Sport round-up - May 2025

Mrs Cook and Mr Hanley update us with news from the courts, nets and track

Girls' Report - Mrs Cook

What an exhilarating start to the cricket season it has been! The sun has truly shone down on our girls for most of their matches, illuminating their passion and dedication as they've faced various opposition. With nearly 50 matches played, one tournament, and two IAPS events already under their belts, this season has been incredibly busy and full of moments of heart and growth.

U13 girls

Our U13 girls showed great resilience in their IAPS competition. While they narrowly missed out on progressing to the next stage, they played with immense spirit against Brighton College, demonstrating some truly excellent catches and brilliant batting. Although it wasn't enough to secure their spot in the next round, their fight and sense of determination was truly admirable.

U11 girls

The U11s, however, found success at their IAPS competition. Playing all their matches in a single day, they remained unbeaten throughout in a fantastic display of boundaries, sharp catches and crucial wickets. A well-deserved first place was awarded to these girls – we simply cannot wait to see what the rest of their season, and indeed their Westbourne cricket careers, hold in the years to come!

The 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th teams

A huge welcome to Mr Smith, our new head coach for the Girls' 1st team. He reports the girls are improving week by week and that they are working tirelessly while enjoying the sport so much. What a great accolade for the 1sts. 

The 2nd team continues to be a force to be reckoned with, remaining unbeaten so far! With the relentless encouragement of their coach, Miss Williams, who pushes them to their full potential, their success is a testament to the team's hard work and unwavering spirit.

Both our 3rd and 4th teams are playing exceptionally well, making it incredibly tough to tell them apart on the field. After an initial setback, both teams have been very resilient and remained unbeaten this half-term. We are so excited to see your progress and passion for cricket continue to flourish.

Colts teams

Down in the Colts age group, we've seen fantastic success. The Colts A team triumphed at both the IAPS and Lancing tournaments, bringing home the trophy for the second year in a row! A special mention absolutely must go to EJ A, who was deservedly named Player of the Tournament and took home a fantastic Newbury cricket bat as her prize – what an achievement!

It has been equally impressive to watch the Colts B team embracing hardball with such confidence. They've only experienced one loss this term and are visibly improving their skills with every game. Similarly, the Colts C team has only lost one match and their passion for cricket is truly blossoming, going from strength to strength.

The huge shout-out to the Colts D team, who remain undefeated this term so far! They've displayed a fantastic brand of cricket and their coach, Mrs Armitage, is incredibly proud of the work and focus they put into every single match.

Junior teams

Down in the Juniors, our youngest cricketers are getting plenty of opportunities to practice and improve. They've had some incredibly close games. Their skills are improving week by week, but what's most noticeable is their outstanding communication on the pitch. They are working very well as a team and making smart decisions. As soon as we master making good contact on the bat, these teams will be absolutely flying!

We're only halfway through and I'm already looking forward to the rest of the season. The commitment, joy and rapid development shown by all our girls have made this a truly special summer term. Keep up the fantastic work, everyone!

Athletics

What a fantastic start to the athletics season! One of the most beautiful aspects of athletics, and something we truly cherish, is that there is an event for everyone – from the sheer thrill of sprinting head-to-head, to the strategic pacing of long-distance runs, to the technical artistry of throwing different shaped objects, to the exhilarating leaps of various jumps. Of course, who could forget the highly technical and, as many pupils are discovering, wonderfully complex challenge of hurdling! This wide variety makes athletics such an accessible and rewarding sport for all.

We have been remarkably busy on the athletics front. Westbourne House has entered two large athletics events with countless successes, setting a promising tone as our teams gear up for the major competitions at Hurst for Years 4 & 5 and K2 Crawley for Years 6-8.

The enthusiasm from all our pupils has been superb; we've received countless requests to practice preferred events and our relay teams have been spending break times and lunch times honing their changeovers. I've loved the way our children want to understand 'why' things are done a certain way and this will help them go far in their chosen events.

We look forward to Sports Day and for all our parents to have the chance to feel the buzz of atheltics at Westbourne House.

Hurst Athletics

Our boys brought home an incredible 14 gold medals from the Hurst Under 10 - Under 13 Girls' and Boys' Athletics Meeting.

Plenty of first, second and third places meant the overall boys' title was won by the Westbourne House team, bringing home two well-deserved trophies. Their victory was built on a foundation of numerous top place finishes, each contributing valuable points.

A huge round of applause to our fantastic first place winners so far this season:

• Harry L: hurdles and 100m

• Jamie S: 300m and long jump

• Max W: 75m

• Harrison C: shot put

• The triumphant Year 6 boys' relay team: Jamie S, Seb R, Isaac B, and Harry L.

• The unbeaten Year 7 boys' relay team: Alastair K, Rory O'C, Oscar Z, and Henry M.

• Hetty B: hurdles

• Elsie B: javelin

• Mimi G: discus

Congratulations must go to the Year 5 & 6 boys for winning their age category, and then to all the boys in Years 5-8 for being the overall tournament winners for the day! What a magnificent team effort.