At Danes Hill, we aspire to be the epitome of sporting excellence in Prep schools, guided by a simple yet powerful vision. We are committed to cultivating a culture of passion, determination, and achievement through an inspiring and leading coeducational model, believing in the potential of every pupil to excel in sport.
Our unwavering commitment to providing the support and resources necessary for each child to soar to great heights.
Every pupil, regardless of ability, will have the opportunity to participate in a range of sports, and develop their technique as well as teamwork, resilience, and leadership skills. With dedicated coaches and teachers to inspire and empower, our pupils will foster belief in their ability to achieve anything they set their minds to. We will strive for excellence in all aspects of our sporting programme, from training sessions through to national competitions. Our facilities are second to none, providing a platform for our talented athletes to shine.
Through hard work, passion, and unwavering dedication, we will become a shining example of Prep school sport in the country.
We are committed to ensuring Danes Hill’s sport is outstanding and set ambitious aspirations. Getting there will require dedication and a mindset focused on continuous improvement. We break this down into the following P’s.
By focusing only on results in competitions, it is easy to miss the processes that need to take place to achieve success. Here at Danes Hill, yes, we are driven by success in competitions, but we also focus on the process. We will put pupils into positions that challenge them but also allows them to flourish, at all levels, whether that is within competitions or Games lessons.
At Danes Hill, we are keen to open pathways for pupils to pursue the sports they want to explore. As a key player in the Prep School sporting circuit, we will continue to field teams in the established termly sporting calendar, including football, hockey, netball, rugby, and other sports, in addition to enabling those in individual sports to regularly represent their school in sports including crosscountry, swimming, golf and skiing.
A key part of our provision is the flexibility for pupils to follow their sporting path by extending their involvement beyond a termly or half-termly cycle, and the flexibility to engage in co-ed sport outside the traditional gender split. We want our pupils to be able to play a number of sports outside of the traditional options.
Each week we will be running a fundamentals/ technical morning training session for all pupils in Years 5-8 who are outside of A squads. These sessions will focus on technical skills and building the confidence and competence of pupils.
We will be taking Danes Hill sport on the road. From trips to professional sporting matches, to a graduated programme of residential visits, we want sport to open our pupils’ eyes . We are establishing a coordinated touring programme that will provide an enhanced educational experience through sport. From regionally-based micro tours to long-haul overseas tours, we are committed to widening our pupils’ cultural and sporting horizons.
In Years 5-8, each year group will have squad training for those playing in tournaments and A squads throughout the academic year.
We offer many sports and activities where pupils can participate which fall outside of our core sports, but nonetheless have a valuable place in our programme to offer breadth and recreation. These include climbing, badminton, and fencing.
As sport coaches we often develop a strong bond with pupils. We want to utilise this to develop the pupils holistically and support them, not only with their sporting performance, but also their general well-being.
One morning a week, the Sport department will make themselves available and visible during break, to provide an opportunity to discuss areas such as team selection, any concerns pupils may have, things they are doing well and areas they can work on. By doing this, we are striving for everyone to have that key 1:1 time with a coach.
Each member of the Sport department will be attached to a Year group and House to ensure good visibility and awareness of the wider life of the school. As Director of Sport, Chris Shaw, is a part of the school’s safeguarding team.
We understand the vital role you play as parents – all of those hours in the garden, on the road and standing, in all weathers, on the side of pitches supporting your charges. Going forward, we will be sharing this vision with you in a series of forums and want to do that with a series of face-to-face workshops and meetings.
Developing that golden triangle of athlete (pupil) – parent – coach will be a key objective going forward. It is important that we are all on the same page with our ambitious plans and want to hear from you.
To reflect the co-ed programme we deliver, the Sport department has moved away from a boy-girl split, to be one unified team. Instead, we have a 'Head of’ for each sport who will oversee the coaching provision that term. and administration for both the girls’ and boys’ teams. Each Head of a Sport will drive their area within the school in line with the Sport department’s strategic plan set by the Director of Sport and Assistant Director of Sport.
To deliver this ambitious programme, we need talented staff. We are committed to recruiting excellent teachers and coaches, to augment our brilliant existing team, many of whom have played sport to regional or national level before starting their teaching careers.
The Sport department has many fresh faces, all highly skilled within their area. We have some wonderful further additions, such as Heads of Hockey, Netball and Cricket, who will be in place either for the summer term or new academic year. To showcase our talented group of coaches, we have shared some profiles of our staff from the Sport Department.
Chris Shaw, Director of Sport
I previously worked at Chelsea Football Academy before starting my journey into teaching. Over the last decade I have worked as a Director of Sport within independent schools. My role as Director of Sport is the strategy, leadership, and management of the sports programme. A personal highlight for me was playing football for England Amateurs in the UEFA Regions Cup against Italy, Scotland, and Ireland. I enjoy playing several sports and have been lucky enough to be part of many teams that have created lifelong bonds and friendships.
Keaton Bates, Assistant Director of Sport (Boys)
I have 13 years’ experience working in the Prep sector. I have been Head of Football, Cricket, and Rugby prior to my role as Assistant Director of Sport. I am proud of the way in which I teach and how I develop and nurture pupils to achieve success. In my youth I played County level rugby and football in the Combined Counties league.
Emily Hearsum, Assistant Director of Sport (Girls)
I have 20 years of experience teaching Physical Education. I am particularly passionate about netball and tennis and have been fortunate to coach netball teams to national IAPS finals on multiple occasions. Bringing the curriculum to life and making it exciting with tours and elite player workshops will be a focus. I strive for a culture of excellence will be a focus and ensuring there are opportunities for all. .
Dimil Patel, Head of Cricket
This is my second year as Head of Cricket at Danes Hill. I am passionate about the development of all our boys and girls within the game. I have a huge passion for sport, and it has always played a large part throughout my life. I grew up playing a wide variety of sports which includes playing academy football for Reading FC and county cricket for Surrey. I am currently one of the lead coaches for the Surrey U11 County Cricket programme, which involves developing young players through extensive winter training to taking them in the summer for fixtures against other counties. Away from cricket, I work for Football Escapes where I deliver football camps at luxury resorts around the world with ex-professional Premier League footballers.
George Johnstone, Head of Hockey
This is my third year at Danes Hill as Head of Hockey. Hockey is where I specialise, as a 1st team player at Reading Hockey Club, playing in the National Premier League, and as a level 2 coach, coaching school, County hockey with Berkshire, and regional hockey at Reading’s Talent Academy. I have led many hockey tours and believe in giving children a fantastic experiences during their time at school.
Gabriel Morgan, Teacher of PE and Games
I studied Sport Science and Psychology at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa before moving to England in 2020. While working as a Sports graduate assistant in another school, I realised my passion for teaching and completed my PGCE in Physical Education. I have been a dancer for many years and was lucky enough to represent my country competitively. Hockey has also been a passion of mine from an early age and I have been able to play and umpire at an elite level. I have a deep-rooted love for sports, and I believe in its power to teach us many important life skills and values, which I strive to develop and promote through my teaching.
Joseph Bartley, Head of Swimming
With a lifelong passion for swimming starting at the age of 5, I am here at Danes Hill to inspire and nurture a love for swimming in our children. I am thrilled to be part of your child’s swimming journey, guiding them with enthusiasm and expertise. My favourite moment in my swimming journey is achieving second place in 200m freestyle at British Nationals. Due to that swim, I was selected into the GB Youth Squad where I was invited to represent GB in places such as Dubai, Canada, and Sweden.
Hannah Hanks, PE & Games Teacher
II am lucky enough to have had the chance to return to Danes Hill this year. I have a love for all sports including hockey, netball and football. I lead the Danes Hill Ski Team, who have been incredibly successful over the years. This year I have worked closely with the girls U11 & U13 teams, who have both had successful seasons. I hope that my passion for sport comes across in all the teams I coach and training sessions I take.
Charlie Stamp, Sports Graduate & Head of Golf
I have a great passion for sport which began at my Prep School and resulted in me achieving a Sports Scholarship to St John’s. I wholeheartedly believe in ‘sport for all’ and relish the opportunity of encouraging children to develop confidence, and inspiring them to love their sport on a daily basis. My recent coaching experience at King’s College Wimbledon and Epsom College has been invaluable in terms of gathering expertise in the major sports. Involvement in school sport has enabled me to reward effort, persistence, progress, and competing to the best of your ability. Outside of school I thoroughly enjoy playing football, cricket and golf at a competitive level.
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Caylin Parfitt, Maths and Games Teacher
I joined Danes Hill from a busy secondary school along the south coast as a dedicated mathematics teacher. However, my interests do not only lie in the classroom, as I have a huge passion for sports and fostering both academic and physical development among the pupils. My sporting background is diverse, encompassing various disciplines in my youth such as tennis, table tennis, swimming, and gymnastics all to competition level. However, it was in cricket and football that I discovered my true passion, drawn to the camaraderie and competitive spirit of team sports. As a result, my experiences in both individual and team-based activities have equipped me with a well-rounded perspective that I bring to the classroom and sports field alike.
Andrew Murfin, Deputy Head Organisation & Co Curriculum Games Teacher
I have 13 years’ experience working in the Prep sector. I have been Head of Football, Cricket, and Rugby prior to my role as Assistant Director of Sport. I am proud of the way in which I teach and how I develop and nurture pupils to achieve success. In my youth I played County level rugby and football in the Combined Counties league.