Sport
Sport is an important aspect of life at Barnard Castle School. It supports our ethos by helping pupils to develop vital skills for life such as commitment, resilience, team-building, confidence, leadership, sportsmanship and learning how to win and lose. We strive, therefore, to provide as many opportunities as possible for our pupils to enjoy a competitive sporting environment at whatever playing level they can achieve.
Our games programme offers each pupil four lessons of games in their weekly timetable. We also offer an extensive, after school activity programme. Between 4pm-5pm every day students can extend their interest in a particular sport, discover skills in a new sport or simply try something they have never done before. Team practices also take place at this time.
It is our aim to create as many fixtures for pupils to experience competition as possible. Saturday is Match Day in the calendar and over 75% of our pupils represent the school in competitive sports fixtures. We want all our students to be proud of what they achieve as individuals and the contribution they can make to their school teams. Barnard Castle enjoys an enviable record in inter-school competition and regularly achieves county and national honours in a wide range of sports. We have very strong relationships with a number of national governing bodies, allowing our students to extend their passion for sport at higher levels. We regularly host representative matches, training camps and trials in a variety of sports.
Our outstanding facilities include extensive playing fields, tennis courts, a sports hall, indoor heated swimming pool, a floodlit all weather sports pitch and a fitness suite with a dance studio. We have professional coaches offering first class tuition too.
Inter-house matches also play a vital role in the life of the school and in the development of our students, with house competitions in rugby, hockey, swimming, netball, cross country, squash, cricket and football.
As well as traditional school sports, each term the school provides opportunities for pupils to try new sports that they may not have played before. These include several run by professional coaches, for example, rock climbing and self defence. We also have an extremely successful equestrian team competing nationally.
Sport also plays a part in pupils developing strong leadership skills and opportunities are provided for them to work with their peers and younger pupils in Prep School, alongside PE staff.
