaching that could not be provided in a standalone Junior School. At senior level, we are a breeding ground for county and national level sportswomen – for example, we are currently U16 County Hockey champions both indoors and out. 

So is it all about winning?

Of course it’s nice to win, but the experience of school sports participation is an enriching one; not defined by a score at the end of a fixture. Our girls love to compete and give their all to win for Bromley High, but we cannot win all of the time. Indeed, we seek out schools who can give us challenging opposition. Where would pupils’ motivation to train and practice be if they always won? I feel our teams learn more from their losses than they do from easy wins.

How would you like to continue developing sport at Bromley High School?

There is a very delicate balance between providing sports provision for all and pushing your elite players to excel. We are trialling a new fixtures and training system next year, with some significant structural changes to the way we train our teams by ensuring that all receive equal training time and equal amount of time to represent the school in matches. Whether you are representing Bromley in the A-team or D-team, we are proud of all of those who commit to train and play and represent our school.

Victoria Lodge is Director of Sport at Bromley High School W: www.bromleyhigh.gdst.net