Is there a good independent school with a girl basketball team?

[regnokgonh]

I will be moving to UK next year and is looking for a good independent school for my DD. She is very sporty and like playing basketball very much and she is good at it. I understand that basketball is not the most popular sport that may schools would offer. I was just wondering if there is any good independent school that may start to develop basketball and has a girl basketball team.

There aren't many schools that play basketball. These links shows which schools play in national,competitions

www.basketballengland.co.uk/competitions/dynamik-schools-competition/

www.basketballengland.co.uk/competitions/academy-colleges/weabl/

Might she be interested in netball? All schools play that

Otherwise you could try schools with a strong reputation for sport, and see if they might be interested in expanding provision for girls. I was thinking of Oakham and Uppingham, and I dare say there are others

Are you looking for day or boarding schools, and are there any parts of the country you'd prefer?

It sounds like you're flexible about where you live, yes? If you can't find a school that fits I'd recommend you look at basketball clubs instead. The Basketball England website will tell you which clubs have done well in national junior championships in recent years, but bear in mind most competitions were cancelled in 2020. For example, I know Richmond Knights often gets to the semi's or finals and they're local to Lady Eleanor Holles school and other independents (and train at Waldegrave which is a high performing state school). Some of their best players are selected for the national squad

In case it's useful - girls U16 national cup final Feb 2020 was Richmond Knights v Newham Youngbloods: www.basketballengland.co.uk/news/2020-nbl-national-cup-finals-recap-saturday/

Richmond Knights (in normal times) run after-school clubs in all the local primary schools and popular hioliday camps, so they train them up from a young age. They then run trials to pool the most talented players from across the whole area for their competitive squads. Their boys teams usually do well in the national championships too. The coaches are all competitive players themselves, usually recruited from the iocal St Mary's University, which specialises in sports science and teaching.

I remember watching a documentary once whete a girl won a scholarship for basketball (I think it was basketball) to Queen Ethelburga's school in York.

In the U.K. most serious girl players play for an established club rather than play at school as the standard in most is at best average. Maybe consider St Albans (fabulous schools both state and private and oakland wolves basketball club (based at the college) is one of the most respected in the country. Training 3 times a week and games at national league premier level at weekends. It is a performance programme though so there are no recreational players. Everyone trials each year for their place in the squad. My daughter plays and has been selected for England

Definitely go for a club and an accommodating independent school where she can join elite sports fitness training programmes (for example) but yet compete outside.
With tiny numbers of schools with any sort of basketball team (boys or girls), they don't have anyone to play.

I am really very thankful to all of you for giving me advices.
It's really encouraging to hear that there is possibility for my DD to continue playing basketball which she loves. She is now 12. When she was in primary school, she went for training 3 times a week on regular basis. It would be a shame if she have to give up this sport after moved to the U.K. It will be her dream come true if one day being selected for a reputable team.

QE is a nice school which I am really interested in. An established basketball club seems to allow me to have much all options since I am flexible in where I will stay.

If a basketball club is not based at a college, would boarders be able to join since they are not allowed to leave their school campus on adhoc basis?

Ask the school, but I doubt it. Clubs rely on parents actively supporting their children by taking them to training and fixtures. In non-Covid times we spend many hours a week taking our 2 teens back and forth and supporting them from the public gallery. Being serious about a sport is a lifestyle choice.

You could look at the ACS International schools. The one in Cobham sometimes runs "Hoop Dreams" basketball tournaments to which they invite local clubs. Their school community is mostly from the US, but not exclusively.

We are preparing to fully supporting our girl. Taking her to training and competition is exactly what my wife and I have been doing in the past 5 years. I am not sure if a school can accomodate the club's training schedule and allow us to pick up our DD from time to time. There may also be scheduleing clash with activities arranged by the school. I guess I can only find out by asking all schools that I am interested in.

I would say that it’s probably not best to go for a sports scholarship at a school when your priority might (understandably) be club basketball. It is very likely, in the UK, that club basketball will be a better standard than school basketball.

We’ve been looking at schools for my DD. She plays netball. Club netball and Superleague franchise netball is a better standard than any of the school netball teams that we are looking at. I wouldn’t want to have to prioritise school netball fixtures, because of a scholarship, over club or superleague franchise fixtures.

I'd say you would be really unlikely to find a school with a strong girls team here. Finding a good external club and having her in a day school in the same area would be better. I think a boarding school would be unlikely to be able to accommodate a high commitment to an external club.

In our area there's a company called Athlete Mannies & Nannies which specialises in wraparound childcare with a sporting theme. Could something like that help fill in the gaps perhaps?

Also most clubs who play at Premier level play (for the most part) on Saturdays (morning to lunchtime) so this would clash with Saturday school at an independant so you may want to concentrate on schools that do not have Saturday school.

Is there any independent schools that you would recommend in the following cities where some competitive basketball clubs for U14 Girls are available?

• Nottingham
• Sevenoaks
• Cardiff
• St Albans
• Sheffield

Queen Ethelburgas isn't really known for its sports department. I agree with PPs that you should find a decent club outside of school.

My independent school had a basketball team (quite a few years ago), but we only ever played against local clubs as no other school had a team that was up to par. I think since then they have dropped basketball in order to focus on the hockey and netball teams.

Sevenoaks and St Albans are not big enough to offer a range of competitive basketball clubs. You would be travelling for them.

@LIZS

Sevenoaks and St Albans are not big enough to offer a range of competitive basketball clubs. You would be travelling for them.

Lizs you are completely wrong. St Albans has Oakland wolves which runs junior teams at premier level from under 12 all the way to Under 18. Sevenoaks has the Sevenoaks suns basketball club which is predominantly a girls programme and runs teams at all ages including women's. Perhaps you shouldn't make such sweeping statements when you seem to know nothing about basketball.

@regnokgonh

Is there any independent schools that you would recommend in the following cities where some competitive basketball clubs for U14 Girls are available?

• Nottingham
• Sevenoaks
• Cardiff
• St Albans
• Sheffield

Just so you know Cardiff doesn't play at national league level so games May to few and far between and not fantastic quality. Your best bet is to look for a team in premier south- it is a far bigger division than premier north and play 20 games a season so virtually every weekend during the season.

Other well run Conference premier sides Include Ipswich, Richmond, Brentwood. In the north the best programme is Manchester which you didn't mention.

In at Albans there is St Albans high school for girls although fees are just as high as some of the most well know London day schools. St Albans is an 11+ area so there are some fantastic state schools to choose from.

I have been searching for basketball clubs in the U.K. and have found a list of competitive ones here: www.basketballengland.co.uk/competitions/nbl/standings/

Those cities in my previous post are locations of these clubs. I could not find many independents schools for girls that are near to those clubs .

Sevenoak School certainly has caught my eye because it is reportedly a good school and the presence of Sevenoak Suns Bastball Club in the same town. I know that the school is famous for it's IB programmes in sixth and seventh forms. Is it normal to start IB at sixth forms in the U.K., but not in earlier years?

I am also interested in St Albans High School but are they highly selective?

All the cities you mention have very different characters. Outside of the basketball, what are you looking for life wise? Is it flexible boarding you are after? How far are you prepared to drive to support your daughter’s training etc?

St Albans High School is highly selective. Gets amazing results but they only accept the brightest girls so it’s to be expected.

If you are prepared to continue taking your daughter to and from training in St Albans then have a look at Queenswood - an amazing school for girls sport and extremely supportive of those who play at a top level outside school. Not just mainstream sports either - shooting and equestrian, for example, are not done at school but they have girls at national level. They offer a great scholars programme too which includes strength and conditioning and nutrition. Has flexi boarding and door to door transportation. No Saturday morning school. Definitely worth a look.

@regnokgonh

I have been searching for basketball clubs in the U.K. and have found a list of competitive ones here: www.basketballengland.co.uk/competitions/nbl/standings/

Those cities in my previous post are locations of these clubs. I could not find many independents schools for girls that are near to those clubs .

Sevenoak School certainly has caught my eye because it is reportedly a good school and the presence of Sevenoak Suns Bastball Club in the same town. I know that the school is famous for it's IB programmes in sixth and seventh forms. Is it normal to start IB at sixth forms in the U.K., but not in earlier years?

I am also interested in St Albans High School but are they highly selective?

Yes very few U.K schools follow IB curriculum before sixth form , they offer gcses/igcse to 16 then IB instead of A levels. Some schools do both. Check ratio of day to boarding (and weekly/full within that).

The link takes you through to the mens Division 1 clubs so you then need to use the filter to take you through to U14Girls and then Premier South (or Premier North).

There are only 19 U14 premier teams in the entire country (11 of which are in the south). Some clubs come and go from the premier division so I would definitely concentrate on the more established clubs like Ipswich, Oaklands, Manchester, Richmond, maybe even Bucks Hornets who are based at a grammar school in Aylesbury.