Due to rising demand from prospective pupils, Bryanston School has confirmed that football has become a core sport for boys as of this September.
Each term pupils will be able to focus on one of seven principal sports – rugby, hockey, equestrian, netball, cricket, rowing and now football – as well as a secondary sport such as cross-country, athletics, tennis, kayaking and swimming.
The independent school in Dorset said this enables pupils to experience multiple sports or to focus exclusively on a key sport, where training and coaching prepares pupils for the playing season and competitions.
Bryanston School said there has been a growing interest in football among female pupils over the past few years, and senior girls at the school will continue to have the option to select football as their secondary sport in the spring term.
The school has continued to develop its training and coaching resources in football and is now in talks with partners to add further impetus to the sport’s new status in the future.
Alex Fermor-Dunman, director of sport at Bryanston School, said: “Football is certainly not new to Bryanston. It has always proved popular within our co-curricular programme and as a secondary sport and we’ve held a number of successful football camps as part of our holiday club programme.
“However, elevating football to become one of the school’s core sports is a significant step for us to take and we have no doubt this will prove to be a very popular move for both existing and prospective pupils. Indeed, the feedback from pupils and parents has been extremely positive.”
Bryanston School is now a member of the Independent Schools Football Association (ISFA) and will be taking part in their premier competition, the Boodle Cup. There are over 100 senior and prep schools registered with the ISFA.
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