Sport

All Sixth Form students have a timetabled afternoon of sports lessons at Coombe Dingle, a facility that offers professional pitches and tracks. Termly sports are assigned as follows:

• Autumn Term - Rugby and Hockey
• Spring Term - Football and Netball
• Summer Term - Cricket

Each sport acquires tactical skills through teamwork, effective communication and practice.

Students are also able to utilise Games lessons or dedicated study periods to train in another sport, such as Tennis, Swimming or Golf and can access the on-site Gymnasium, Strength and Conditioning Suite, Cardio Suite, Climbing Wall and Outdoor Multi-use Games Area, to exercise or train.

Year 12 students are expected to train within Games lessons for our annual Sports Day held within the Summer Term as they compete against each other, with the aspiration and aim of breaking School records. Sports Day is a highlight for all members of our community and is one that many Year 13 students, who have completed their A level examinations, choose to return and offer their help and support to younger students and House teams. 

Aligned with the Clifton High School Sports Programme, students compete in fixtures against neighbouring schools. This instils a sense of healthy competition, whilst developing friendships and bonds with opponing teams whom they may encounter outside of School. Sixth Form students' dedication and leadership skills are recognised as they are selected for the School's First and Second teams.

Select Sixth Form swimmers partake in our After-School Elite Training Programme and Swimming Programmes Elite Adaptations. As they begin to train for competitive success, they have access to dry land and pool-time slots as part of their individual curriculum timetable.

Students are also able to access additional sessions with our partner, Bristol Henleaze Swimming Club or, for those who enjoy the sport but do not intend to be competitive, the opportunity remains for them to swim at School.

Clifton High School Sports Scholars are ambassadors of the School, representing us competitively whenever and whereever they are able.  In return, we provide unique opportunities to further develop skills and strengths in their individual fields through trips to specialist sports facilities, visiting speakers, workshops and training sessions. 

Our offering of the Athlete Development Programme is aimed at county or national level students whereby they attend weekly sessions tailored to physical and mental development, in line with their individual needs as an athlete. The programme covers power, strength and conditioning, pilates and aerobic conditioning, as well as promoting a deeper knowledge and understanding of nutrition and sports psychology. All sessions are delivered by practicing experts in their fields.

As a School, we are proud advocates of diversity within the sporting disciplines of our student body. We actively work towards supporting them in offering a well-rounded education that achieves success on many levels. 

In partnership with the University of Bristol, we share Coombe Dingle Sports Complex, an off-site sporting facility. The professional standard pitches, courts, and tracks include 3G Artificial pitches (sand dressed and floodlit), Grass pitches (football and rugby), Cricket squares and nets (including grass), indoor and outdoor floodlit Tennis courts, Lacrosse pitch, and Netball courts.

This comprehensive partnership provides pupils with pathways to elite tennis coaching consisting of ten tennis clubs a week, three county development squads and co-curricular tennis delivered by specialist coaches.

Hockey coaching is also available through this partnership, allowing our players to access University coaches and offering pathways into the University's adult sports clubs.

Bristol Sport is a dynamic, reputable beacon of sporting success and professionalism uniting multiple sports under one umbrella. Clifton High School's partnership with Bristol Sport provides opportunities to our sporting stars of the future. 

The Elite Swimmer Scholarship is a pioneer scheme in Bristol, awarded to young athletes, affording them the opportunity to receive elite, national-level coaching with first-class schooling. Since the programme began two years ago, recipients of this scholarship have achieved national and international accolades.

Other connections associated with Bristol Sport include an affiliation with Bristol Bears rugby team with a number of Clifton High School boys, aged 14-18 years old, training and playing as part of the Bears academy teams. Bristol Flyers basketball coaches, took our Under 13's team to success as they were crowned Junior NBA South West Champions. 

Clifton High School also has a unique partnership with Bristol Henleaze Performance Swimming Club, allowing Year 4 and beyond pupils access to the Club's outstanding coaches on a daily basis. As a result of this offering, Clifton High School is developing a reputation as one of the leading swimming schools in the region.

Under the close instruction of Bristol Henleaze coaches, pupils have the option to learn at participation level via the School's co-curricular club provision, or, as is often the case with our Sixth Form community, by invitation to our elite squad who train every evening.