Successful year of sport for Exeter School

As the end of term draws near, Exeter School is celebrating an academic year of sporting success.

It was an exciting season of great hockey, during which the boys' hockey teams were crowned U13, U16 and U18 Devon Champions and U14 runners up and the girls' hockey teams were named U16 and U18 Devon Champions and U14 Devon runners up.

The Spring term began with both U18 boys' and girls' hockey teams taking part in the National Indoor Hockey Finals.

For the U18 boys, this was the second time in the Finals and they succeeded in taking Silver, losing narrowly to Whitgift School. The U18 girls showed spirit as they played against the country's finest players.

The first XI boys' hockey team also made it to the outdoor 11-a-side National Finals in April, coming second in the country, to Repton.

There is potential for the future with the Junior School hockey teams sharing in the Senior School's success. The U9 girls won the Millfield Tournament and the U11 girls won the Exeter Junior Tournament. The U11 boys were crowned West of England winners.

National success followed for the U15 squash team who travelled to Manchester to compete in the National Schools Finals at the National Squash Centre, coming fifth in the country.

The U16 girls' netball team qualified for the South West Regional Schools competition for the first time this year after being named both Exeter and District and Devon Netball Champions. The U18 girls' netball team also took the Exeter & District title.

Not to be outdone, the U16 XV took the Devon Rugby Plate earlier this year with Exeter School achieving its best rugby win ratio in recent times winning over 70% of all matches played across the age groups.

The U11 football team reached the regional finals of the U11 Kids' Cup for the first time and secured third place.

Exeter School is pleased to conclude the year with the title of U15 Devon Cricket champions as well as being awarded the prestigious Royal Navy Cup by the Royal Life Saving Society (RLSS) Devon branch, for the sixth time since 2006 and second year in succession.

The independent school for pupils aged 7-18 is also proud of its many individual successes with pupils competing at county, regional and national level in sports from cricket and water polo to rounders and rugby.

Building work to create a new 25-metre, covered swimming pool continues and pupils are already benefitting from the enhancement of the fitness suite which has been extended to incorporate a free weights room.

Director of Sport, Mr Andy Mason, said: "It is fantastic to enjoy such amazing success which reflects our truly inclusive ethos where all pupils can take part in competitive sport. This allows for a healthy competition for places, driving the overall standard. Sport should be driven by pupils and it is extremely pleasing to see the playing fields full of squads training throughout the week."

To top off the year, the Junior School took the Exeter Primary Schools' Swimming Shield and won the ESCA U11 Devon Hardball Cricket Festival and West Region Hardball Cricket Finals. The U11 cricketers go on to compete in the National Finals at Oakham on Thursday 9 July.