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Excellence and Sport for All

Sport is an integral part of life at Kingham Hill School. It is a medium through which many important life skills are learned and character developed. At Kingham we seek to educate the whole person, equipping our pupils with character qualities which will help them flourish in life beyond the Hill.

Sport has a central role to play in fulfilling that aim. Both girls' and boys’ sports strive for 'Excellence' and 'Sport for All' - the two co-exist comfortably and are not seen as mutually exclusive.

The school aims to promote participation and enjoyment for all pupils, no matter their skill level or interest. As a boarding school we also see the benefits sport has on our pupils’ mental health and wellbeing.

Squad sports

Squad sports are a valuable part of the life of a Kingham Hill pupil (see descriptions below). With a rich and competitive fixture programme for each of our sports, every pupil will experience what it is like to be part of a team. We aim for all individuals to be involved at a level that suits their ability, to progress and develop their skills.

Competitive weekly fixtures are offered in:

Term Boys Girls

Michaelmas

Rugby

Hockey

Lent

Football / Rugby 7s

Netball

Trinity

Cricket

Cricket

Rugby

Rugby is the main boys’ sport in the Michaelmas term. At Kingham Hill School we are committed to helping individuals develop values and abilities that will support them in the future. Employers consistently seek confident individuals who are able to work towards a common goal as a part of a team, communicate clearly and manage success and failure effectively. We believe that rugby is the vehicle that allows us to develop these characteristics whilst also improving physical and mental health in an inclusive and enjoyable environment. Our coaching philosophy draws heavily from the French ‘Plaisir Du Mouvement’ style which uses gameplay to incorporate tactical and technical development at all levels. We challenge our players to think for themselves and create an environment in which the senior players become leaders amongst the teams and everyone plays rugby for the enjoyment and pleasure that it brings.

Under the guidance of the Director of Rugby, Lynn Evans (recent recipient of the RFU President’s Outstanding Contribution Award) and the Head of Rugby, Tom Phillips, Kingham Hill Rugby has become known for its fast paced and fluid style which is heavily player-centric and consistently involves the students in their own development process. A mixture of contact and touch rugby enables every individual to find an aspect of the sport that they can enjoy and the partnership with Stow-on-the-Wold Rugby Football Club enables players to further develop their abilities beyond the Hill should they desire. The Sevens programme in the Lent term offers players the opportunity to represent the school at the historic Rosslyn Park Competition. The touring policy also enables players to enjoy the chance to play abroad at both a junior and senior level with recent tours to Holland, Spain and Portugal.

Hockey

Hockey is the major sport for girls in the Michaelmas Term. Hockey is a popular sport for the girls at Kingham. With the astroturf always full of boys and girls enjoying learning and playing, it is a great place to be. Kingham Hockey has a distinctive DNA. Playing and training in a way that encapsulates our informal motto (Work Hard, Play Hard and Serve Well), all students aim to embody this in their approach to hockey. Enabling the students to learn, develop and grow in training we distinctly encourage the students to have fun, get lots of touches of the ball, make decisions for themselves and enjoy game play!

Mixed Hockey is a wonderful hour of match-style hockey after school in the Trinity Term. It is open to all students in the 5th and Sixth Forms, as well as staff. No experience or ability is required, only a willingness to get stuck in. Bringing a hockey stick is not essential but being in possession of a gum shield and shin pads is. In the Trinity Term, the school enters a mixed team into a Summer League, giving students the chance to compete against other clubs and schools.

Football

Football is predominantly played as the major sport for boys in the Lent Term. It has always been a popular sport and a passion for many of our students at Kingham Hill School. At each age group we train three times a week and have competitive fixtures one afternoon per week. For the younger years there is a focus on participation, enjoyment, training in core skills alongside developing general tactical understanding and shape.

We have three senior teams that play competitive fixtures on a Wednesday afternoon against schools such as Magdalen College School, Cokethorpe and St Edward’s, Oxford. Our holistic approach to coaching across all sports is carried through to football, where training is very much player-centred and game-based. We equip players to flourish on the pitch, preparing them and teaching them to make decisions for themselves under pressure.

In addition to squad sessions, football is available and run during activity slots run by our sixth formers, and a mixed football is also available in the Michaelmas term. This activity has been a great experience for all the boys and girls who signed up for it. We have looked at basics of shooting and have managed to put this into practice through playing tightly contested 11-a-side games. Everyone playing has got excellent skills, with a lot of potential within the school teams.

Netball

Netball is played predominantly as the main sport in the Lent Term for girls from 1st-6th Form at Kingham Hill.Each year group has 2-3 teams depending on size and therefore offers players of all abilities the opportunity to play competitive fixtures on a weekly basis. Each year has one fixture afternoon per week, allowing time for both home and away fixtures. During the netball season, the junior years benefit from more foundational coaching, focusing on the basics which will be the building blocks for their senior years. Players are encouraged to try different positions on court and build a wide range of experience, while benefiting from our enthusiastic and dedicated coaches. Senior years provide the opportunity to refine skills and develop match play. Netball is a wonderfully inclusive sport and our coaches enjoy seeing players progress throughout their time here at Kingham.

Mixed Netball provides an opportunity for girls to prepare for the netball season in Lent Term and for boys to learn a new sport that they don’t usually have a chance to play. A brilliant opportunity for all to work on skills that are transferable to different sports and to learn from each other.

Cricket

Cricket is the main sport for both boys and girls in the Trinity Term. Cricket is very much at the heart of summer on Kingham Hill, with teams at each age group playing competitive fixtures each week. 1st XI games always attract a crowd, with a beautiful backdrop of Cotswolds countryside from the Benfield Pavilion.

Cricket at the younger level focuses very much on participation and enjoyment, building fundamental skills and movements, and as many as possible representing the school in weekly fixtures. Senior cricketers net throughout the winter, making use of the bowling machine and expert coaching to hone technique, ready for the start of the season. Our impressive cricketing facilities make us the home of Oxfordshire county age groups. Cricket continues to grow throughout the school, and several of our students in recent years have gone on to represent county sides.

The Barings XI - named after the school’s founder - is a team consisting of staff and sixth form students who play every Wednesday evening against local club sides or invitational XI’s. This is a great opportunity for our senior students to experience a higher level of cricket playing alongside staff, and to develop links with local clubs.