Independent Schools Guide: Harnessing team spirit to score personal bests

So state-of-the-art are the sports facilities at the Jesuit day school that the Australian national team – one of the most successful nations in the competition’s history – has chosen it as its training base. It is an accolade that speaks volumes about the school’s sporting ethos and facilities.

According to Susan McGrenaghan, head of PE and sport at the college, the partnership came about through a blend of international links and shared values.

St Aloysius’ recently appointed head teacher, Séamus Scorgie – himself Australian – already had strong connections with Jesuit schools overseas.

Those relationships opened doors, and meetings held shortly before Christmas confirmed that St Aloysius’ sports complex met every requirement the Australian team needed.

Opened in 2017, the facility supports the school ethos that sport is central to daily life at the college.

The complex houses a strength and conditioning gym used by pupils before school and throughout the day; a full-size games hall adaptable for basketball, netball, volleyball and badminton; a dance studio; and a viewing gallery that doubles as a teaching space.

While impressive enough to attract an international squad, the building is – first and foremost – designed to be used by the St Aloysius’ College pupils themselves.

For Susan, that is the point: “Sport is ingrained in the culture of the school. It’s about community, togetherness, and the relationships pupils build over time.”

Many pupils begin playing team sports, such as rugby or hockey, at primary age and remain part of the same sporting groups throughout their school career – forging bonds that extend well beyond the pitch.

Participation is high, but competition is not the sole focus. Alongside strong representative teams – including a recent Scottish Schools Plate win for the under-16 rugby squad, and consistently successful hockey sides – the school places equal value on inclusive, non-competitive activities.

Dance clubs, leadership qualifications, and curricular PE ensure every pupil can find a pathway into physical activity, regardless of ability or inclination.

That philosophy takes on added significance as pupils prepare to witness the Commonwealth Games up close. The prospect of an international team training on site has generated palpable excitement, not least because of the potential for pupils to meet elite athletes.

“Having international performers here elevates everything,” Susan says. “It shows young people what is possible.”

Beyond medals and matches, sport is also seen as a way to help pupils spend time without devices.

With mobile phones restricted during the school day, physical activity provides an outlet for wellbeing, social interaction, and focus.

A sports ethos is similarly vital at Glasgow’s Kelvinside Academy where the head, Dan Wyatt, is a former PE teacher and a champion for the crucial benefits of physical activity.

For Dan, memories of the 2014 Games remain vivid:“It was a brilliant summer, a real highlight. Sport has such power in people’s lives, and events like that remind us why.”

In more than 30 years in education, many of them as a PE teacher, Dan has witnessed first-hand the profound impact sport can have on young people.

“Sport develops children physically, socially, and emotionally,” he says. “From that perspective, at Kelvinside we would argue it is as important as academic development. It can be genuinely transformational.”

Dan believes sport in the UK has become far too Americanised, with a performance-driven model of sport that prioritises elite success over the sheer joy of taking part.

“I’ve seen a shift from participation to performance,” he says. “And I don’t think we’ve got that right. Participation has to underpin performance – not just in sport, but in society.”

At Kelvinside Academy, the focus is firmly on inclusion. Mass participation, Dan insists, must come first.

Almost all the school’s pupils remain involved in sport well into their teenage years, a statistic that stands out nationally, particularly for girls.

“I’m really proud that almost all of our girls continue with sport beyond 14,” he says. “Sadly, that’s where participation drops off elsewhere.”

When Kelvinside became co-educational, the school invested in strong female role models, appointing experienced women as PE teachers and coaches.

Over time, the expectation that girls would play sport right through to senior years became embedded in the school’s culture.

Today, younger pupils see fifth and sixth-year girls captaining senior teams, normalising long-term involvement and leadership through sport.

Team sport remains a major focus, not least for the life skills it develops. Dan remembers speaking to a senior swimmer ahead of exams who felt unfazed by pressure. The pupil said that waiting on the start line for a race to begin gave ample experience of dealing with the pressures of academic life.

At a time when concerns around mental health, screen use and social media dominate discussions about young people, Dan is clear about sport’s wider value. “It gets them off their phones, off their screens, and actively engaged,” he says. “Sport is one of the best antidotes we have.”

While Kelvinside boasts an impressive list of former pupils who have gone on to elite sport – including British and Irish Lions, Scotland internationals and national champions – the head teacher is quick to stress that results are not the measure of success.

“Learning to lose is important,” he explains. “It’s about improvement, resilience and personal goals, not just winning.”

As Glasgow prepares once again to welcome the Commonwealth Games to the city, Mr Wyatt hopes pupils will seize the chance to watch world-class sport on their doorstep.

“Seeing elite athletes in your own city is inspiring,” he says. “You never know what spark that might light.”

This article first appeared in The Scotsman’s Independent Schools Guide, published on Saturday 14 February