Sport

Hockey is the principle sport during the Autumn Term at Mayfield. We offer a range of competitive opportunities, allowing all students to participate in matches on Saturday and weekdays. We cater for all abilities, encouraging as many girls as possible to attend training. The twice-weekly training sessions take place on our AstroTurf, and focus on improving the girls’ core skills and understanding of the game, as well as providing match play opportunities. Every year group is overseen by their coach at both sessions and will have access to one of the Hockey specialists, Miss Nixon or Mrs Fletcher, during their training. Teams range from U12AE to the 1^st XI.

The teams are entered into a range of competitions, including Sussex Knockout Cup, Sussex School Leagues, and we compete against local schools including Eastbourne College, Burgess Hill, Brighton College and others. Each year group has an A and B team, ensuring that there are opportunities for all girls to be involved.

Netball is a popular core sport at Mayfield during the Lent Term and produces 23 competitive teams ranging from U12E to the 1^st VII. All the girls have the opportunity to train and play in fixtures every Saturday, as well as in the busy mid-week fixture schedule.

Netball is led by our Head of Netball, Miss Sophie Auer, supported by our Netball Specialist, Miss Imogen Jones, both are well-established and experienced players, coaches and umpires.

We compete in National Schools Tournaments, the A team for each age group is entered into the Sussex Netball Knockout Cup, and we play in the Sussex Independent Schools Netball Association (SISNA) Tournaments. We also enter the U14, U16, and U18 teams into the appropriate national county round competition, which takes place in the Autumn Term.

Cricket is led by Miss Emily Starr, a current Northamptonshire County Player, former England U19 player, and Level 2 Coach, assisted by the rest of the Department. Our sessions are available to all pupils across all year groups, where they have access to fully planned programmes. We have strong links with Mayfield Cricket Club and Sussex CCC with numerous girls being invited to County trials this year. We are pleased to see some of our girls now on the County Pathway and were delighted to feature in the Top 20 all-girls schools in The Cricketer Schools Guide 2021.

As well as a highly-competitive fixtures list playing against other top cricketing schools in the county, we have introduced our first overseas tour to Barbados. Many of our girls now play hardball cricket as well as playing regularly outside School. We run numerous teams across five age groups, competing in both county and national tournaments, outdoor friendlies, shields and cup competitions, as well as having a flourishing House programme allowing all girls of all abilities to take part in this fantastic sport.

During the Summer Term, our squads train twice a week and all of the girls can train year-round with regular extra-curricular sessions available. The girls have the opportunity to play on our new artificial strip, as well as two pitches on the School AstroTurf.

We have a varied swimming programme at Mayfield to support a wide range of swimmers including beginners, those wanting to swim for fitness, squad swimmers, and those seeking a more challenging Club session.

Our five-lane 25m pool has diving blocks and individual changing rooms. It is well used by both our girls and local Primary Schools, as well as by Spark Camps.

Girls at Mayfield can choose from four different weekly training sessions run by our own PE staff, which are open to all ages and abilities (providing they can swim two strokes and a minimum of 100m); two sessions run by a coach from Beacon Swimming Club (these sessions incur an extra cost and are our most challenging option); and a lesson a week with a local Level 2 swimming teacher who teaches girls who require more help with basic technique (these also have an additional cost).

The Swimming Squad operates three age group teams - Junior (Years 7 and 8), Inter (Years 9 and 10), and Senior (Years 11 to 13), and swim regularly against Roedean, Benenden, Roedean Moira House, Burgess Hill, and Kent College, as well as other ad hoc galas including the county round of the Relay Championships.

In the curriculum, the girls have a term of weekly lessons as part of PE where they learn more about the four strokes, including starts and turns, and in Year 9 they learn Water Polo and Personal Survival/Lifesaving. Beyond Year 9, swimming is optional during the girls’ PE lessons, and many choose to swim for fitness or to play Water Polo.  

Athletics takes place predominantly in the Summer Term (with Cross Country taking place during the winter months). All students in Years 7 to 9 follow a programme that develops their knowledge and understanding of the different events involved, with an opportunity to progress these further in Year 10.

Athletics is a popular extra-curricular activity and the School runs event-specific training sessions.  

We have been very successful over the years in Athletics, reaching the regional finals of the English Schools’ Cup every year. In addition to this, Mayfield has students representing the Ouse Valley team in the Sussex Schools Athletics Championships. Several students have also gone on to represent Sussex at the English Schools Championships.