Pupils continue to develop on the sports pitches

U8s v Hereford Cathedral School

Our U8 girls had another excellent afternoon of netball against Hereford Cathedral School on Tuesday. Both teams had goalposts this week and the success that they had with their shooting was very impressive. Romi demonstrated some excellent driving into space, Millie made some lovely passes and Nell scored off nearly every shot she had. Well done to Nell for getting Player of the Match.

U9 (Sports Hall Team)  v Hereford Cathedral School

This was their first time playing 5-a-side netball with the set positions. The speed with which they quickly understood where they were allowed on court and their roles on court was very impressive. They played some nice netball and, as the afternoon progressed, their confidence grew. Mia has made excellent progress with her netball and her use of space and passing were extremely good during the afternoon. Well done to Isy G for her award of Player of the Match.

U9A and B v Hereford Cathedral School

The girls had a lovely afternoon playing their second 5-a-side Stingers match. They are really getting the hang of the rotating positions now. We played a quarter for the As, a quarter for the Bs and so on, and the girls were excellent in supporting each other when they were waiting for their turn. Both matches were close, with a draw 3-3 and a loss 2-3; the girls worked hard to move the ball up the court. They will need to do a little more work in the coming weeks on footwork and passing in front of the player but these were superb matches nevertheless. Well done to OPOMs Charlotte and Tilly.

U10A Netball v Hereford Cathedral School

The U10A team played the Bee Netball Stingers game and rotated at every quarter, while Hereford kept their same positions. The match was extremely close all the way through and at three-quarter time we were winning 5-4. There was some excellent movement by Emily S and Lottie made some great interceptions. Unfortunately, Hereford managed to attack well in the last quarter, and we ended up losing 5-9. Well done to Karla who was awarded OPOM.

U10B&C v Hereford Cathedral School

This was a fantastic afternoon of netball. We played 5-a-side Stingers Netball and the girls played in four different positions throughout the afternoon. The progress they have made is excellent. Grace and Amelie, who have join us this year, worked extremely hard and made a great contribution to the team. Lily G and Phoebe E were awarded Player of the Match for their excellent drives into space and their tight marking around court.

U11A Netball v Hereford Cathedral School

Well done to the U11 A netball team, who played their first 7-a-side match against Hereford Cathedral School. We still followed the Bee Netball idea of rotating positions, so each girl tried out four roles. This was not only fun but gave us an insight as to who plays well in different positions, and gives the girls ideas about which positions they might want to play as they go up into Senior School. The girls tried hard against a strong Hereford team but, while we rotated every quarter, Hereford only changed positions at half-time. Final score was 1-6 to Hereford. Well done to Erin, who was awarded OPOM.

U11B Netball v Hereford Cathedral School

The U11B team played some strong netball against Hereford. It was a close, equally matched game, with a score of 3-2 at half-time. The girls worked hard and gelled well as a team, sadly losing 5-2 at the end of the last quarter. A special shout out goes to Iman for being awarded Player of the Match.

U11 IAPS netball at Rugby School – written by Ella, Eshal, Penny, Lucy, Sienna, Erin and Emily.

“I had been really looking forward to IAPS and we had a great day. After a really exciting minibus trip and some extra sweets in the bus, we lost our first match against a team that progressed to the finals. But our team spirit brought us back and we ended up drawing one and losing another two in the group stages. We were through to the Bowl in the afternoon.

“Before every match there was music blaring out of the loudspeaker, so while we were setting up and waiting for the other teams we danced! We loved the Gang Nam Style and YMCA the best. IAPS was really fun and while we were there, we had lots of sweets and snacks. I also felt happy when I found that I was taller than one of my opposition; it made me feel powerful. The netball was great, and we played together as a team. In the afternoon we played another three matches. The first one we won 2-1, so progressed to the semi-finals of the Bowl competition. Unfortunately, we lost this narrowly 3-4 and progressed to the third/fourth place play off against RGS The Grange! It was a close match, but we ended up losing 1-2 and so came fourth in the Bowl. We look forward to our rematch later in the term.

“For me IAPS was really fun. There were lots of crazy songs that everybody danced to. We played a lot of netball, and it was really fun. My highlight was when everybody was dancing before the matches. We were laughing so much that we got told off!”

U9/8 v Hereford Cathedral

The U9 and U8 boys travelled over to Hereford to play in a block fixture. The excitement was clear on the journey and the boys couldn’t wait to get onto the pitch! Louie F started in goal, made some strong saves and showed a presence in goal. He made himself big and came off his line well. Ben J and Mark F were both solid in defence and made crucial tackles to regain possession. I was also impressed with the way both of them showed composure on the ball and got their heads up to look for their team mates. Harry D did well in midfield and was key to transitioning the ball from defence to attack. Ben D started up front and ran his heart out. He closed down the Hereford defence and won possession for the KSA team on a number of occasions. He also used his pace well when dribbling past his opponents. Will B was the playmaker on Tuesday afternoon and the progression he is showing with his football is brilliant. Will definitely scored the goal of the term so far; the ball was played through and he hit it with sheer power to send the ball flying into the top corner, giving the goalkeeper no chance! Well done, boys!

U9/8 v Hereford Cathedral

The U9/8 football team travelled to Hereford Cathedral School this week on a glorious afternoon with perfect conditions for football. Brody put in a fine display in goals and really improved his performance by understanding how to close the angles as the attacking players approached. Archie was brilliant in defence, using his speed and strength to win the ball and push forwards. Harry B, who started in goal, then went into attack and was fantastic at making runs into space, presenting a threat whenever he had the ball. Albert and Albarn worked hard in midfield, battling to win the ball and provided support to other teammates. Well done boys.

U9/8 v Hereford Cathedral

On a glorious Tuesday afternoon, we headed over to play Hereford Cathedral School in our latest football match. We had some new combinations and also tried to give the boys some experience in different positions. We played against two separate Hereford teams in two separate halves, which meant that they were fresh and our fitness was tested. George and Crispin showed some great defensive qualities, making some excellent tackles, and Che-David was busy in midfield. Overall, Zack did some good things, both in defence and as goalkeeper. Henry showed lots of commitment and energy all afternoon and Jasper bagged himself some good goals. All in all, the team improved as the afternoon wore on and we were up to the challenges presented to us, with the match ending in a satisfying 3-3 draw.

U11/10 v Hereford Cathedral

The U11/10 hosted a very strong Hereford Cathedral side on Wednesday afternoon. Theo played in goal for the team and, as always, he came off his line brilliantly and kept out a number of Hereford shots. Harry B and Sam T played in defence and looked strong, cutting out a number of the opposition attacks. Monty, Peter and Rook played in midfield and worked extremely hard. They became a little frustrated as the ball just wouldn’t flow as usual and Hereford did well to intercept our passing play. Ralphie and Joshua played further forward but we struggled to get the ball to them. When they did get on the ball, they showed good skill and pace to take it round the opposition players. Ralphie created a few good chances but unfortunately the keeper kept the ball out of the net. The boys put good effort in but it seemed like one of those days where things just wouldn’t click! As a team we discussed what we could do to improve and came up with two things: shape on and off the ball and keeping possession.

U11/10 v Hereford Cathedral

The boys had an exciting and fast paced game against Hereford Cathedral School on Wednesday. Arslan S played the entire game in the net, pulling off some stunning saves and some even better distribution. The boys would agree that one of the highlights of the game was Arslan putting a well struck Hereford penalty kick over the bar. In the first half our defence was especially impressive. Will D and Jack P were solid at the back, making crucial tackles and halting the opposition’s attack. Will D carried on his superb display in the second half, when playing out of position in the midfield. Our own offence was launched through the wide channels. Reuben A and Aaron M made darting runs down the wing, linking up with Otto E up top. A special mention goes to Francis C, who covered the entire pitch, showing fantastic work rate and enthusiasm. Unfortunately, the boys weren’t clinical enough around the opposition goal and we now know that finishing is certainly something we need to work on in our training. After a few very well worked goals from Hereford, the match ended. The boys, however, should be proud of their efforts throughout a tough game. As a team they showcased some fantastic football, and they should look towards their next fixture with much positivity.

U11/10 v Hereford Cathedral

The boys welcomed Hereford Cathedral School to Slingpool Walk for an exciting block of fixtures. We started well, looked well organised and showed good shape. The defence did well and made some crucial tackles. Jack B was impressive in goal, commanding his goal area and coming off his line brilliantly to close down the angle. Joel B had a great afternoon, working hard and showing good technique on the ball to pass to his teammates. It was great seeing these boys playing and enjoying themselves.

U11/10 v Hereford Cathedral

The U11/10 boys’ team hosted Hereford Cathedral this week on a cool but beautiful afternoon on the King’s sports fields. Jacob started in goal but then found his form when he moved into defence, putting in some fantastic tackles. Eddie then took over goalkeeper duties and commanded the penalty area with some fine saves. Humphrey played on the left wing and contributed well to his teammates alongside Rory S, who also did a fine job when he had to move back into defence to strengthen up the back line. Jasper improved well on his positioning and tracking of the opposition’s attackers, and Conor showed that his best position is in central midfield, where he was doing well to get the ball forward to Leo, who did a good job in attack. It was a great test of resilience, and the boys did well.

U11/U10 v Hereford Cathedral

It was wonderful for all the boys in Year 5 and Year 6 to participate in fixtures against Hereford Cathedral School. As they don’t often play as a mixed U10 and U11 team, KSA took a little while to gel in the first half and Hereford managed to score a few goals. After a half time pep talk, the KSA team had more possession of the ball and had several attacking opportunities. Oliver B showed some impressive pace, dribbling with the ball and setting up George B for KSA’s first goal. A few minutes later, Oliver A attacked again, scoring a superb goal. The KSA defence also worked hard and prevented Hereford from scoring on several occasions. KSA played with a positive attitude and should feel very proud of the progress they made.