Going for Gold
Ellesmere College: The Local School with Global Ambitions
WORDS: Rachel Redshaw
There is a well-known saying, ‘Sport is a contest fought on the battleground of the body, the mind and the heart,’ and here at Ellesmere we know through experience and hard work, it also delivers personal growth on the playing fields and supports academic achievement in the classroom.
Studies have shown the benefit of sport in all aspects of a student’s journey through the school and beyond and how it teaches vital self-knowledge and lessons which endure a lifetime. From beginners to elite athletes, each student brings their own level of ambition, dedication and passion – and combined with our own world class coaching and training facilities it provides the ideal platform to allow them to achieve their own sporting and academic success. Achievement, self-awareness, friendship, fun and self-confidence are some of the other benefits of our well-managed and varied games programme. These long-term goals are at the forefront of our coaching philosophy and not the short term self-gratification of a win at all costs attitude.
We also believe that there shouldn’t have to be a compromise made between academic success or sporting success – our students can have both – and we have a proven track record to support this. Because we are an independent school we have the flexibility, capability and the resources to be able to construct the curriculum timetable to meet the needs of the student athletes challenging training and competing schedules alongside their school work – balance is always the key.
A Successful Philosophy
The track to success always begins with a philosophy, and our philosophy – to be the best you can be - is supported by a vision, a talented and dedicated coaching team, world class facilities and an individual’s own passion and determination for their success. These combined allow our students to train and succeed at every Olympic discipline through one of our Academy programmes – or just enjoy sport at any level they wish to play!
One of the keys to our success is the high level of coaching we have at the college – for a small school we aim high! Many of our Academy coaches have had international or Olympic experience themselves and so understand the commitment and determination required to succeed at every level of sport. Their strength also lies in the support of our student athletes in other areas of their sporting journey – pastoral care for each individual is paramount with Housemasters and Mistresses, tutors and a dedicated nursing team on hand to support them; peer group support and mentoring is also encouraged between students. Strength and conditioning training, nutritional support and links to external clubs supports the external validation of our student’s success – Worcester Warriors and Sale Sharks rugby, MCC cricket, European Junior Golf Championships, LT National tennis, British Shooting champions, IH Manchester football, Olympic swimming and shooting – as well as Commonwealth, England and Wales hockey, England netball, national equestrian events and inter-school competitions.
Our efforts have not gone unnoticed either! We have been recognised by two leading sports organisations – the World Academy of Sport (WAoS) as an Athlete Friendly Education Centre (AFEC) - an aspirational accreditation mark for schools, universities and others that support athletes to achieve their education and athletic goals, and School Games Gold, as well as numerous accolades and awards including the The Top 100 Cricketing Schools, Tatler’s Top 5 Schools for Future Olympians, Winner of the LTA Regional Tennis Award 2021, Top 10 ISGA, Top 10 Schools for Sport to name a few.
At the end of day though, we never lose sight of the following vital fact: there’s no point if it’s no fun and our coaches encourage everyone to play at the level at which they are comfortable but challenge them to take it as far as they can master.
At Ellesmere, we recognise that sport and the provision of sport is a vital part of every child’s personal and social development. We value the breadth of opportunity and the wide range of specialism that we can cater for. Students see the Ellesmere approach as an essential part of their all-round education and the skills and qualities developed build a platform for living adult life successfully and being truly ‘Life:Ready’.
Open Day - October 9th 2021 1-4pm
Hungry for more?
Read up on the latest news, delicious eats, travel treats and seasonal style trends in FEATURES, or browse a curated selection of our FEATURED PRODUCTS, meander through our guide to the finest things to do in Cheshire and beyond in WHATS ON or partake in our COMPETITIONS.
About The CHESHIRE Magazine
We are the definitive guide to luxury lifestyle in the North West. Latest news, delicious eats, travel treats and seasonal style trends. The Cheshire Magazine is the largest luxury lifestyle title for the North West of England, dropping directly through the letterboxes of VIP subscribers from the Wirral to Greater Manchester plus all the villages and towns in between and digitally available as a subscription in print and digital on issuu.com worldwide. We specialise in connecting luxury brands to likeminded consumers.
If you are interested on how you can partner with The CHESHIRE Magazine, read more about us. Or get in touch to find out more about marketing, featuring or partnering with the Cheshire Magazine in print or online.