A READING school has picked up a prestigious award recognising its sporting excellence over the past months.
The Abbey School won the Sporting Achievement by an Independent School at last week’s Independent School of the Year awards, a nod to its Festivals of Sport which promote belonging and inclusion in girls’ sport.
Featuring student sports leaders, expert PE staff, elite athletes and community sports clubs, the Reading Festival of Sport at The Abbey is a town-wide, multi-event platform for action and discussion which helps girls build a positive and lifelong relationship with sport.
To date, more than 1,000 young people have taken part, experiencing a new sport, such as rugby sevens, lawn bowls, weightlifting and boxing, or deepening the relationship with a current sport.
More than 60% of students surveyed opted to try a new sport, while 40% chose to pursue their trial discipline further.
The school also launched a Reading-wide conversation about ‘belonging in sport’ through a photographic exhibition, documenting global female sports stars, on exclusive loan from the Saatchi Gallery.
The exhibition at The Abbey was opened to all Reading schools and members of the public, with 2,500 people visiting as part of National School Sports Week.
