Sporting success at King Edward's School, Bath - spring term review
This term has been an exceptional one for sport at King Edward’s School, Bath, with pupils demonstrating commitment, talent and outstanding team spirit in netball, hockey, rugby 7s and football.
Netball at KES
It has been a remarkable netball season. By the end of term, our teams will have played over 200 matches, with nearly 200 girls representing the school across 20 teams most weekends. Highlights include 121 wins, with an impressive win rate of over 60%, participation in seven tournaments, and two teams reaching the Regional Finals of the National Competition, with the U14s qualifying as County Champions.
The First Team enjoyed a particularly strong campaign, finishing 4th in the South West and claiming victory at the Collegiate 7s Tournament. We are also delighted to celebrate three unbeaten teams this season: the U13B, U14C and First Team, whose consistent performances reflect a year of determination, skill and excellent teamwork. The depth of talent across all year groups is extremely exciting.
Senior players have continued to thrive within the Team Bath Netball pathway, with congratulations due to ADC players Lulu O, Ottilie B, Olivia L, Isla G, May C and Jess S, and PDP athletes Katy G and Roami W. We are especially proud of Katy, who also represented Wales U17 earlier this season in Belfast.
Hockey at KES
Across all age groups, the boys’ teams produced outstanding performances on the hockey pitch. The total number of fixtures increased again this year, with KES sides taking to the field more than 130 times since January.
Both the 2nd XI and 3rd XI combined attacking intent with defensive determination and were a pleasure to coach. After a difficult start to the season, the 1st XI found excellent form, securing a series of victories in their regular block fixtures and backing this up with an impressive run to the quarter-finals of the National Plate. A notable feature of their season was an uncanny ability to recover from early setbacks, frequently staging thrilling comebacks that highlighted their resilience and team spirit.
In the younger year groups, training attendance remained strong, with the U14s and U15s fielding A, B and C teams. In Years 7 and 8, the vast majority of pupils represented the school in fixtures throughout the term. The U12s enjoyed a standout season, scoring over 100 goals overall, with the A team contributing 50 at an average of more than six goals per match.
KES players continue to progress impressively through the GB Hockey Talent Pathway, with a record eight pupils selected for the Talent Academy this season: Daisy B, Jess C, Peggy M, Vicky M, Max F, James R, Tiger H and Toby P.
At senior club level, Peggy M, Vicky M and Ava S have all been members of the Team Bath Buccaneers Women’s 1st XI, who are on the brink of promotion to National Division 1 South, one of the highest levels of club hockey in the country. Ava has also continued her impressive progress in junior international hockey, earning selection for the England U18 hockey squad.
Rugby 7s at KES
The Rugby 7s programme enjoyed a vibrant and highly successful Spring Term, with teams representing the school across U12, U13, U14, U16 and U18 age groups.
Our girls’ rugby programme continues to make significant strides forward. An U16 girls’ team competed in two tournaments, and this year saw the introduction of an U18 Girls competition at our KES 7s Tournament, which our team won in superb style. Training numbers for Years 7-9 girls have been particularly encouraging, and with 20 Year 6 girls signed up for the summer term, the future of girls’ rugby at KES looks extremely bright.
In hosting our second KES Rugby 7s Tournament, we welcomed a strong field of state and independent schools, including Millfield, eventual winners of the Rosslyn Park U16 title. Rosslyn Park itself was another major highlight, with KES taking a record number of teams. Our U11s went unbeaten to top their group and are a team to watch as they progress to the Senior School, while the U13s enjoyed an outstanding season, winning silverware at Port Regis and Millfield 7s, topping their Rosslyn Park group, and competing at the prestigious Caldicott 10s, their first ever live-streamed tournament.
At senior level, both U18 boys and girls performed strongly in highly competitive fields. The boys topped their group on the showcase pitch before exiting in the elimination round, while the girls narrowly missed out on progressing to day two. The First Team rounded off the season at the Sedbergh 10s, providing a fitting final outing for our Year 13 players after a memorable journey together.
Earlier in the term, Cade C and Ali A represented Bath Rugby in the U18 Next Gen League, reaching the final for the third consecutive year. We were also privileged to welcome Jonny Wilkinson to Bathampton Fields, where he delivered an inspirational kicking masterclass, generously sharing his time and expertise with pupils across the programme.
Football at KES
It has been another very successful season for the KES 1st XI football squad, who won eight of their 11 matches and once again reaching the U19 Somerset Cup semi-final, narrowly losing in a penalty shoot-out. The team produced a number of excellent attacking performances, recording victories against Beechen Cliff, Sherborne, Backwell and Writhlington.
Year 11 pupils made a significant impact on the squad this season, and special congratulations go to Raffi B, who represented Canada U16s in World Cup qualifiers in Costa Rica.
You can view photos from the sporting term HERE, via our private, pic-time gallery.
