Framlingham College has an outstanding sporting reputation. Both the Senior School and Prep School regularly compete in National Finals in major sports. Our 1st XI Girls are the reigning U18 National Hockey Champions.
We are currently ranked 4th in the country for Hockey having reached an incredible 8 National Finals and we were shortlisted for the Independent Schools of the Year ‘Sporting Achievement’ Award 2019.
Our enviable track record of both individual and team achievements at county, regional and national levels also extends to a number of pupils gaining international honours or professional contracts in their chosen sport. However, while we encourage and fully support elite performers, our focus is to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate in sport, enjoy it and realise their potential.
We fundamentally believe that sport is vital in school. Beyond the obvious physical benefits, it also has an impact on their emotional well-being, helping with stress and thereby improving their academic and overall school performance. Playing sport introduces them to teamwork, discipline, improves their confidence and develops leadership skills. Through matches they learn to be resilient in the face of adversity. Learning to deal with failure makes them more resilient and gives them grit and determination, two life skills that are invaluable.
We provide regular, high quality coaching sessions to all pupils and our PE and Games programme caters for a wide spectrum of talents and abilities emphasizing inclusion and depth that will outrival most schools. At the Prep School, every child from Year 3 to Year 8 represents the school in competitive fixtures most weeks. This can mean fielding on average 26 teams every Wednesday.
At the Senior School, there are competitive fixtures on a Saturday and competitions often held mid-week. Most pupils will represent Framlingham College in a sports team at some stage of their school career.
Our major sports change each term:
| Term | Major Sport (Boys) | Major Sport (Girls) |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn Term | Rugby Union | Hockey |
| Spring Term | Hockey | Netball |
| Summer Term | Cricket | Cricket & Tennis |
We also offer a wide range of other sporting activities, including Aerobics, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Cross Country, Equestrian, Football, Golf (at Aldeburgh Golf Club), Running, Shooting, Squash, and Swimming.
Sports Tours are a regular feature of the calendar too, with past destinations including France, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, Dubai, South Africa, Canada and Barbados.
There are also exchange programmes with leading schools in South Africa.
Facilities and Sports Coaches
We have invested heavily in our sporting facilities, with an impressive array of outdoor pitches and grounds, a 9-hole golf course, plus two floodlit artificial hockey pitches and tennis/netball courts. We are officially one of The Cricketer Top 100 Schools.
Our first-class facilities have been further boosted by the recent installation of ground-breaking video technology on our hockey pitch which will enhance post-match and half-time analysis, training sessions and have the capability to live stream matches.
Our Sports Centre houses an indoor pool, gym, performance suite, spinning room, weights room and cardiovascular room. Pupils can benefit from the guidance of our strength and conditioning coaches, who create specialist programmes for our elite athletes and for injury rehabilitation.
In September 2017, the Fowler Pavilion was opened. This fantastic facility overlooks The Back cricket pitch and Inskip’s hockey pitch right at the heart of the Senior School.
We are fortunate to have the very best coaching here with input and support from a team of ex-professionals.
We have been selected as an MCC Foundation Hub and as part of that run a comprehensive cricket coaching programme for state educated children which has resulted in a fair number being called up for county squads.
Partnerships
Framlingham College is proud of its official partnerships with Royal Antwerp Hockey Club, Northants Cricket Club, MCC Foundation and Suffolk Cricket. We also have strong links with professional clubs such as Northampton Saints Rugby Club, Mavericks Netball, Essex CC, Magpies Hockey Club and solid links with UK and US University Scholarship Programmes.
Scholarships
We currently offer Sports Scholarships at 11+, 13+ and 16+, whilst we welcome expressions of interest at any time.
Scholars receive individual mentoring and one-to-one coaching, and enjoy access to athletic development programmes and to physiotherapy services. Scholars’ Seminars are hosted on a wide range of topics, including Sports Psychology, Careers in Sport, Injury Prevention and Nutrition. Our aim is to enhance and develop the ability of our talented athletes to enable them to realise their sporting ambitions and to fulfil their potential.
Many of our current and recent scholars have represented England at Hockey in their respective age-groups. Six current pupils have been called up for the 2010/20 season. We also have a multi-sport athlete who has played for the England U17 Waterpolo team and is now participating on the Women’s’ England Rugby circuit. We also have a rising tennis player currently ranked in the Top 20 for his age group. Rugby scholars Toby Trinder (Northampton Saints) and Ben Kelland (Pau) both signed professional contracts at the end of their school careers in 2016.
Achievements
For a relatively small school, we consistently punch above our weight.
For the past few years, our U18 Girls have qualified for National Indoor and Outdoor Hockey Finals with the team taking home Silver and Fourth Place in 2018. This year, three of our hockey teams qualified for the Indoor Finals with our U16 Girls getting through to the Semi-Finals and our U18 Girls and U18 Boys narrowly missing out on a similar round. Our U13 Girls were crowned IAPS National Champions in 2018 and Runners-Up in 2019. Our U11 Girls are current Regional In2Hockey Champions and finished 5th the IAPS Nationals.
Our U19 and U14 Netball teams qualified for the East Region Finals in 2020 with our U14 Girls narrowly missing out on a Semi-Final spot. Our U19s did reach the Semi-Finals but lost out on the narrowest of margins.
In Rugby, fourteen pupils have been selected for Northampton Saints Rugby Developing Player Pathway for the 2018/19 season. Two of our pupils have been picked for the ISRFC Lambs National Squad for 2020. The U13 team were unbeaten this year and the U18 and U15 rugby teams participated in the Natwest Cup and the U18 and U14 teams also travelled to the world-famous Rosslyn Park National Schools’ 7s tournament.
Tennis has also enjoyed success this year. We won 4 out of the 8 National Prep School Titles in Singles and Doubles at U11 Girls, U13 Girls and U13 Boys. We came home with a bronze medal at the IAPS Finals and one pupil qualified for the Road to Wimbledon Final at the All England Club.
Our Swimming team has had notable success with eight swimmers making it through to the IAPS National Finals at the London Aquatic Centre at the Olympic Park in 2019. A great result with one swimmer coming 2nd in the U12 Freestyle.
In Athletics, one of our pupils won gold in the U15 Shot put while also claiming bronze in the U15 Heptathlon at the National Championships. 2018 yielded two pupils qualifying for the English Schools Athletics Finals a year young, three County Champions, two East Champions and six representatives at the National Finals bringing home a National Champion, two silver medals and a bronze.
Not to be left out, our Equestrian team qualified for 80cm and 90cm Eventer Challenge at Hickstead. They also qualified to compete at the Royal Windsor Horse Show and one pupil is a member of the British equestrian team.
On a national level we currently have 10 pupils representing England in Hockey, Equestrian, Rowing, Rugby and Athletics. We also currently hold numerous county titles at Cricket, Golf, Tennis, Hockey and Athletics with 63 pupils representing the county at their given sport; rugby, hockey, cricket, tennis, golf, swimming, athletics and cross-country.
College alumni:
- Robert Newton – Northamptonshire CCC
- Will Owen – Leicester Tigers RUFC
- Toby Trinder – England U20 Rugby Squad
- Alex Walker – Great Britain & Scotland shooting international
- Caroline Reid – First female Cambridge University rowing (President of CUWBC in 2015) and Rugby Blue (2015)
- John Bird – England 800m Runner
- Lottie Summers – U20 England Hockey Squad
