We take sport seriously at Latymer Upper School. It plays a major part in both the curricular and co-curricular life of our students, who enjoy both team sports and individual pursuits. We’re proud of our history and tradition of sporting provision for pupils of all abilities, from beginners to elite athletes.
Opportunity and variety
There are three strands to the Sport at Latymer:
- Curriculum physical education and games lessons
- Academic lessons (currently Electives and Sports Physiology and Sports Psychology are offered)
- Extensive co-curricular sports programme
Our aim is to provide all our students with the opportunity to take part in first class curriculum lessons and co-curricular sport and to provide an environment that allows every student to achieve their potential.
As in all things at Latymer, as a Sports department, we aim to offer opportunity, quality, variety and breadth. Sport plays a major part in both the curricular and cocurricular life of our students and we boast a proud history and tradition of sporting excellence; catering for complete beginners through to performance athletes. Fitness and sport are central to a healthy lifestyle and students concentrate and learn better if they are also busy on the sports field, court or river.
Curriculum and co-curricular sport
Co-curricular sport is very popular at Latymer and highly valued by both staff and students. A broad range of activities is on offer and the department runs an extensive programme of recreational clubs and competitive squads, led by experienced and talented staff.
The major sports offered are cricket, football, hockey, netball, rowing and rugby which aim to embrace our co-educational nature. Latymer regularly fields A-D teams and fixtures are played on Saturdays, during Games lessons and after school. Students are encouraged to represent the School in such fixtures and as a consequence, should be incredibly proud of their achievements.
In addition to the major sports, we compete in athletics, fencing, swimming and tennis and offer further opportunities in a variety of activities including badminton, basketball, girls’ football, boys’ hockey, table tennis, ultimate frisbee and water polo. We are proud that our sporting programme encourages diversity and provides opportunities for students to participate at the highest level in our main team and individual sports, whilst also offering aspirational and recreational opportunities in other activities.
Excellence in sport
For those who take sport to a higher level, first-class training and support is provided to help them to achieve their full potential. An example of this is the Talented Athlete Programme (available to all years) and a Sports Scholar Programme at Sixth Form. Latymer students are represented, every year, in county and national squads and countless individual students have achieved full international honours. Both now and in the recent past pupils have been part of such teams as the England Rugby U18, Ireland Rugby U18, GB Rowing J18 & J16 (boys and girls), South of England Girls’ Hockey U18, Middlesex Cricket U16, Middlesex Women’s Cricket U15 and the Independent Schools’ Football squad, as well as Middlesex netball, U15 and U19 London Pulse netball, U19 Surrey Storm selection, Middlesex tennis, GB fencing, Middlesex swimming and London athletics.
Facilities
Games afternoons, matches and training generally take place at our playing fields in Wood Lane or at the Quintin Hogg Memorial Grounds in Chiswick, to which students are transported by coach. Wood Lane offers a range of facilities including 4 rugby/football pitches, 3 cricket squares, a floodlit astroturf for hockey, netball, football and tennis and a modern pavilion and changing rooms. It is testament to the quality of the site that the All Blacks, Wallabies, Springboks and Lions rugby teams regularly use Wood Lane for training when in the UK..
On the School site on King Street, we have two floodlit netball courts and a Sports Centre which contains a 6 lane, 25m pool with an adjustable floor, a large sports hall, a fitness suite and three spacious studios. The Latymer Boat House overlooks the Thames and houses over 50 boats.
Latymer sports teams travel throughout London and the surrounding counties for fixtures and the major sports teams tour to destinations such as Sri Lanka, Dubai, Holland, Trinidad & Tobago, Canada, Kenya, South Africa and the US.