Sport
“My first ever experience being captain was winning the football tournament with our U13 team. It was such a good feeling!" Ben, Year 8 Leaver
At Solefield, we use sport to develop determination, resilience, cooperative skills and a healthy work ethic; it is an integral part of school life and we view it as essential. It is well documented that physical activity helps to develop fantastic classroom learning, as it has a direct link to the coordination of the brain and builds a healthy self-esteem.
In recent years, we have won a number of sporting titles, both nationally and locally, including plates for rugby at Sutton Valence and for football at New Beacon, Hilden Grange and Lancing where a Solefield pupil was voted player of the tournament. Our pupils have represented rugby, athletics, football and cross country at South East and England level and at the Gothia World Youth Cup in Sweden. We have enjoyed national victories for our judo and basketball teams and, every year, pupils win numerous sports’ scholarships to a variety of prestigious senior schools.
Every pupil in the school has two games sessions a week. For pupils from Year 3 upwards, afternoon matches of football, rugby and cricket are played competitively against a range of other prep schools in the area. It is a great experience to travel away to the other schools and the chidlren soon work out which schools have yummy match teas. Our older pupils (Y7 or 8) have been on tour to Italy in recent years. Reception to Year 2 have two games sessions a week, this includes swimming and the main sport for that term (football, rugby and cricket).
Every form class has up to two PE sessions a week. Pupils are tracked to identify high ability athletes who will be earmarked for our scholarship programme and also to pin point children who need extra help with any particular skill. Developing our pupils’ strength, coordination and agility is important and we incorporate gymnastics into our PE sessions and have a club and a representative team.
Solefield is unique in that we have Judo as a timetabled curriculum subject for Years 3 and 4. The School sends teams to IAPS National Competitions and our pupils regularly secure medals in the various weight categories. Many children continue this as a club at school in later years.
We have a Fencing Squad who regularly trains and competes in a local league and also at National level. We hold the current national Under 11 British Sabre Fencing title, which we've held for the second year running, having fought fencing giant, Whitgift.
We have a core group of up to 20 runners who are competing in at least 4 major events throughout the year, including the IAPS regionals and the Knole Run.
The swimming squad attends at least three galas in the year. This is to ensure that there is still an avenue for keen swimmers to continue swimming after Year 2 and is a fantastic cross trainer for building fitness for other sports.
Basketball is a fantastic sport that we offer; it improves fitness and agility as well as encouraging quick thinking. We play in the Sevenoaks Schools’ Tournaments and were the winners of the inaugural cup. As a cross training sport, it offers brilliant footwork and handling skills that also help to improve rugby and football ability.
Solefield pupils are determined, expertly trained by dedicated sports’ staff and encouraged to be gracious both in victory and defeat. They also have wonderful team spirit and are ‘good sports’. The investment that we make in our pastoral care enables them to show increased resilience both as individuals and as a team.
We are proud to be part of the community by supporting the Sevenaoks Town Football Club Football Foundation, by providing branded kit for their coaches. 
