Sport is not only a social and positive part of life at Clifton High School; it serves as a dynamic force that brings joy and a sense of belonging to every member of our community.
Mr Shane Cloete - Director of Sport
With its myriad of physical and mental health benefits, participating in sport enhances overall well-being and instils a sense of accomplishment in our children. Most importantly, we pride ourselves on promoting inclusivity, ensuring that sports are accessible and enjoyable for all, regardless of abilities, experience, or interests.
For our Junior School children, engaging in sport contributes to forging friendships, their holistic development and building confidence. They partake in three timetabled sports lessons a week: Physical Education, Games and Swimming. Their Games lesson takes place at our off-site sporting facility, Coombe Dingle, a multi-sports complex that the School shares in partnership with the University of Bristol.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION & GAMES
Physical Education (PE) lessons are weekly, formal, curriculum-based lessons with specialised PE teachers that build upon fundamental movement skills and look at physical literacy. These lessons lead to GCSE and A level options in the Senior School and Sixth Form.
With an on-site Gymnasium, Outdoor Multi-use Games Area, Climbing Wall, School Lawn, theatre/studio space and many other outdoor spaces, there are multiple environments where our Junior children have their PE lessons. They are taught by our talented sports teachers and coaches, and develop essential physical skills and try a variety of sports. These include, but are not limited to, Athletics, Gymnastics, Trampolining, Cricket, Tennis, Pilates, Taekwondo and Fencing.
Children also train for our annual Sports Day in the Summer Term during PE lessons. Sports Day is a highlight for the children, parents and staff alike.
GAMES & SPORTS FIXTURES
Games lessons are timetabled as double lessons to provide pupils with experiences of the termly team sports played at Clifton High School. Lessons are split into development and performance groups to support those pupils who wish to progress into a competitive School sport pathway. Children travel off-site to Coombe Dingle to take advantage of their professional pitches and tracks. Sports follow a termly rotation:
- Autumn Term - Rugby and Hockey
- Spring Term - Football and Netball
- Summer Term - Cricket
Pupils acquire tactical skills for these sports through teamwork, good communication and practice. They also begin to compete in fixtures against each other and local Schools, exposing them to healthy competition and building relationships and connections.
SWIMMING
Swimming lessons in the Junior School continue through our comprehensive Swimming Programme. Year 3-5 continue with the ‘Learn to Swim’ chapter, where they develop fundamental technical skills required for safety and enjoyment, encompassing all swim strokes in preparation for progression into Year 6 and the Senior School. The Programme ensures that all children will be learning 1 step ahead of the governmental guidelines, putting them at an advantage for the course of their swimming development.
At this stage, all children will start to learn a variety of race skills, as well as consolidating fundamentals and progressing the technical requirements of the sport, to stand them in good stead for lifelong participation or whet their competitive appetite.
In Year 6, the next stage of the programme is accessible to children: Progressive Talent ID. During these years, athletes can start to build on the fitness foundations required for competitive swimming, as well as those required for using swimming as a healthy lifestyle choice. Still very technically based, the programme will provide further opportunities at club and competitive level for those who have chosen swimming as a main sport and will develop selected athletes for the performance element of the pathway. The majority of provisions for chosen swimmers will be after-school clubs and partner club opportunities. Sessions are delivered within the School curriculum and after-school clubs, with optional access to additional sessions with our partner, Henleaze Performance Swimming Club.
You can find an overview of our Sports offering in our Infant & Junior School Co-Curricular publication below.
You can zoom in and view it more clearly by using the full‑screen option and the zoom in/out buttons beneath the publication.
PARTNERSHIPS
| University of Bristol |
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As well as sharing the nearby Coombe Dingle Sports Complex with the University of Bristol, Clifton High has also established a number of sporting partnerships with the University, which run throughout the School. A hockey partnership is in place, allowing our players access to university coaches and offering pathways into the University's adult sports clubs. |
| BRISTOL SPORT: ELITE SWIMMER SCHOLARSHIP, BRISTOL FLYERS, BRISTOL BEARS |
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Bristol Sport is a dynamic, reputable beacon of sporting success and professionalism, bringing together multiple sports under one unified umbrella. At Clifton High School, we work in partnership with Bristol Sport to provide opportunities to sporting stars of the future. The Elite Swimmer Scholarship is the first of its kind in Bristol, awarded to young athletes, giving them the opportunity to marry elite, national-level coaching and first-class schooling. Since the programme began two years ago, recipients of this Scholarship have gone on to achieve national and international accolades. Other connections extending to Bristol Sport include an affiliation with the Bristol Bears rugby team, who currently have several Clifton High School boys aged 14-18 training and playing as part of their academy teams. |
| henleaze performance swimming club |
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Clifton High School also has a unique partnership with Henleaze Performance Swimming Club that allows pupils access to the Club's outstanding coaches every day of the week. Swimming classes are aimed at pupils in Year 4 and above, and Clifton High School is quickly developing a reputation as one of the best swimming schools in the region. Under the instruction of Henleaze coaches, pupils can choose to learn at a participation level via the School's co-curricular club provision, and significantly as part of our elite squad, which trains every evening with Henleaze Performance Swimming Club coaches, by invitation. |
