Despite lockdown restrictions putting a stop to team sports and the closure of sports facilities, our Sports teachers have kept pupils moving through a series of interactive exercise challenges which hundreds of youngsters have got stuck in with. It’s no wonder then that Framlingham College was recently named the top independent school for sport in Suffolk as part of a nationwide list published by School Sport Magazine.

Sporting Challenges for Pupils Include:

Strava Year Group Challenges
At the start of this enforced period of remote learning, the school Sports Department was quick to set up running, cycling and walking challenges for each year group using the GPS activity tracker app, Strava. Each week, pupils log their exercises on the app and are entered into a leader board for most distance covered. There are prizes every week for winners in each age category, between Years 11, 12 & 13, Years 9 & 10, Years 7 & 8 and Year 6. The results are also published on the Framlingham College Sport Twitter account to recognise those pupils who complete the most exercise on a weekly basis. Pupils are also invited to compete in the Total Distance Challenge which scores distances completed by bike, by running and by walking over the term. Winners are to be announced shortly.

Sir Captain Tom Moore Challenge
In honour of the national hero who gave inspiration to millions in 2020 with his own walking challenge, Head of Prep School Games and PE, Georgina Kingstone, has set up her Captain Tom challenge, which will see pupils complete a series of physical challenges. Last year Captain Tom Moore raised more than £13m for the NHS by pledging to walk 100 lengths of his garden. Ms Kingstone has set pupils the challenge of completing 100 laps of their own garden, 100 sit ups, 100 press ups, 100 skips, 100 squats, 100 lunges, 100 star-jumps, 100 step ups, 100 minutes running and 100 minutes cycling. Ms Kingstone has been completing the challenge with various age groups over the course of this week.

AMRAP Fitness Competition
As part of the weekly High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) sessions that sports staff have put on for our pupils throughout this half of the term, Physical Education Staff, Georgia Kingstone and Laurence Denvir offered all pupils, as well as parents and OFs, the chance to compete against each other in a remote fitness challenge. The competition saw boys pitted against girls to do reps of popular HIIT workout routines, such as squats and burpees. Overall, the girls were the winners, however, there were many more girls taking part in the competition, so when averaged out, it was the boys at both the junior and senior level who took the crown. Pupils are able to access the content via Teams to take part at a later date. PE Teacher, Georgia Linnell, said: “We are looking at offering this as a morning activity once we return to school as it is very important for students to remain physically active and we have been very impressed with the uptake to engage in HIIT. It has been fantastic to see staff and pupils alike challenging each other and pushing each other to do the best they can.”

Recent sporting successes include:

We’re named top independent school for sport in Suffolk
In a list of the 200 top schools in the country for sport, Framlingham College was ranked the highest independent school for sport in Suffolk. The research was completed by School Sport Magazine, which is the UK’s only publication dedicated to celebrating sport in schools ‘from the pupils who play it to the teachers that teach it’. Overall our school ranked 89^th in the list, higher than any other Suffolk independent school and one of the highest in the region. Framlingham College Sport Department Tweeted: “Many congratulations to our amazing pupils and staff & thanks to all those who support Sport at the College.”

Georgie Gardens invited to train with the Great Britain Elite Development Programme
Hockey player, Georgie Gardens, in year 12, has been asked to train with the Great Britain Elite Development Programme, which is the level below the GB Senior team and involves the best U23 players in the UK. Head of Hockey, Jamie Kingstone, said: “This is an amazing achievement for a Year 12 player and is proof of the undoubted ability that Georgie has.”

Basti smashes fundraising target in winter run for Cancer Research UK
Year 9 pupil, Basti Pearce, ran 10k last week with his cousins, Milo, Oli and Sam Nisbet, to raise money for Cancer Research UK. Originally Basti pledged to raise £150 for the charity, but after networking and receiving dozens of messages of support and donations, he has so far raised an impressive £512 for the charity. One of the many well-wishers and donors wrote on his fundraising page: “Go Basti! Fitness and kindness combined! Can’t think of a better person for the challenge! Hope you hit your fundraising target with team ‘10k for kindness’ enjoy.”