Match Reports 2017-18

This page reports on our regular sporting fixtures throughout the year. Individual and team performances in many activities can also be viewed under Extra-curricular Achievements.

Please follow this link to read about individual performances and achievements.
To access the match reports from 2016-17, please click here.
To access the match reports from 2015-16, please click here.

Kent School Games Floor and Vault Gymnastics Competition: Tuesday 20 March

Squad list
Louisa Briggs – Coach (Year 11); Amelia Williams, Poppy Smith, Therese Boston, Daisy Smith, Esme Brown (Year 8); Abbie Hales (Year 9); Kara Atkinson, Marissa Leyden, Chardonnay Townsend, Abi Pike, Aimee Watt (Year 10)

On Tuesday 20 March Highsted students competed in the Kent School Games Floor and Vault gymnastics competition. This is only the second time Highsted have competed in Gymnastics and this year this event got a lot bigger, covering two venues due to the number of entries. The squad was selected from the students who attended the after school gymnastic club. The students all had varying levels of experience in the sport, some taking the daunting challenge of competing for the first time.

The squad had worked hard in training to master the two disciplines. Each student had to complete two vaults and a floor routine. All students worked hard in training and were able to progress to the more difficult vault, meaning if performed in competition they could access higher marks. Skills for the floor routine were also developed under the watchful eye of coach Louisa Briggs.

Each member of the squad performed well at the event, with all students completing the harder vault for at least one of their attempts. Floor routines were also completed with limited errors and the squad showed excellent team spirit and support for all members. The competition was extremely close with limited points between placings. Special recognition should be awarded to the students in category two who managed a clean Highsted sweep of the podium, with Poppy Smith in 3rd, Therese Boston in 2nd and Amelia Williams in 1st place. Marissa Leyden also received a silver medal in category three.

Well done to all students involved.

Highly Sprung Trampolining Championships: Sunday 11 March

Squad list for Years 8/9 and Year 11 Beginner/Intermediate categories
Shannon Birch, Katie Waller, Eleanor Walker, Lucie Breiner, Tami Alhassan, Harriet Juby, Libby Francis, Lauren Scott, Daisy O’Reilly, Martha Jenkins, Louisa Briggs

On Sunday 11 March Highsted students competed for the first time in a local trampolining competition. Over the last two years Highsted has obtained funding to develop links with a local trampolining coach Paul Hurd. This has meant the development of this sport within the school, with students showing fantastic improvements in technique. The squad were selected from the students who attended the after-school trampolining club run by Paul. The students all had varying levels of experience in the sport, with many taking the daunting challenge of competing for the first time. The competition also enabled the Year 11 students to gain vital coursework evidence for their Physical Education GCSE.

The squad had worked hard in training to master the competition routines. The girls had two chances to perform this routine at the competition, with the total of the scores counting to decide final placings. Although many of the students have developed their techniques enough to include a somersault, they opted to play it safe and perform a simpler routine. This improved their confidence and enabled them to gain more execution points with less risk of deductions.

On the day, the students were all extremely nervous but they supported each other and all had the confidence to overcome these nerves. Through the practices and feedback all students worked hard to improve their performance and the competition was extremely close with limited points between placings.

Special recognition should be awarded to the following students who managed to gain a podium position: Year 8/9 category - 3rd place Katie Waller, 2nd place Shannon Birch and 1st place Lucie Breiner; Year 11 category 3rd place Harriet Juby, 2nd place Lauren Scott and 1st placeLouisa Briggs.

Well done to all students involved.

Kent Sports Hall Athletics Finals: Monday 5 February

Following on from their success at the local event, the Year 7 & 8 indoor athletics team headed to Medway Park, Gillingham, to compete in the County finals. All of the girls had been working hard every Friday lunchtime to try and perfect their technique and give them the best possible chance of success!

All squad members had to compete across different events: two lap individual, four lap individual, eight lap Paarlauf, six lap individual, obstacle relay, 4 x 2 relay, shot, speed bounce, standing long jump, standing triple jump and the vertical jump. On what was a physically demanding event, all girls acquitted themselves fantastically.

Although neither age group were able to place in the final standings, all should be very proud of their achievements in reaching the regional finals! Well done girls!

Kent Schools’ Cross Country Championships: Saturday 20 January

Squad list
Katie Stringer (Year 8), Elena Jury (Year 11)

On Saturday 20 January Highsted students competed in the annual Kent Schools’ Cross Country Championships. A number of students showed interest in this event but unfortunately only two where able to attend the day. Both these students regularly run outside of school for local clubs and were training hard in preparation for the day.

This year, Katie Stringer moved up an age category and competed in the junior event, competing in a field of 99 other athletes from all over the county. She had to cover a distance of 3.1 km up and down hills and on a very cold and wet day. She dealt with the conditions extremely well and finished 77th in a time of 15 minutes 14 seconds.

Elena Jury competed in the intermediate event competed against students in Years 10 and 11. This was again a highly competitive field with over 60 athletes taking part. Elena ran extremely well and finishes 20th in Kent, covering the 4 km distance in a time of 16 minutes 58 seconds.

Due to Elena’s excellent final placing she has been selected to represent Kent in an upcoming Regional cross country event. We wish her the best of luck for this competition.

Well done Katie and Elena.

Kent Schools’ Swimming Championships: Saturday 13 January

Squad list and events
Tarryn Marsh (Year 7) - 100m Freestyle & 100m Backstroke
Kayla Moerman (Year 7) - 100m Butterfly & 200m Individual Medley
Isabella Holt (Year 7) - 100m Freestyle
Grace Dolman (Year 8) - 100m Butterfly & 100m Breaststroke
Ellie Waller (Year 10) - 100m Butterfly & 100m Freestyle
Matilda Durrant (Year 10) - 100m Freestyle
Mia Kirk (Year 10) - 100m Butterfly
Polly Thomas (Year 12) - 100m Butterfly

On Saturday 13 January Highsted students competed in the annual Kent Schools’ Swimming Championships. The squad is selected from the number of Highsted students who regularly swim for a club outside of school and is the only occasion for these girls to represent their school in their main sport.

All students performed extremely well on the day, with many swimming near their personal best times for their events. Tarryn Marsh, Kayla Moerman and Isabella Holt all competed for the first time in this event. Tarryn achieved two personal best times and finishing 34th in the freestyle and 25th in the backstroke. Isabella achieved 17th place in Kent for the freestyle and Kayla 14th in the butterfly and 20th in the 200m individual medley. Grace Dolman also competed in this age category and finished in 15th place in the 100m butterfly and 19th in the 100m breaststroke. This is a fantastic result as this event covers the whole of the county and the Years 7 and 8 category has a high number of competitors and heats.

Ellie Waller and Mia Kirk both competed in the 100m butterfly swimming against some outstanding national swimmers. Ellie had a final placing of 8th in Kent and Mia 16th. Ellie also competed in the 100m freestyle with Matilda Durrant. These students have a friendly rivalry so there were not only trying to perform well but also beat each other! This time Matilda piped with 8th place and Ellie finished 14th.

Finally Polly Thomas swam an excellent race and finished 5th in her 100m butterfly event, narrowly missing out on the medals.

Well done to all students involved.

U13 Football English Schools’ Cup: Thursday 14 December

Round 4: Highsted versus Thurstable School

Squad list
Daisy Lewis, Tabitha Campbell-Wroe, Freya Richardson, Katie Waller, Francesca Veal, Tarryn Marsh, Eleanor Walker, Abbie Webb, Liberty Wigglesworth

Highsted made the long journey to Tiptree in Essex to face Thurstable School in the last 64 of the English Schools’ Cup competition. Highsted got off to a slow start and found themselves 1-0 down after just two minutes. The early goal really dented the confidence of the team and they just could not get their usual game going. With the team struggling to put any passes together, Thurstable’s midfield were taking control and they soon doubled their lead. Half-time could not come quick enough as Daisy Lewis was making some fine saves to keep the score at just 2-0. At half-time the team were told they needed to go back to basics and get the ball moving, work as a team and try to get back into the game. Unfortunately, just 30 seconds into the second half Highsted conceded a penalty, which was duly converted: 3-0 and pretty much game over.

However, Highsted refused to give in and upped their game. They began working for one another, creating space, stringing passes together and deservedly got a goal back through Eleanor. With the pressure mounting and with only four minutes to go, Eleanor was inches away from grabbing her second and setting up a pulsating finish to the game. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be and as Highsted pushed forward with nothing to lose, Thurstable grabbed two late goals to end the match.

It was an uncharacteristic display from Highsted, however Daisy should be applauded for her outstanding performance in goal. This defeat ends Highsted’s run in the national cup competition, but with over 400 schools entering the competition, reaching the last 64 is an achievement to be proud of. Well done, girls!

Final score: Highsted 1; Thurstable 5

Girl of the match: Daisy Lewis

Years 7 & 8 Sports Hall Athletics Kent Qualification Competition: Monday 11 December

Squad list Year 7
Tarryn Marsh, Francesca Veal, Evie Fone, Isabel Benniman, Vanessa Adenowo, Jessica Dawes
Squad list Year 8:
Amelia Hudson, Katie Stringer, Annabel Barker, Amelia Williams, Rebecca James, Pelumi Omariola, Neve Ryan, Katie Waller

The competition was held at the Oasis Academy and was against the local schools in our area. We have been training since October for this event and were eagerly awaiting our first competition. Each squad member took part in a relay race, at least one track event and a field event. This meant that it was vital that every member of the squad to perform their best as every position earned points for the team. The competition started with the obstacle relay and this set the tone for the rest of the competition. With the rest of Highsted students cheering on, our Year 7 team stormed to victory. This was followed by the Year 8 team who also convincingly won their race. The girls then competed in the track events, with every race being won by a Highsted student, usually followed in second by their Highsted team mate. This success was then continued into the field events with all events being won by a Highsted student. The final event was the two-lap relay and with slick changeovers Highsted again triumphed. In fact both the obstacle and sprint relay times beat the times of the boys’ schools, so especially well done.

By winning this event it means that both teams will progress to represent Swale in the Kent Championships in February. The competition will be much tougher so we now need to work hard in training to ensure we perform well at the next stage.

Well done to all the girls involved.

U13 Netball: Tuesday 5 December

Highsted versus Oasis Academy

Squad list
Millie Maskell, Isabel Timms, Oakleigh Forder, Katie Waller, Eleanor Walker, Pelumi Omariola, Danielle Black, Amelia Williams, Avril Taruvinga

On Tuesday 5 December the Year 8 netball team had another convincing win, this time against Oasis Academy. Highsted started the game well and achieved a good lead in the first quarter. Spacing on the court was much better and attacking passes were accurate and easily made. Players got into good positions and were not bunched around the ball. In the second and third we started to make a few silly errors but we still dominated the game.

Our strong defence, especially in the circle meant that Oasis struggled to get the ball in their attacking third and had very few attempts to score. Our shooters also had a very strong game, all of them scoring some fantastic goals.

Further improvements can still be made in dodging and coming forward for the ball as sometimes we do rely on our height and the overhead ball. Making sure we are ball side of our ballers is also an area we will be working on in training.

Well done to all students involved. Our final match against Westlands will take place in Term 3.

Final score: Highsted 14; Oasis Academy 0

U12 Netball: Tuesday 5 December

Highsted versus Oasis Academy

Squad list
Julia Janczewska, Isabel Benniman, Isabel Carnt, Tarryn Marsh, Grace Foster, Francesca Veal, Vanessa Adenowo, Abi Aspin, Isabella Holt, Francesca Helvadjian

Year 7s have continued their season with yet another convincing win, this time against Oasis Academy. This game also saw Isabel Carnt take the court for the first time.

As Highsted had a number of players the match gave Mrs Neve the opportunity to try out lots of different combinations and we all got a chance to play different positions each quarter. Highsted dominated the play throughout the match and were strong in attack and defence no matter what the combination. Our strong circle defence meant Oasis rarely got the ball in to their attacking third.

Highsted continued to mark strongly, however we often rushed lots of our passes by playing too quickly. We started to act on the advice given to us but improvements on spacing and positioning when defending can still be made.

Well done to all students involved. Our final game against Westlands will take place in Term 3. We need one more win to secure the league title.

Final score: Highsted 6; Oasis Academy 0

U13 Netball: Tuesday 21 November

Highsted versus Sittingbourne Community College

Squad list
Millie Maskell, Isabel Timms, Breanna Gumiro, Katie Waller, Eleanor Walker, Pelumi Omariola, Danielle Black, Leah Vadher, Ella Melloy, Alecsia Torok

Due to house drama rehearsals a number of the squad selected could not make this game. This meant a number of new players had to step in at the last minute to save the day – well done Millie, Alecsia and Pelumi!

All Highsted players worked extremely hard throughout the match and achieved some fantastic marking and interceptions. Mrs Neve tried lots of different combinations, with some of the students playing a position for the first time. Whatever combination was on court we dominated the play.

The strong defence meant SCC struggled to get the ball down the court. When we had the ball we did often rush the play and need to work on dodging and coming forward for the ball, instead of asking for the overhead pass.

Special recognition should be awarded to Millie Maskell who scored some fantastic goals and Leah Vadher who played out of position in WD and achieved some brilliant interceptions.

Well done to all students involved.

Final score: Highsted 7; SCC 3

U12 Netball: Tuesday 21 November

Highsted versus Sittingbourne Community College

Squad list
Julia Janczewska, Isabel Benniman, Megan Smith-Emes, Tarryn Marsh, Grace Foster, Francesca Veal, Vanessa Adenowo, Abi Aspin, Isabella Holt

Year 7s have continued their season with another convincing win, this time against Sittingbourne Community College. This game also saw a couple of new players joining the squad and playing for the first time.

Highsted continued to mark strongly, however we often rushed lots of our passes by playing too quickly. This meant that lots of our passes were unsuccessful. Our spacing on the court had improved from the previous game but we still did struggle to dodge and come forward for the ball. This is an area we will be working on in future training sessions.

Well done to all students involved.

Final score: Highsted 7; SCC 0

U16 Kent Schools’ Football Cup: Thursday 16 November

Round 3: Highsted versus Highworth Grammar School

Squad list
Bua Clulow, Abi Hearn, Ellie Waller, Olivia Pearn, Brooke Smith, Alex Pearn, Libby Francis, Ella Hosken, Tierney Sharp, Georgia Winger, Ella Dyer, Lillie Jones

Highsted U16s travelled to Highworth well aware of the opposition’s capabilities. Highworth regularly reach the Kent finals across most age groups and Highsted tend to always meet them in the early rounds. This year the girls were determined to get the win! Knowing how much of a threat Highworth are the team set up defensively to try and stifle the opposition’s attack. Tierney Sharp was switched from upfront on to the wing in order to use her pace and nullify any threat from their right winger, whilst Ella Hosken came out of goal and played as our lone striker.

Highsted looked solid for the opening twenty minutes of the game, holding their own and looking to play the ball on the floor when in possession. However, two quick fire goals from Highworth on the half hour changed the whole complexion of the game. The confidence in the team just seemed to drain away and the first half ended 3-0. At half time the girls were told to pick their heads up and go out to win the second half. Highsted came out fighting. They were chasing every ball, making tackles, shooting whenever they had the opportunity and Ella made all the pressure pay when she scored a well-deserved goal to make the score 3-1. Despite more pressing, Highsted could not find a second goal. With legs and mind tiring, Highworth capatalised and scored two late goals, to give them a decisive win.

Despite the loss and their exit from the competition, the whole squad should be proud of their efforts. Well done, girls!

Final score: Highsted 1; Highworth 5

Girl of the match: Lillie Jones

U16 Netball: Wednesday 15 November

Highsted versus Westlands

Squad list
Arabella Muir, Ellie Waller, Ella Gray, Marissa Leyden, Chardonnay Townsend, Jess Wiesmath, Aimee Watt

On Wednesday 15 November the Year 10 netball team played an away fixture against Westlands. In KS4, the team is usually comprised of Year 10 and 11 students – we have been training as a mixed squad since September. However, Westlands requested that we just played Year 10s for this match. This gave an opportunity for some of our players to take the court for the first time this year. An injury to one of our key defenders also gave Mrs Neve the opportunity to try players in different positions.

Highsted started the game well and achieved a good lead in the first quarter. Spacing on the court was good and attacking passes were accurate and easily made. Players got into good positions and were not bunched around the ball. We dominated play in all quarters; however we often made mistakes which allowed Westlands to gain possession of the ball.

All our team defended excellently and always worked hard to either stop our opponents getting the ball or making an interception. Lots of interceptions were made but we then rushed the next pass.

As we kept changing combinations it took a while in each quarter to get settled. Rushing play was our biggest error. Even though we dominated the game the score did not reflect this. The Westlands defence started to increase the pressure on our attacking players and although we had lots of attempts at goal not all of them were scored. This was very frustrating for our shooters.

Well done to the whole squad on another win, especially to those who had to play out of position for this game.

Final score: Highsted 5; Westlands 3

U14 Netball: Wednesday 15 November

Highsted versus Westlands

Squad list
Ruth Lindo, Charlotte Broughton, Ismay Tizard, Ayo Adeyinka, Freya Jury, Gabriella Deevoy, Abbie Hales, Isabelle Breaker, Shannon Blake

On Wednesday 15 November the Year 9 netball team played an away fixture against Westlands. This fixture was originally meant to be a league match but due to Westlands having a lack of players, their team was made up of a number of Year 10 students. Therefore the fixture was just a friendly for game play practice. The league match will be rearranged for Term 3.

This match also saw a few new players joining the squad and playing for the first time this year, and gave Mrs Neve the opportunity to try players in different positions.

Throughout the match Highsted put in maximum effort and never gave up. However they often rushed the play and struggled with spacing down the court. We often got lots of interceptions but then panicked and then gave the ball away.

When we did slow the game down we started to have more accurate passes and were able to move the ball more successfully down the court. Throughout the match we did have lots of opportunities to score but were unlucky with our shots. The shooters were against some experienced defence which often meant they were shooting from the edge of the circle.

Due to our strong defending, Westlands did not have as many opportunities to score, however the ones they did have, they converted to goals.

Well done to all students involved for your hard work in this match. Especially well done to Ayo Adeyinka who was worried about playing and achieved a number of interceptions as WD. We will definitely get our own back and win next time.

Final score: Highsted 0; Westlands 4

U13 Football English Schools’ Cup: Saturday 11 November

Round 3: Highsted versus Castle View

Squad list
Daisy Lewis, Tabitha Campbell-Wroe, Freya Richardson, Katie Waller, Shannon Birch, Francesca Veal, Tarryn Marsh, Eleanor Walker, Abbie Webb, Vanessa Adenowo, Liberty Wigglesworth

After Wednesday’s disappointment in the Kent Cup, Highsted had to pick themselves up and face Castle View School, Essex, in the national cup competition. Again, after the opposition arrived an hour late, the game was limited to just 15 minutes each way. The girls were reminded not to make the same mistakes as they did just two days prior. Credit where credit is due, the girls did just that; however, that meant their attacking options were limited as they were determined to keep it tight at the back. In a half of few chances the first half ended 0-0.

As the second half got under way, Highsted went straight onto the attack; creating space, keeping possession and creating chances. Unfortunately they just couldn’t find the back of the net. With the light fading and only one minute left on the clock, the game looked destined for penalties. That was until, with just 20 seconds remaining, Highsted went on one final attack and Liberty’s shot was parried by the goalkeeper, allowing Tarryn to tap the ball into the net! 1-0 to Highsted! No sooner had Castle View restarted the game did the final whistle go. A tight game, but a victory thoroughly deserved. Highsted march on into the last 64 of the national cup competition.

Final score: Highsted 1; Castle View 0

Girl of the match: Tarryn Marsh

U13 Netball: Thursday 9 November

Highsted versus Fulston Manor

Squad list
Oakleigh Forder, Amelia Williams, Annabel Barker, Katie Waller, Eleanor Walker, Pelumi Omariola, Danielle Black, Katie Stringer, Avril Taruvinga

Year 8s have had a rocky start to their season losing their first match against Fulston Manor.

Fulston had a brilliant first half, showing some great play especially from their very tall GA!

All Highsted players worked extremely hard throughout the match and achieved some fantastic marking and interceptions. However, we were unable to convert these interceptions into goals. This was mainly because of passing errors, and this is something we will be working on in training.

Highsted didn’t give up, even after losing one of our main shooters due to an ankle injury at the start of the second quarter. This even meant some players having to play out of position for the rest of the match. The students started to listen to advice and started to eliminate some of our mistakes. This meant we drew the third quarter 1-1 and won the fourth 2-1. Unfortunately this come back was just too late in the game.

Special recognition should be awarded to Danielle Black who played her first match in defence and worked hard throughout the match and Eleanor Walker who played out of position in defence and achieved some brilliant interceptions.

Well done to all students involved.

Final score: Highsted 3; Fulston Manor 7

U12 Netball: Thursday 9 November

Highsted versus Fulston Manor

Squad list
Julia Janczewska, Isabel Benniman, Fran Helvadjian, Tarryn Marsh, Grace Foster, Francesca Veal, Vanessa Adenowo, Lizzie Appleyard, Isabella Holt

Year 7s have started this season with a convincing win over Fulston Manor. This is an especially good victory, as it was their first game playing together as a squad.

The match started very well and it was Highsted that scored the first goal to take the lead. We dominated the first quarter with the majority of possession and were able to pick of a number of good interceptions. Unfortunately not all of these interceptions were turned into a goal. We ended the first quarter 3-0 up.

As Highsted had a number of players the match gave Mrs Neve the opportunity to try out lots of different combinations and we all got a chance to play different positions each quarter. In the second and third quarter Fulston Manor started to play better, eliminating lots of their mistakes. Highsted continued to mark strongly, however we often rushed lots of our passes by playing too quickly. This meant that lots of our passes were unsuccessful and were intercepted by Fulston. We also struggled to use all the space on court and were often all crowded around the ball. This meant that the second and third quarter was much closer only winning 1-0 and 1-0. Our final quarter was much stronger and we again started to have the majority of the possession and pulled away with a 3-0 win.

Special recognition should be awarded to Isabel Benniman who scored some fantastic goals and was a dominant attacking player and Francesca Veal who played out of position in defence and achieved some brilliant interceptions.

Well done to all students involved.

Final score: Highsted 8; Fulston Manor 0

U14 Kent Schools’ Netball Tournament: Tuesday 7 November

Squad list
Ruth Lindo, Mia Thomas, Cerys Evans, Freya Jury, Gabriella Deevoy, Charlotte Broughton, Isabelle Breaker, Summer Laird, Shreya Jagannatha, Hannah Forster

Selection for this competition was tough, as students in this year group consistently turn up for practice and have been working hard. Unfortunately though some players had to miss out on this occasion. Many of the players do not compete outside of school so the girls knew this event would be a challenge. Last year at U13 level the competition was really tough so our aim for the day was to improve and play better netball than we have done previously.

The day started extremely well and in our first two matches we took an early lead. The matches were tightly fought and we narrowly missed out on a win on both occasion losing 3-4. Our team were extremely positive throughout the day and clearly acted upon the advice given to them. All combinations worked hard and never gave up during a match. The next few matches were also extremely close, we often had much more possession of the ball and had many more attempts on goal but unfortunately the ball just didn’t go in. This was evident in the match against Invicta where we lost 0-1. The students were disappointed as they felt they had the opportunity to win a couple of these matches but made silly errors under pressure. Hopefully with more match experience we can eradicate these mistakes.

Well done to the whole squad, everyone played really well and as a team we played much better than we did last year as we were competitive and putting up a fight in every game.

Special recognition should be awarded to Mia Thomas who was voted players’ player as she played in every match and whose effort never dwindled in defence.

U13 Kent Schools’ Football Cup: Friday 3 November

Round 2: Highsted versus Marsh Academy

Squad list
Daisy Lewis, Tabitha Campbell-Wroe, Freya Richardson, Katie Waller, Shannon Birch, Francesca Veal, Tarryn Marsh, Eleanor Walker, Abbie Webb, Grace Foster, Vanessa Adenowo, Liberty Wigglesworth, Isabel Benniman

Highsted suffered a shock defeat in the second round of the Kent Cup. With the opposition arriving late to the game and due to the fading light, the game was limited to just 15 minutes each half. Due to this, the instructions were clear; do not concede an early goal as there would be little time to turn the game around! Unfortunately, this did not go to plan as within five minutes Highsted had let in two sloppy goals and found themselves with a mountain to climb. Things did not get any better and before half time they were trailing 3-0. Despite a rallying half-time team talk, Highsted just could not find their passing game and disappointingly lost the match. That result ended the U13s run in the Kent Cup for this academic year.

Final score: Highsted 0; Marsh Academy 3

Girl of the match: Eleanor Walker

U18 Kent Schools’ Football Cup: Friday 3 November

Round 1: Highsted versus Rochester Grammar School

Squad list
Reann Mullins, Megan Palmer, Meryl Wearing-Moore, Scarlett Meade, Abi Knowles, Lily Beak, Maria Doria, Amber Webster, Maisie Pollock, Holly Jones, Emily Phillips

With a squad of players who hadn’t played a 90-minute match of football for a long time, Highsted travelled to Rochester with hope rather than expectation. The girls were determined to go out and put in the effort and get the result they believed they were capable of.

As the game kicked off the team were full of enthusiasm. They were chasing balls down, looking to play to feet and encouraging each other at every opportunity. Highsted earned themselves a corner and as the ball was swung into the box, no one was more surprised than Amber herself when she hit the ball sweetly into the top corner! 1-0 to Highsted! It was an even game and Highsted were desperate to see out the end of the first half with their lead still intact. Unfortunately, this wasn’t meant to be as Rochester grabbed an equaliser just before the break. With the game evenly poised, there was all to play for in the second half.

As the second half was played out, the lack of fitness began to show in the Highsted team. They began to miss tackles and be second to every ball. It wasn’t long before Rochester took control and went into a 4-1 lead. Not to be beaten, Highsted refused to give up and battled until the end, with Maria grabbing a consolation goal.

A good effort from all involved, but it wasn’t meant to be! Well done, girls!

Final score: Highsted 2; Rochester 4

Girl of the match: Maria Doria

U16 Kent Schools’ Football Cup: Thursday 19 October

Round 2: Highsted versus Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School

Squad list
Bua Clulow, Abi Hearn, Ellie Waller, Olivia Pearn, Brooke Smith, Alex Pearn, Libby Francis, Marissa Leyden, Tierney Sharp, Georgia Winger, Ella Dyer

Having had a bye in the first round, this was the U16s first game of the season. With a shortage of players available, the team travelled to Faversham with only the bare 11. The team started with a conservative line up, playing only Tierney up front, whose job was to use her pace and put pressure on the opposition’s defence. Highsted started the game well and were looking to pass to feet at every opportunity. Libby was fantastic in winning the ball in midfield, while Georgia was always an attacking threat running through the middle. It wasn’t long before Highsted took the lead, with Georgia and Libby combining to make the breakthrough after ten minutes. QE posed little threat going forward and the first half ended 1-0.

At half time Highsted were encouraged to show more composure on the ball and make the pitch bigger by switching play. Tierney’s constant running up front finally got it’s just rewards when a pass from Ella Dyer fell to her feet and she smashed it onto the bottom corner; 2-0! Highsted should have gone on to get a few more, however unfortunately Ellie Waller was forced off through injury, which meant Highsted had to play the last 20 minutes with only ten players. The extra player finally showed for QE when they managed to overload us in an attack and pull a goal back with five minutes remaining. In what should have been a comfortable win, it made for a nervous end to the game. However Abi Hearn, Brooke Smith and Olivia Pearn were solid in defence and the game ended 2-1.

Highsted now progress into the third round, with an away tie to Highworth Grammar School.

Final score: Highsted 2; Queen Elizabeth’s 1

Girl of the match: Libby Francis

U14 Football English Schools’ Cup: Tuesday 17 October

Round 2: Highsted versus Eastwood Academy

Squad list
Daisy Lewis, Shannon Birch, Charlotte Broughton, Katie Waller, Freya Richardson, Lois Hall, Niamh Davidson, Eleanor Walker, Ella Taylor, Lucie Breiner, Freya Jury, Liberty Wrigglesworth, Ismay Tizard, Allicia Uren

Highsted were given a tough secondround draw away to Essex champions, the Eastwood Academy, in the national cup competition. However, the girls travelled there full of confidence following their recent win in the Kent Cup. To try and nullify their obvious threats, Freya Jury was moved into defence in order that she could utilise her pace and stop any attacks. As the game began it became quite apparent just how strong Eastwood were. They were creating space and switching play with real flair. But, Highsted stuck to their game plan and settled into the match. Lucie Breiner was covering every inch of the pitch to put pressure on the opposition, while Ella Taylor was picking up any loose balls and looking to set Highsted on the attack. Highsted’s defence were cancelling out any Eastwood attack, until two lapses of concentration saw Eastwood score two goals, which from Highsted’s point of view, were very sloppy. That did not knock their confidence though and instead reignited them into pulling a well-deserved goal back before the break.

As the second half started the instructions were to keep it tight and do nothing silly in the first 10 minutes. However, 90 seconds into the second half and Highsted conceded a penalty… 3-1 and seemingly game over. The girls looked defeated and as the game wore on naturally the team became tired. However, that did not stop them from working as a team, chasing second balls, throwing themselves into tackles and looking to break away whenever possible. Unfortunately, Highsted couldn’t find a way back into the game and late on Eastwood grabbed a final goal.

The whole team were outstanding and gave the current Essex champions a tough game. Although it is never nice to lose, the team should hold their heads high. This result sees the U14s bow out of the English Schools’ Cup; however they still remain in the Kent Cup.

Final score: Highsted 1; Eastwood 4

Girl of the match: Charlotte Broughton

U13 Football English Schools’ Cup: Wednesday 11 October

Round 2: Highsted versus Woodlands School

Squad list
Daisy Lewis, Tabitha Campbell-Wroe, Freya Richardson, Katie Waller, Francesca Veal, Tarryn Marsh, Eleanor Walker, Abbie Webb, Vanessa Adenowo, Liberty Wrigglesworth, Isabel Benniman

Highsted U13s produced a display full of grit, determination and real quality to win their tough second round fixture against the Woodlands School, Essex. Within the opening minutes of the game it became apparent that the opposition were a well organised and talented team. However, Highsted stuck to their game plan with Libby pressing high up front and Eleanor and Fran providing all the running in midfield. A mistake from Woodlands’ defence led to an opening, from which Tarryn slotted the ball home to give Highsted the lead. It was obvious that the number 12 from the opposition was looking to run the game, so Highsted’s tactics changed with Fran given the job of man-marking her. The first half ended 1-0.

The half time team talk revolved around keeping things exactly as they were. Hard work, team work and taking the chances when they arrived. Unfortunately, despite warnings, the opposition’s number 12 scored within two minutes of the restart. Picking the ball up in her own half and driving all the way to Daisy’s goal before unleashing a thunderous shot into the top corner; 1-1, game on! For the next twenty minutes Highsted took control, winning the ball in midfield, driving forward but just unable to make the chances count. Highsted’s defence were outstanding in clearing any danger that came their way, allowing the attacking players to create chances up front. With seemingly every decision going against Highsted, and the game looking destined for extra time, Liberty Wrigglesworth fired Highsted into a well-deserved lead with just three minutes remaining, to the absolute despair of The Woodlands. Highsted then put the icing on top of the cake by scoring another two goals in the final two minutes; Liberty grabbing her second and Eleanor smashing home the fourth!

An unbelievable performance from all involved and Highsted move on to Round 3 of the national cup competition.

Final score: Highsted 4; Woodlands 1

Girl of the match: Liberty Wrigglesworth

U16 Netball: Tuesday 10 October

Highsted versus Oasis Academy

Squad list
Arabella Muir, Georgina Bostock, Alice Hutchinson, Libby Francis, Chardonnay Townsend, Katie Bostock, Kara Atkinson, Imogen Townsend

The U16 netball team played their second league match against Oasis Academy and they continued their winning streak. This is a new squad and was the first time many of these students have played together.

All our team defended excellently and always worked hard to either stop our opponents getting the ball or making an interception. Lots of interceptions were made but we then rushed the next pass. This meant that the pass was inaccurate and we often lost possession. When we slowed down the game and our passing, players could get into better positions and receive an accurate pass. This is something we will be working on in future training sessions.

Well done to the whole squad on another fantastic win.

Final score: Highsted 9; Oasis Academy 0

U14 Netball: Tuesday 10 October

Highsted versus Oasis Academy

Squad list
Ruth Lindo, Hannah Forster, Shreya Jagannatha, Summer Laird, Freya Jury, Gabriella Deevoy, Abbie Hales, Isabelle Breaker

Year 9s have continued their season with another win, this time against Oasis Academy.

In the second and third quarter Oasis started to play better, eliminating lots of their mistakes and putting much more pressure on our players. Highsted continued to mark strongly, however we often rushed lots of our passes by playing too quickly. This meant that lots of our passes were unsuccessful and were intercepted by Oasis.

Spacing on the court and rushing play was our biggest issue throughout the game and this meant the game was a lot closer than what Mrs Neve would have liked! We were often all crowded around the ball and not concentrating on our job within the team. This is something we will be working on in future training sessions.

In the final quarter, with Mrs Neve shouting, we slowed down our passing, meaning our players could get into good positions and receive an accurate pass, enabling the team to secure a comfortable win.

Well done to all students involved.

Final score: Highsted 7; Oasis 5

U14 Kent Schools’ Football Cup: Monday 9 October

Round 1: Highsted versus Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School

Squad list
Daisy Lewis, Tabitha Campbell-Wroe, Freya Richardson, Katie Waller, Shannon Birch, Breanna Gumiro, Francesca Veal, Tarryn Marsh, Eleanor Walker, Abbie Webb, Grace Foster, Vanessa Adenowo, Liberty Wigglesworth, Isabel Benniman

Highsted’s U13s dug out a hard fought victory against Queen Elizabeth’s to take them into the second round of the Kent Cup. Switching from nine-a-side in the ESFA to eleven-a-side in the Kent Cup took some adjusting and players had to switch positions in a new formation. Highsted took the lead after 10 minutes, good pressing from Liberty caused panic in the QE defence and somehow Liberty managed to poke the ball over the line. It was a scrappy game and Highsted couldn’t get their usual passing game going as QE looked to press the ball at every opportunity. After 20 minutes QE sent a long ball over the top which their forward managed to run on to and slot past Daisy in goal. The first half ended 1-1.

At half time Highsted decided to put three up front in order to create more goal scoring opportunities; and that is exactly what happened from the moment the second half started. Highsted were putting constant pressure on the QE goal and if it wasn’t for their outstanding GK Highsted could have had three early second half goals. Just when it looked like QE were going to frustrate Highsted, Eleanor Walker and Francesca Veal both scored sensational goals from outside the area, within a couple of minutes of each other, to give Highsted a comfortable 3-1 lead. For the rest of the game Daisy and our defence remained untroubled while Highsted searched for more goals. However, the score remained 3-1 and Highsted now go on to play Marsh Academy in the second round.

Final score: Highsted 3; Queen Elizabeth’s 1

Girl of the match: Eleanor Walker

U13 Football English Schools’ Cup: Tuesday 3 October

Round 1: Highsted versus Valley Park

Squad list
Daisy Lewis, Tabitha Campbell-Wroe, Freya Richardson, Katie Waller, Shannon Birch, Hannah Pridmore, Francesca Veal, Tarryn Marsh, Eleanor Walker, Abbie Webb, Grace Foster, Vanessa Adenowo, Liberty Wrigglesworth, Isabel Benniman

Highsted’s U13s put on a magnificent performance to win their first game of the season, with a 12-0 victory away at Valley Park School. With the Year 7s playing their first competitive game for Highsted, they oozed confidence and it didn’t take them long to link up well allowing Francesca Veal to score her first goal for Highsted. Francesca soon took control of the midfield and was pulling all the strings. It didn’t take long before she scored a second, due to a mistake by the opposition’s goal keeper. However, there was no doubt about the quality of her third as she hit a sweet strike into the bottom corner from the edge of the box. Highsted went from strength to strength and just when it seemed the ball would never go in for Liberty Wrigglesworth, she hit a five-minute hat-trick to secure a 6-0 lead at the break.

Going into half time with such a healthy lead allowed the team to utilise their five subs; to make sure everyone got some playing time. Every single player that came on worked hard and allowed the team to continue playing flowing football. Tabitha and the captain, Katie Waller, were superb in defence at breaking up play, allowing Highsted to mount another attack. It wasn’t long before substitute, Vanessa Adenowo, grabbed two goals in her first game for Highsted. The result was wrapped up with a further great strike from Francesca, her fourth of the game, a hat-trick goal for Vanessa and Highsted’s 12th goal coming from Abbie Webb.

A fantastic result which sees Highsted play the Woodlands School, Essex, in Round 2.

Final score: Highsted 12; Valley Park 0

Girl of the match: Francesca Veal

U16 Netball: Thursday 28 September

Highsted versus Fulston Manor

Squad list
Arabella Muir, Georgina Bostock, Ella Gray, Libby Francis, Jessica Wiesmath, Katie Bostock, Elena Jury, Jaycee Hopper, Lauren Scott, Daisy O’Reilly

The U16 netball team played their first league match against Fulston Manor School and achieved a first win of the season. This is a new squad and was the first time many of these students have played together.

Highsted started the game well and achieved a good lead in the first quarter. Spacing on the court was good and attacking passes were accurate and easily made. Players got into good positions and were not bunched around the ball. In the second and third quarter Fulston put a lot more pressure on our players and our squad started to make silly mistakes. This meant the game was a lot closer than what Mrs Neve would have liked!

All our team defended excellently and always worked hard to either stop our opponents getting the ball or making an interception. Lots of interceptions were made but we then rushed the next pass. This meant that the pass was inaccurate and we often lost possession, giving Fulston the chance to get back into the game. In the final quarter, with Mrs Neve shouting, we slowed down our passing, meaning our players could get into good positions and receive an accurate pass. This meant that we dominated the fourth quarter and won the match convincingly.

Well done to all the students involved.

Special recognition should be awarded to Arabella Muir who started blocking her opponent out of the circle for the first time and to Georgina Bostock who showed fantastic dominance in the attacking circle hardly missing a shot.

Final score: Highsted 11; Fulston Manor 6

U14 Netball: Thursday 28 September

Highsted versus Fulston Manor School

Squad list
Ruth Lindo, Mia Thomas, Shreya Jagannatha, Summer Laird, Freya Jury, Gabriella Deevoy, Charlotte Broughton, Ismay Tizard, Ayo Adeyinka, Isabelle Breaker

Year 9s have started this season with a convincing win over Fulston Manor. This is an especially good victory, as last season we only narrowly beat them with a 5-3 win.

As Highsted had a number of players the match gave Mrs Neve the opportunity to try out lots of different combinations and we all got a chance to play different positions each quarter. In the second and third quarter Fulston Manor started to play better, eliminating lots of their mistakes. Highsted continued to mark strongly, however we often rushed lots of our passes by playing too quickly. This meant that lots of our passes were unsuccessful and were intercepted by Fulston. We also struggled to dodge and get away from our players which made it hard to get the ball towards our shooters. This meant that the second and third quarter was much closer only winning 3-1 and 2-0. Our final quarter was much stronger and we again started to have the majority of the possession and pulled away with a 4-0 win.

Well done to all students involved.

Special recognition should be awarded to Charlotte Broughtonwho had an outstanding match, getting into good attacking positions throughout the game and scoring some fantastic goals.

Final score: Highsted 13; Fulston Manor 1

U19 Kent Schools’ Netball Tournament: Wednesday 27 September

Squad list
Bronwyn Price, Holly Jones, Emily Crompton, Emily Phillips, Mckenzie Forder, Katie Bigland, Katie Masters, Alice Day, Abi Bradley

Being a new squad this was the first opportunity for the students to compete as a team. Many of the players do not compete outside of school so the girls knew this event would be a challenge. Last year at U16 level the competition was really tough so our aim for the day was to improve and play better netball than we have done previously. The day started with our toughest match against Sevenoaks School and although we did play well we found the pace really fast and lost. This team was extremely talented and won all their matches throughout the day with ease. Our team were extremely positive throughout the day and clearly acted upon the advice given to them. All combinations worked hard and never gave up during a match.

The next six matches were much closer, with Highsted being much more competitive and having good possession of the ball. Inaccurate passing was our major error but we eventually started using Katie Master’s height to our advantage and perfected the high ball in to the circle. When we did get the ball to our shooters they did not let us down and scored lots of goals. The students were disappointed as they felt they had the opportunity to win a couple of these matches but made silly errors under pressure. Hopefully with more match experience we can eradicate these mistakes.

Well done to the whole squad, everyone played really well and as a team we played much better than we did last year as we were competitive and putting up a fight in every game.

Special recognition should be awarded to Bronwyn Price and Holly Jones who played in every match and whose effort never dwindled in defence. Both were key players and had major impact on the games.

U14 Kent Schools’ Football Cup: Monday 25 September

Round 1: Highsted versus Rainham Mark Grammar School

Highsted started the new football season with an emphatic win over Rainham Mark Grammar School. With pretty much the same squad as last season, Highsted knew they had a great chance of winning the game. Highsted’s dominance was obvious from the start, with them creating numerous chances within the first 10 minutes. Lucie Breiner eventually put them into the lead, before Niamh Davidson doubled the lead with a fine strike from inside the box. The half-time score line of 2-0 was not reflective of Highsted’s dominance.

In the second half, with the home side tiring, Highsted were pushing forward at ease and splitting open the Rainham defence time and time again. Thankfully, HIghsted were more clinical with their finishing in the second half. Lucie scored a second half hat-trick, while Niamh grabbed her second of the game. Liberty was also unlucky not to get on the score sheet.

All round, a great display and Highsted look forward to their second round fixture against either the Abbey School or Charles Dickens.

Final score: Highsted 6; Rainham Mark 0

Girls of the match: Niamh Davidson and Lucie Breiner.