Meet Kate Wakeling, Director of Sport

What’s unique about sport at Roedean? 
“Roedean’s Founders, The Lawrence sisters, understood the significant role that sports played in the development of students and we continue to live through this every day. The sisters placed Roedean’s sports pitches at the front of the school putting physical activity at the forefront of everyone’s mind and showing the world that women played sports. We have always had a strong tradition of excellence: from hosting the Lacrosse World Cup against the USA in 1951 to being the school with the most netball courts in Sussex today. Roedean’s unique location means that in the winter you can watch the sun rise and set over the sea, have netball practice interrupted by a flock of starlings murmuring and where, 5 minutes from the school gate, sea-swimming takes place twice a week. In 2022, a team of six girls swam across the English Channel as part of a relay team; one of the team members had never even been in the sea before they started the training!”

What are the strengths of the sporting teams here? 
“We’ve become increasingly competitive in a wide range of sports, including hockey, netball, swimming and cricket. This is what most of our county and regional girls play and apply for scholarships in.”

What do you enjoy most about your own role?  
“Sport has always played a significant role in the development of every pupil – and continually provides development challenges like no other learning domain (through its need to make instant decisions under pressure, respond to feedback and self-manage). Our rich programme gives girls the opportunity to lead, understand others and to reflect upon their own teamwork. It’s a privilege to see this happen every single day.”

Which recent developments in Roedean sport would you highlight? 
“A 1:9 teacher-pupil ratio in many of our games lessons to ensure progress for each and every pupil, investment in specialist coaches (including strength and conditioning), and a huge improvement in results.”

Any interesting plans on the horizon? 
“This is such an exciting time to be part of Roedean’s sporting future. For instance, equestrian competitions have returned to the school and our Roedean Sailing School launches in April 2023.”

On a personal note, what’s your favourite sporting memory here? 
“Something that fills me with utter joy every day is Games afternoons. You have to be there to feel it. The sports fields become a hive of activity, over 100 girls running around, all active and having fun. You can hear the laughter from afar and you can almost see the energy in the air! Other significant memories include teaching girls who were petrified of water to swim 25 metres, or our hockey players performing the perfect drag flick… I also remember a Year 11 parent thanking us for making her daughter and her friends happy, specifically because they enjoyed PE, looked forward to it, and felt our staff were always there for them.”