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Sport and Games

Highgate's approach to sport reflects the school's aim of encouraging all pupils to explore their talents and interests in the widest sense. Sport plays an important part in the life of the School and the wide ranging programme offers an extensive choice of sporting activity to all pupils, whether they are aiming for sporting excellence or simply enjoyment through the appreciation of fitness, exercise and recreation.

For a school located in London, Highgate is very fortunate to be able to offer its pupils and extended school family such outstanding sports facilities. The twenty acres of playing fields on site or close to the school allow for nine Soccer pitches, three Rugby pitches, two athletics tracks, three Cricket squares and six all-weather outdoor cricket nets. The all-weather Tennis court area now provides a large multi-purpose surface for the learning of general sports skills and a further all-weather area is planned.

The magnificent indoor facilities of the Mallinson Sports Centre include a 25 metre Swimming Pool, Indoor mezzanine Hall for cricket and Pre-Prep Physical Education lessons, a Main Sports Hall (36mx20m), a recently refurbished Weights Suite, two Squash Courts and eighteen Eton Fives courts. Fives is a sport at which we regularly provide National champions. There is also the Caen Wood Hall, which incorporates a purpose built Dance studio (32X20m) and also accommodates the school Fencing. There are ample changing facilities for both Highgate pupils and visiting teams within the Caen Wood Hall, the Mallinson Sports Centre and the Cricket pavilion on Senior Field.

The main activities each Term for boys and girls are:

The school has comprehensive fixture lists and extra-curricular clubs in the above sports and other options include Badminton, Basketball, Fencing, Golf, Sailing, Tennis and Water Polo.

Sport, in its widest sense, flourishes at Highgate School. The specialist Physical Education teachers are ably supported by the permanent staff at the Mallinson Sports Centre and by almost forty academic staff, many of whom are fully qualified coaches in their own right. Full-time Cricket, Football and international Fencing Coaches are employed by the school. Recent sports tours have been to the West Indies, Spain, Germany, Austria, Holland and the Czech Republic.

Very strong links have been formed with local sports clubs which give the most talented pupils an opportunity to test themselves at a higher level of competition. The Old Cholmeleian Sports Club fields teams in Soccer (Arthurian Leagues), Cricket (Hertfordshire League), Water Polo and Hockey. They have their own facilities at Hendon Wood Lane, Totteridge.

Pupils are encouraged to aim for School team selection each term and it is not unusual for over 150 pupils to play for the School in the various teams fielded on Saturdays or on games days. For example, in week one of the Michaelmas term Highgate fields fifteen soccer teams to play Charterhouse. For those who are not members of School team squads a flourishing inter-house league structure provides competitive sport at a less intensive level. Whatever, their ability or interest, the vast majority of pupils are able to find a place in Highgate sport. The standards achieved in most sports are very good. The School produces many County standard sportsmen (and now sportswomen) and recent years has seen Highgate pupils win National titles and go on to gain International representation in Athletics, Cross Country, Eton Fives, Fencing, Swimming and Water Polo.

Pupils are encouraged to use the sports facilities outside school hours for the purposes of specific training, recreational sport or general fitness. The Mallinson Sports Centre is open for community use in the evenings, at weekends and during the holidays. 

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