More House School

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

You might find it surprising that a school based in the heart of central London should value sport so highly. At More House the girls have a wide range of sporting opportunities both during the school day and as part of their extra-curricular life. They learn the physical skills associated with their particular sports and also the more important lesson about healthy living, the power to be found in teams, fair play and how to be gracious in victory and dignified if defeated.

More House caters for all levels of ability in as many sports as possible. We will encourage your daughter to take part in and enjoy physical education. As well as being offered as an academic subject at GCSE and AS/A2 levels, Physical Education forms a part of the Core curriculum for all girls throughout the School. Competitions are organised at School and House level in all age groups so that team spirit and individual self-esteem are development. As is so often the case with schools in London. More House does not have extensive playing fields. Instead it has easy access to outstanding public facilities at local sports centres. This allows More House girls to experience not only the traditional team sports, such as hockey, netball and rounders, but also individual sports such as badminton, gymnastics, squash, swimming, fencing, martial arts, tennis and personal aerobic fitness. Our School has its own Dance Studio on site and this is used not only for curricular dance and exercise sessions but also extra-curricular ones, such as the multi-disciplinary 'showstoppers'. Representing the School, or one's House, is an important part of More House's ethos. We have a very full fixture card and a growing reputation. One of the great advantages of a small school is that it is easy to encourage every pupil to participate and, in so doing, discover strengths and talents which perhaps they did not know they had. Our pupils understand that the strength of a good team is greater than the sum of its individual parts and that a willingness to 'have a go' is a great virtue.

Within the Timetable

All girls at More House School participate in a wide and varied Physical Education Programme, which not only encourages physical development but also, we hope, enhances personal and social skills.

In Years 7 and 8, all pupils have one triple lesson of Games per week. The whole year group is involved in the triple games lessons. This gives your daughters a chance to interact with the other form in the year. The girls also have one single lesson of Physical Education (PE) lesson a week which is just with their forms. The girls participate in the following sports

Games Activities

- Netball
- Hockey
- Football
- Basketball
- Athletics
- Tennis

PE Activities

- Gymnastics
- Dance
- Rounders
- Stoolball
- Fitness

In Year 9 pupils have one triple lesson a week which involves the whole year group. Weather permitting, the activities that they participate in take place off site. The girls continue with a similar programme from previous years allowing them to continue their progress in a wide range of sports.

In Years 10 and 11 they have core games for one double a week. There is also the opportunity for the girls to take Physical Education as a GCSE, studying the theoretical as well as the practical aspects of the subject.

By the time your daughter reaches the VIth Form the PE programme is still going strong. We try to offer some new activities (fitness and squash) for the VIth Form girls as well as still keeping the more traditional games such as netball and hockey.

We have just introduced A Level Physical Education into the 6th Form which involves both theory and practical lessons.

Outside of the Timetable

Sports Day

The More House School Sports Day happens at the start of term in September; all girls from Year 7 to the VIth Form participate. It is the first major inter-house competition of the year and takes place at the Millennium Arena in Battersea Park.

Sport Clubs & Activities

There are regular sports clubs. Dance and Fencing run throughout the year and are taught by visiting staff; in dance, the girls can take external examinations, and they give an annual performance at the school. Other sporting activities are held twice a week and the sports change throughout the year. These are:

- Hockey
- Netball
- Tennis
- Rounders
- Athletics
- Fencing

Sport Fixtures

There are regular sporting fixtures in Netball, Hockey, Swimming, Rounders and Tennis against local schools. Any one is welcome to try out for the school sport teams. Places in teams are given to those who are regular attenders at sports clubs!

Sporting Outings

Stella Artois Tennis Tournament

A variety of pupils are selected to go to the Stella Artois tournament in the summer. The selection process is done on the basis on how keenly girls have performed in sport during the year.

Ski Trip

There is also an annual ski trip at More House which is run by the physical education department. This trip normally heads away in the first week of the Easter holidays. In the past couple of years More House girls have been to Val Thorens in France and Maria Alm in Austria. All years and abilities are welcome on this trip. This year we are heading to Crans Montana in Switzerland.