Sport

“All that matters in life, matters in sport…” - Seb Coe, 2012

Since the formation of Millfield in 1935, sport has always played a significant role in the development of every pupil that comes to the school. Sport provides development challenges like no other learning domain and contributes to a truly holistic development experience for pupils, staff and parents.

The school has sought to provide opportunities to engage everyone through a diverse, challenging, multi-sport experience at all ages across all abilities. Whether an aspiring Olympian or for a social and recreational purpose, we recognise the significant mental and physical benefits that come with regular play and competition. Equally we recognise the development of fundamental behaviours that emerge by participating and competing in sport, that help young people achieve excellence regardless of where their path may take them beyond Millfield. 

Our extensive and diverse facilities, along with our blend of specialist coaches and teacher-coaches enable us to provide a centralised programme of sport in training and competition, alongside education and other co-curricular activities. Our Games Programme offers the opportunity to engage and sample multiple sports through training and competitive fixtures during the early development years, in one place, provides a special development experience for any child. The Millfield Institute of Sport and Wellbeing supports pupils in everything from their athletic to emotional development. The Institute provides provision across nutrition, physiotherapy, performance analysis and strength and conditioning.

Millfield is home to nearly 60 international youth representatives at any one time and a small number of pupils go onto to compete at professional, Olympic or Paralympic level after they have left Millfield. Equally, a number go onto achieve accolades in medicine, business, art and music and they look fondly back on their experiences at Millfield through sport. Research carried out with former pupils illustrates the how the skills and behaviours developed through sport including self-regulation, planning and adaptability, self-awareness, confidence and social-emotional understanding have gone on to help them succeed in careers beyond sport.

We rely heavily on the emerging evidence around youth development in sport to define and shape our beliefs and our practices through sport at Millfield. Our guiding principles in sport, which help inform all decisions we make in good and challenging times for pupils through sport, define and shape everything we do through sport at Millfield. We have framed these principles as our 'Pedals' that help us keep our momentum and balance in ensuring experiences through sport provide the right challenge, at the right time, for the right pupil.