Football at Orleans Park?

[pissupinbrewery]

There's nothing like last minute procrastination over secondary choices. I've got a question about Orleans Park so hoping for some voices of experience. I've heard they don't do much in the way of football - parents of boys saying they've been disappointed because they're really into football but don't get to do it at school etc. I'm wondering if they at least get to use the sports fields or astro-turf for a kickabout with friends at lunchtime or break, or are they restricted to concrete "social" areas? I've visited a couple of times, but never at break/lunch so not sure if they can use all the facilities freely or not?

This would be interesting for me to know too.... I’m just doing the form now and have put Orleans first. The sports did seem to be amazing there, great facilities, so it would be weird if they didn’t do any football?! Are secondary schools more biased towards rugby these days?

I think it's good for athletics and elite rugby, but I don't know about other things. From what I've been told by older mums a lot of their students don't do any extra-curricular at all even if they were sporty at primary - friend said they cancelled after-school tennis when they ran out of tennis balls and couldn't afford any more, but that was a couple of years ago so they might have re-budgeted now . My son does football outside of school, so it's not the end of the world if he doesn't do it at school, but if they can't use the facilities for a kick-about then it might swing us towards another choice (which doesn't have kick-about facilities either, but has other things we like better).

I think just because it's Twickenham a lot of PE teachers are obsessed with rugby.

Where else are you thinking? We’re Isleworth/ twix borders so it’s the nearest mixed state to us. Bloody stressful trying to choose though.

We're at the other end of the OP catchment in Twickenham. Rival choice is Turing. I've realised now that they will have a sports field at the new Year 7 site in Hampton, so that might swing it and I do like the sound of the sport there generally. The PE teacher said they have high participation, as they're a smaller school, so everyone gets a chance to be on a team, not just the elite, and they also seem to do a wide range of sports rather than concentrating on a small number that they specialise in, so good for trying new things.

Yeah I do get the feeling that Orleans caters to its elite for sport, but I really liked the site and all the facilities are great, especially creative. We liked the new Richmond school too but it’s so hard to judge when the site isn’t there to look at. Sports looks great there too.

Yeah, I thought that looked like it might be ok, but again very rugby focussed, and I wasn't sure about the 4 hours of timetabled sport they do - made me wonder what it was timetabled instead of.
It's good to have a bit of genuine choice though.

There’s definitely a lack of mixed non denominational state schools in twickenham and Isleworth. We’re nowhere near turing so wouldn’t get in.

My DS is at Orleans Park, year 7. Yes they can play football every lunchtime on the AstroTurf apparently. Also many of the social areas have grass not concrete. He is doing rugby in games this term, and gymnastics for PE. Next term they do different sports, he thinks football probably. He is loving the school so far!

Thanks Rosie, that's good to hear. Do they have astros for the different year groups or different timed breaks or are they all together? At our primary there are set days when Y6/Y5/Y4 can play football because otherwise the younger ones get shunted out but I wonder how that's managed at secondary.

I'm not sure I will ask him when he gets home!

DS1 goes to Orleans and is in year 9. He loves football and plays on the Astro at lunch most days. It is available for them every lunchtime from what I can gather. They section it off for the younger years so the different years play with their own age if they want to. PE lessons over the years have been good and very varied. He has done Football, Rugby, Basketball, Tennis, Athletics, Fitness, Volleyball, Dance, Cross Country, Parkour, Hockey etc etc. After school sport activities change from term to term but include the above and others depending on the season. Rugby is big at the school and if you are good and enjoy that they have A-D team leagues to play in. Football is an after school club in season but doesn't get the focus that Rugby does. To my knowledge in DS1's year, there has only ever been an A team so not many boys get to compete.

So what did you put first pissupinabrewery?

Turing! Weighed up all the pros and cons, but at the end of the day it just felt right.