We understand that sport bridges gaps, crosses cultures and adds other dimensions to school life. We firmly believe in what we teach the children, readying them for a diverse yet challenging sporting environment where each person can find their niche and learn to love and enjoy sport whilst maintaining a healthy lifestyle. This will ultimately prepare them for when they reach their respective senior schools as well as for the rest of their lives.
Our aims and objectives
To give every child the best sporting opportunity, whilst endeavouring to help each individual fulfil their true potential. We do this by providing great facilities and a wide range of sporting disciplines. We believe in achieving this through a dedicated, professional and caring team of Games staff. The Games Department is currently divided into two sections, Boys Games and Girls Games. They both fall under the same umbrella and we liaise regularly.
Sporting Choices
We offer a wide variety of activities throughout each academic year. On offer for the boys is football, rugby, cricket, tennis, badminton, athletics, cross-country and hockey. Girls’ sports include rounders, hockey, netball, badminton, cross- country and athletics.
Specialists
We have formed partnerships with Kent Cricket Board, Dover Athletic District Football, Pace Football Foundation and Deal and Betteshanger Rugby Club. These organisations provide the school with technical support and specialist coaches.
Trials
As children begin to show a higher level of attainment in certain sports, we enrol them in district and county trials.
Scholarships
We annually advise, support and facilitate talented students in their quest to achieve Sports Scholarships to top Senior Schools.
Matches, age groups, Games sessions
We understand that not everyone finds all sports easy to learn. We play against a range of local prep and primary schools. Every term boys and girls are selected to represent the school in three main age groups U9, U11 and U13. We try to provide as many teams and fixtures as possible and in some cases even go on tour. Every child at Northbourne Park attends between three and five training sessions a week, with fixtures in-between. The pupils read out their match reports after each match to encourage their public speaking and team spirit.
Facilities
The school boasts a MUGA (multi use games area), a sports hall with modern changing room facilities, as well as picturesque sports fields comprising of a colts pitch, a senior pitch and two U9 pitches. We also have an enviable cross-country course, another mini field and three tennis courts.
P.E. lessons
We run these every week, with all children attending a double lesson from Year 3 through to Year 7 and 8 combined with the two French Classes.
The PE Curriculum
This includes volleyball, gymnastics, co-ordination and skills sessions, Health Related Fitness, X–Country, Dance, Badminton, Athletics, Basketball and short Tennis.
We have very keenly contested Inter House competitions every term. These competitions run in rugby, football, hockey, netball, rounders, cross-country, athletics, the eagerly anticipated Burton Race and Sports Olympiad.
Clubs
There is a fantastic range of sporting clubs to choose from, some fee paying, others not. Fencing, Girls football, golf, running, cycling, as well as extra cricket coaching in our indoor cricket nets are all on offer.