All four of the Loughborough Schools Foundation schools have had a busy term full of sporting success, from personal achievements to team wins and competition victory. 

Netball 

Both Loughborough High School and Loughborough Amherst pupils have been tirelessly preparing for their full fixture Netball calendar by attending weekly training and skill sessions this term. They have taken part in a few competitions this term, including the county competitions for U19, U16 and U14 teams.  

The U16s were up first, with both High School and Amherst entering a team. Amherst finished fifth in their group and the the High School narrowly missed out on qualifying for the regionals by coming third overall. The U14s also had a great day and didn’t drop a single game. After winning the competition, they will now head to the regional finals in February. The last county competition to take place was the 1st VII, who, despite winning their first four games, unfortunately finished 5th.  

This term also saw the first rounds of the Team Leicestershire Cup take place where U12, U13 and U15s took part in a local tournament to progress on to the next round. All age groups entered both Amherst and High School teams. It was great for the girls to play together again, showing the skills they had learnt so far. The U15 tournament was won by Amherst and the U13 age group was won by the High School. After such a short time together, the U12s narrowly missed out on the next round by finishing second but showed great promise for the upcoming netball term! 

Rugby 

It’s been a jam-packed Autumn term in Rugby and it’s a credit to the boys for giving up their evenings and Saturday afternoons to represent their school; over 250 pupils have done so from early September right through to the end of term.  

A huge highlight for everyone was the annual fixture against Nottingham High School where over 450 boys from across the Loughborough Schools Foundation played at Quorn on a crisp October morning, even better in that they won all games!  

This term for the 1st XV is always tough; many fixtures have been against sides that have the size and quality to trouble any side at any level, yet each opponent was met with character and passion. Remaining unbeaten at home is certainly something they will remember from their playing days here at the School.  

The 2nd XV played well and showed great commitment. The Year 11 boys stepping up have been challenged both physically and psychologically, resulting in the team being more competitive, playing in some very close encounters.  

The U15s have undoubtedly been the most improved team this season. Under the astute coaching of Mr. Ferraby, they have stuck together, continued to work hard as a group and are now seeing the benefits.  

The U14a’s have had a very successful season to date, losing just once in the National Cup. The team’s Captain, Billy, led the boys well. Whilst Freddie and Hugh led the way with their try scoring, Finlay and Zac shared players of the match on a weekly basis.  

The 14b’s have been a tight-knit group and have played an entertaining brand of rugby. As the only unbeaten team in the school, they have been performing consistently. Tommy has captained the boys excellently, with Harry and Josh also leading the boys well.  

Both U13 teams have had tough seasons, however, they have stuck together, trained well and put in some very good performances. Their impressive attitude and work ethic will see them develop and progress well over the coming years.  

Over 50 Year 7 rugby players have represented the school this term, most of which had never picked up a rugby ball before! Some weeks they recorded some excellent wins, and others saw them face much stronger opposition, however, they have worked exceptionally hard and have an excellent future at the school.  

None of the above would have been possible without the help of so many staff members who give up their free time to make rugby at the Loughborough Schools Foundation so exciting and memorable. 

Basketball 

In Basketball, Loughborough Grammar School teams from Years 7, 9 and 11 were area cup runners-up in the North Charnwood competitions; Years 8 and 10 both finished in third place respectively. Invite-only skills sessions are now being ran for elite Grammar School players, to further develop their Basketball potential, as well as a Saturday morning session which is open to all Loughborough Schools Foundation students. 

Swimming 

Loughborough Amherst School have seen three of its talented swimmers selected for the Midlands team, who will swim in the nationals at the London Aquatics Centre! 

Football 

When it comes to football, Amherst pupils have performed well in the English Schools’ Football Association games. U13 girls reached the second round of the ESFA small school cup and U14 boys played to the first round of the ESFA cup. 

IAPS 

This term, Fairfield Prep School hosted both the IAPS football and hockey events and welcomed lots of competing schools onto the Loughborough Schools Foundation campus. All pupils involved showed excellent sporting talent, and we were proud to see them represent their school. 

Both a boys and girls team competed in the football event and played in a number of tournaments throughout the day. They performed consistently throughout and both teams made it to the final. Special congratulations go to the Fairfield Girls football team, who won the tournament overall! 

Pupil Achievements 

Over the term, we’ve also seen lots of fantastic individual successes from pupils across the Foundation.  

A Loughborough Grammar School pupil, Harry, recently won a gold medal in the Open Singles category at the SBA U13 Bronze Badminton England Tournament held in Oxford. Out of 47 entrants, he was among the top 20 selected to compete in his category, ultimately securing first place. 

Sixth Form student and cricket player, Prisha, who attends Loughborough High School, has also seen sporting success this term. “Being chosen for the England U19 squad is a huge honour, and I’m extremely excited about the opportunity to compete at this level. I look forward to the tournament and giving it my all in Malaysia. I’ve worked hard at my game towards becoming a professional cricketer and can’t wait to get going this winter.” – Prisha. 

At the very beginning of the term, Loughborough Amherst School welcomed pupil, Mika, back to School after she won the US Open Junior girl’s title. Part of the Loughborough University National Tennis Academy (LUNTA), Mika made history, becoming the first British tennis player to win this tournament in 15 years! 

Two Fairfield pupils, Hayden and Alana, have recently been featured on ITV news in relation to their achievements in golf! The siblings both regularly compete in tournaments and have seen great success – Hayden even played in a charity golf day against 68 adults and finished fourth at the age of 8!  

We’ve witnessed a fantastic term for sport and kicked the new academic year off to a flying start. We look forward to seeing what the New Year brings!