
Sport (258)
On Monday 25th April our team of 11 ski racers headed to The Snow Centre Hemel Hempstead for the English National Ski Championships. Our ski race team train for 2hrs every Monday however, after 4 weeks off over Easter they were all a little nervous. The girls arrived first and headed onto the slope to warm up and quickly calmed their nerves once they were skiing. Following warm up they had time to inspect the course. The U10 and U12 boys and girls race round a short poles or “stubbies” and the U14 boys and girls race a separate full poles course. If you miss any gate or ski outside the course you are disqualified from that run. Each racer completed two runs with the fastest time to count.
The girls were all lined up in bib order and ready to race. Elise Craig was the first of our girls to race in the U12 competition and completed a fast run. Sophie Hartley-Wiley was the first of the U14s to race and confidently skied all the gates cleanly. Alice was the last U14 girl finishing the course very quickly. They all returned to the top of the slope for their 2nd run to see if they could improve their times. The girls all came off the slope happy and quickly changed to wait for the results. They were very pleased to hear Alice and Sophie had both received medals with Alice finishing 2nd and Sophie 3rd in the U14 girls race. Elise finished 13th overall a great result for her first year as an U12.
The boys were next and with just over twice as many boys racing as girls the slope was busy for their warm up but they all warmed up and inspected their courses before getting ready to race. Timothy Lancaster was the first of our boys, he really attacked the course skiing very fast and unfortunately fell over just in front of the finish line but got up and skied over the line to register a time. Helios Mesonero Perez was next and skied very confidently. He was followed by Frederick Lancaster, Alexander Pearce, Alexander Briscoe, Aron Sonander and Arjun Sohal who all skied clean runs. Tomas Garcia was racing in the U14 category and skied the full gates course, unfortunately he skidded early on and went off the course but continued to the bottom. Having missed a gate Tomas was disqualified from the 1st run but would have the chance to try again for his 2nd run.
All the boys went back to ski their 2nd run and all tried really hard with most of them improving their time on their 2nd run and all of them skiing clean runs this time. Alexander Pearce took an impressive 3 seconds off his first run.
The children were all very pleased with their racing and all had fun analysing each other’s runs on the way back to school!
We had to wait until the next day for the full team results. Anyone placed in the top 10 gain points for their team with first place awarded 10 points through to 10th place awarded 1 point. We were very pleased to find out our A team Sophie, Alice, Freddie and Aron came 1st place in the mixed team competition and our B team Alexander Briscoe, Alexander Pearce, Timothy and Tomas came 7th in the boys competition.
Congratulations to all the skiers!
Charlotte Lancaster
Full results
A Team – 1st Place Mixed Team
B Team – 7th Place Boys Team
C Team – Not placed
Name |
Age Group |
Run 1 |
Run 2 |
Result |
Timothy Lancaster |
U10 boys |
28.52 |
19.81 |
7th |
Alexander Pearce |
U12 boys |
20.61 |
17.40 |
10th |
Elise Craig |
U12 girls |
18.96 |
19.48 |
13th |
Alexander Briscoe |
U12 boys |
18.66 |
18.83 |
15th |
Frederick Lancaster |
U12 boys |
19.95 |
20.56 |
20th |
Aron Sonander |
U12 boys |
20.05 |
20.32 |
23rd |
Arjun Sohal |
U12 boys |
20.05 |
20.24 |
24th |
Alice Alder |
U14 Girls |
18.27 |
18.08 |
2nd |
Sophie Hartley-Wiley |
U14 Girls |
18.38 |
18.37 |
3rd |
Tomas Garcia |
U14 Boys |
DSQ |
21.80 |
27th |
Name |
Age Group |
Result |
Timothy Lancaster |
U10 boys |
7th |
Alexander Pearce |
U12 boys |
10th |
Elise Craig |
U12 girls |
13th |
Alexander Briscoe |
U12 boys |
15th |
Frederick Lancaster |
U12 boys |
20th |
Aron Sonander |
U12 boys |
23rd |
Arjun Sohal |
U12 boys |
24th |
Alice Alder |
U14 Girls |
2nd |
Sophie Hartley-Wiley |
U14 Girls |
3rd |
Tomas Garcia |
U14 Boys |
27th |
On a sunny warm spring afternoon a squad of 10 boys and girls travelled down to Old Loughtonians Hockey Club.
The boys and girls started their first game well by moving well across the Astro. Avon House managed to get two goals in the first half to make it 2-0 at half time. In the second half we played with more purpose by moving the quickly forward which resulted in a great work team goal to make the scores 2-1. Some great goalkeeping and defending kept Avon House out however with 2 minutes to play Avon House managed to get another goal. Final score 3-1 to Avon House.
The second game was against Norfolk House school. A strong start from us by moving the ball around and again attacking with purpose resulted in Norfolk House defending deep and their keeper pulling off some great saves! 0-0 at half time. In the second half some good interchange from defence to midfield allowed us to create space upfront however Norfolk House held strong to get a draw!
Our last Group game was against host school Gatehouse. Gatehouse started the strongest of the teams by testing us defensively. However even with some great defending gatehouse managed to grab a two goal lead at half time. In the second half we started the better of the two teams with the gatehouse keeper making some great saves. Unfortunately gatehouse hit us on the break to score one final goal. 3-0 full time.
After the group stages we then played Immanuel School. As a team everything clicked! The Girls & Boys played some lovely passing hockey to allow space for two well worked goals! The final score was 2-0 and that put us into the 5th v 6th place play off final.
The 5th v 6th Play Off final was against Salcombe Prep. Again the Girls and Boys moved the ball well out wide which allowed space up front for us to take a 2 goal lead at half time. In the second half we moved the ball well however, Salcombes keeper kept pulling of some great saves to keep the score at 2-0.
The team finished 5th and that’s down to all the Girls & Boys attitudes and never give up mentality. We did have the hardest group with both Avon House and Gatehouse meeting In the final.
Well done to all involved today.
Mr Owen
This was the first football fixture for many of the boys and girls, they did their school proud. In this fixture we played four quatres of ten minutes, which gave all the children a chance to try a different position on the pitch.
We started the game well with Aljandro linking up well with David to force a good save from the Broughton Manor keeper. Bella and Monty defended well at the back with Timothy making some good saves. However, Broughton Manor raced into a two-goal lead with two well worked goals.
At the start of the second quarter Broughton Manor came out and scored another quick two goals, However Riley and Elijah worked well in midfield to create a chance for David who was denied by a great save. Towards the end of the quarter Broughton scored another goal to make the score 5-0.
The Grove never let their heads drop and scored their first goal of the match when Elijah set David through on goal 1v1 and calmly past the keeper. Broughton Manor then scored another goal to make it 6-1 going into the last quarter.
In the last quarter we started off well with some great passing play from all the team. This was shown when David again ran through the Broughton defense and forced the keeper to save his shot, in which hit David in the face and David reacted quickly by slotting the ball into the bottom corner of the goal. The final whistle then went with the final score 6-2 to Broughton Manor.
Thank you to all the parents that turned up to support the children on a cold winter's afternoon.
Well done!
Mr. Owen
Player of the match – Bella
Goals – David x2
The Grove Cross Country – Autumn Term 1
2020 has been a different year to say the least, so much so that it is changing the way we do things in everyday life. For many people The Cross Country at school holds a real mix of emotions and so the emphasis has really been on preparing the competitors as best as we can and try to keep a positive mentality towards taking part. This year due to the circumstances, The Cross Country was run across three days to ensure age groups could stay within their individual bubbles. This way we could open the doors to parents in an outdoor environment and there wouldn’t be too much of a social gathering!
Up first were the U10/11’s. The conditions were fair, being overcast and underfoot the grassy areas where firm. All-round some good conditions for long distance running. As mentioned, The Cross Country really does cater for all. Some individuals will really look to push themselves from a time perspective and look to finish in the best placed position they can, and others are looking to push themselves as hard as they can with an aim to finish the race. The U10/11s set off at a good pace with the usual suspects leading from the front. Once the runners got into their rhythm and second wind the field started to spread into these two categories. Tomas Garcia, Oliver Whittam and Emily Foster really starting to stretch their legs over the 1st kilometre. Tomas all in all was able to pull away from the rest of the group and finish in a respectable time of 15:30.03. All the staff that where strategically placed around the 3km course were extremely pleased to see the determination and positivity the competitors had to complete the race. Special mention must go to Oyin Omotosho who really embraced this and pushed herself extremely hard.
For the first time in The Grove Cross Country’s history, the Juniors on the following day had a pace setter. Mr Thorne braved the elements and as a pace setter ran the record time which stands at 07:05s for the boys. A Record that has stood since c.2011. The aim was for Mr Thorne to show the competitors the importance of pacing and for those competitors at the front, just how hard they need to push themselves to hit that record time. It is very easy to be happy with where you see yourself when comparing yourself amongst your peers and so Mr Thorne was hopefully going to provide that further motivation. The excitement however got the better of a few and for a period of time where running ahead of Mr Thorne, something they would later regret! Matthew Coomber and Matilda Bradban put in a fantastic effort to win for the Boys & Girls. With Matthew running an impressive time of 07:29:86 It was extremely pleasing to see the effort all the juniors put in. With all of them completing the race.
The Seniors went into The Cross Country with a greater weight of expectation placed upon them with the minimum expectation for them to all finish and push themselves as hard as they could. They didn’t disappoint with a reduction of 10 minutes in their range of times as opposed to the U10/11’s range. Some strong efforts from Jensen Sharpe, Ahad Abdul Qureshi and Alice Alder with the remainder of the pack pushing themselves over the now wet 3km course. It was really pleasing to see the maturity that the Seniors took towards their preparation and mental application during the race. Something that I hope they can pass down to the years below them.
At the end of a busy week The Cross Country has provided all competitors with a goal to aim for. Fitness will always remain an integral part of the world of The Grove and the Sport & PE department would love to see all the competitors beat their times at the next event. Let's take this opportunity to learn and improve on areas we need to develop and remember The Cross Country is just as much a mental battle as it is a physical one. You can do it.
Mr Strong

The Grove 'A': 0
Ashfold School 'A': 6
Man of the Match: Jacob Okwuadigbo

A. Chawla (2)
Ashfold School 'B': 0
Man of the Match: Arjun Chawla
After a very heavy rain storm the sun come out just in time for the start of the match. We agreed two 20 min halves with eight a side and no off sides, so was going to be an open flowing game. Swanbourne House got off to a cracking start with three goals in the first 5 mins. We managed to stem the flow for a bit with Kanye making some good saves in goal. Although we were three down our heads didn’t drop, we held our positions and kept trying to pass the ball, however by the end of the first half the score was unfortunately 6-0. With a good encouraging team talk at half time we held our own in the second half with Elijah scoring a cracking goal from outside the box. The final score was 7-1 so a great second half performance with great team spirit and effort from every player. Very well done despite the result as its not always about winning.
The Grove: 1
E. Martey
Swanbourne House: 7
Man of the Match: Elijah Martey
On a busy fixture afternoon for the girls, with teams A, B and C all taking part in Netball Fixtures the A team were keen to set the bar high. We got off to a very strong start dominating much of the play and keeping the ball in our attacking circle. Quick passing and movement from our shooters with great support from our attackers meant we were able to take a number of shots at goal, scoring 6 goals in the first half and taking a strong lead. The girls adapted well to playing in a variety of positions throughout and I was delighted to see them rise to the occasion. Swanbourne were able to score a few goals and close the lead slightly but strong defending continued to push the ball to our attacking circle. When the final whistle went the girls were deservedly rewarded with the win and a final score of 8-4 to us. Well done girls you were a pleasure to watch!
The Grove 'A': 8
A. Vieceli Fitch (4), A O'Kane (4)
Swanbourne House 'A': 4
Man of the Match: Erioluwa Ojemuyima
We won the first centre pass and started strongly. Both teams working hard on getting the ball to their relative end but the goals were lacking. The 1st quarter ended 1 v 1. 2nd quarter The Grove lost concentration and were pulled up for contact and being too close when marking (something we all agreed we need to work on.) Akeley Wood put in a further 4 goals and we managed 1. 3rd quarter The Grove started with a strong determination and defence to pull back 3 goals with good movement into the shooting D, Akeley Wood scoring 1. Final quarter and the game could go either way. Both teams managed a further 2 goals each. Final score The Grove 7 v Akeley Wood 8.
The Grove: 7
E. Adekanmbi (4), H. Siddall (3)
Akeley Wood: 8
Player of the Match: Ewa Adekanmbi
Without a game strategy the boys had to rely on the few skills they had picked up and their general ability to play invasive sport. We were able to pass the ball a lot better and spread out, but it took a while before the game started to flow and yield signs of connecting passes and attack. We had good control of territory and were looking more likely to score but a draw was a fair result.
The Grove: 0
Swanbourne House: 0
Man of the Match: Frederick Lancaster
After a half time chat about positioning and how to effectively move the ball in attack we were able to string together some actual play that gave them something to have concern about. Zayne secured our only goal, which gave us the confidence we needed to keep pushing forward. Oliver was also unlucky when his goal didn’t count because it was hit from outside the area, however it never really looked like they had enough to break through and we continued to be a threat in attack. I felt we stayed mostly in their half, although it was still quite messy in front of the goals and the game ended after Matthew had a goal disallowed after a scramble on the goal line ricocheted off his hand when he dived for it.
The Grove: 1
Z. Quinton
Swanbourne House: 0
Man of the Match: Zayne Quinton

L. Goodman
Swanbourne House: 3
Player of the Match: Davida Okesola
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S. Patel, L. Goodman
Broughton Manor 'A': 1
Player of the Match: Clare Hubbard
E. Craig, L. Goodman
Broughton Manor 'B': 1
Player of the Match: Clare Hubbard
The Under 10/11 'A' Team knew they had a tough game ahead with a number of their team mates supporting the U13's at an ISA tournament but approached the game with great focus nonetheless. Northampton High steadily poured on the pressure and despite some superb interceptions and some great opportunities to shoot we were able to secure a goal. We fought hard to maintain possession and it is to the girls credit that they prevented Northampton from scoring any goals in the final quarter. A noteworthy performance came from Arianna Vieceli-Fitch's whose movement throughout was outstanding. Despite much improved flow throughout the game the final score was left 5-0 to Northampton.
The Grove 'A': 0
Northampton High 'A': 5
Player of the Match: Erioluwa Ojemuyima
The 'B' Team represented the school well with good game play and sportsmanship. The 1st quarter Northampton Girls looked as if they were going to run away with the game. 2nd quarter The Grove pulled back through some good interception and quick ball. Northampton were also good in defence which made for a good flowing match. Northampton girls managed to convert their possession into goals and unfortunately The Grove ran out of time to draw level. The match ending Northampton Girls 4, The Grove 3.
The Grove 'B': 3
Northampton High 'B': 4
Player of the Match: Reni Adeleye


The boys started their first Hockey fixture, this term, well; showing excitement for the match. Early on the boys were caught out with an early goal from Winchester House. The boys fought on with some superb tackles being made. In the first half the boys were down by two goals and realised that it was their passing that was causing them to struggle. They tried even harder in the second half but were unsuccessful against Winchester's strong defence. The boys lost 0-3 but remain enthusiastic for the next match. Throughout the entire game the boys were helped by man of the match Jacob Milburn, who pulled of some superb saves, at one point diving head first to stop the ball. The boys had a great game and look forward to the next.
The Grove 'A': 0
Winchester House 'A': 3
Man of the Match: Jacob Milburn
Everything that we had learnt in practice was used by the boys and considering that they were not as skilful as their opponents, I felt that they represented themselves admirably. Unfortunately, we had not done enough on hitting or spreading wide which meant that we hardly got out of our half. We also tended to cluster around the ball and not complete passes, so Winchester Hse didn’t really have difficulty keeping us in check. They managed to break free a couple of times and get some passes in as they attacked the goal, which at the start of the match was something Koseunti wasn’t able to block as goalkeeper.
The Grove 'B/C': 0
Winchester House 'B': 3
Man of the Match: Bhavish Rao
Although Winchester Hse put on a different team for this match we continued to shuffle players and make substitutions to give all those playing as much game time as possible. Koseunti stayed in goal throughout and once we had helped him be comfortable in the padding, he was able to manoeuvre himself more freely and became increasingly effective saving a load of shots and proving himself to be quite a presence in goal. Dimitri probably had the most open runs in space and we did get down into their D at least 3 times; although we didn’t have enough time on the ball to make any use of it. It would be wrong to say that we were organised and match ready, but I was pleased with the way the boys made use of the opportunity to play and it clearly enhanced our experience as well as interest.
The Grove 'B/C': 0
Winchetser House 'C': 2
Man of the Match: Frederick Lancaster