Sport

The PE Department aims are twofold; providing and encouraging both participation and excellence in sport and physical activity.

The department promotes a ‘sport for all’ policy and encourages everybody to join in, recreationally or competitively, fostering a long-term positive attitude towards health, fitness and physical recreation. We also encourage and aid the pursuit of excellence in those who choose to pursue a sport to a higher level. Our High Performance Programme is designed to give support to our more elite athletes in order to help them balance the competing demands on their time. #Thisgirlcan is very much part of our ethos, offering quality teaching and a breadth of opportunity for every pupil.

Our excellent facilities plus additional off site grounds enable a wide range of sports and activities to be offered. We have a large astroturf and a well-equipped sports hall, as well as a fitness suite and ergos for rowing. We also own an eight-acre sports ground in Lower Sydenham and local facilities such as Crystal Palace National Sports Centre and Beckenham Spa are utilised for water-based activities as well as fitness and athletics. Rowing has gone from strength to strength and we row on the Thames at Putney and are fortunate to row with with Dulwich College.

We are fully accredited with British Rowing and offer a sports scholarship in year 7, as well as a rowing scholarship in year 12. A number of our pupils play for local clubs or are selected to play at regional/county level for a number of different sports. The main sports played or enjoyed competitively at Sydenham High School include: rowing, netball, hockey, rugby, athletics, cricket, football, tennis, running and cross country, swimming. We also offer: trampolining, fencing, volleyball, dance.

As well as countless opportunities to represent the school in competitive fixtures at all levels, we also take part in annual residential tournaments such as the GDST Netball Weekend at Condover Hall, as well as other local and national tournaments and sporting events. We have our annual Sports day in the summer and there are also bi-annual ski trips to Europe or the USA, and an international netball tour – most recently to South Africa.