Sports for Success

by Ryan Gregory, Head of Sport

Sport plays a significant role in fostering a sense of community within Kew House School. Celebrating wins, supporting teams and individuals, and publicly recognising achievements, helps to boost morale but also promotes a positive school culture around sport. It teaches students the values of teamwork, dedication, and perseverance, which are essential life skills.

National and international elite sports provide powerful role models for young people. They inspire enthusiasm for playing and learning new sports by showcasing the pinnacle of athletic achievement. Witnessing the dedication and skill of elite athletes can motivate young individuals to strive for excellence in their own sporting endeavors, fostering a passion for physical activity and healthy competition, which we hope to promote and encourage at Kew House.

It is crucial to teach children that failure is a natural part of sport and life. By creating a supportive environment, emphasising the importance of effort over outcome, and providing constructive feedback, we aim to guide the young people of Kew House to cope with setbacks and develop resilience. Encouraging them to reflect on their experiences, set realistic goals, and focus on continuous improvement helps them bounce back stronger after facing failure. This fits with one of the mantras of Kew House, “What can I do differently next time?”.  Both success and failure in sports can provide valuable lessons that transcend the sporting arena and apply to the classroom and beyond. The skills learnt through sport are essential attributes for academic success. By fostering a growth mindset and creating a supportive learning environment, teachers and coaches can help students overcome the fear of failure and embrace challenges as opportunities for growth. This is a key focus of sport at Kew House.

Recognising that not every child is naturally gifted in sports, it is essential to promote inclusive participation and help children discover sports and activities they enjoy and may excel in. It is for this reason that the school maintains a compulsory curriculum time for girls and boys to be playing together in Core PE lessons.  Whilst national sporting federations insist on gender separation in the early teen years, it is even more important that the pupils learn to appreciate playing sport together throughout Years 7 to 11.  Providing a variety of sports options, emphasising skill development over competition, and offering support and encouragement to less able or willing students can enhance their enjoyment and engagement in physical activity. Emphasising the value of participation and personal improvement rather than just winning fosters a positive attitude towards sport among our students. We pride ourselves on offering pupils of all abilities an opportunity to participate in competitive, interschool fixtures throughout the school year, against suitable, well-matched opposition to highlight the benefits to be gained from participating in a competitive environment.

For young people on an elite sports pathway, or with ambitions to do so, it is important to provide comprehensive support to help them navigate the challenges they may encounter. We aim to support these pupils within our Top Performing Athlete Program (TPAP) which aims to offer guidance on goal setting, time management, and coping with setbacks such as injury or de-selection, along with their physical development and an ability to approach their training from an informed standpoint. Emphasising the importance of holistic development, including education, mental well-being, and life skills, ensures that our young athletes are equipped to pursue their sporting dreams while also preparing for alternative pathways and their future beyond sports.  The results for individuals range from international wake-boarding champions to girls and boys in many football academies across west London.

Sport at Kew House not only contributes to the vibrant life of the school community but also plays a pivotal role in shaping our young people’s attitudes, skills, and values. By fostering inclusivity, resilience, and a passion for physical activity, Kew House aims to help our young people to harness the power of sport to promote their personal development and empower them to thrive both on and off the field.