Additional Sport

Tennis is an immensely popular sport on both a competitive and recreational level at St Lawrence College. Although primarily a summer term sport, the College has floodlit tennis courts, which enable teams or individuals to train throughout the year.

Tennis is enjoyed by both girls and boys at the school and teams train three sessions a week. Many individuals make use of the vast number of courts in their own free time during the summer months and we actively encourage staff and parents to use the courts outside school hours. School matches are played in the doubles format, so from an early age all pupils are encouraged to do the same in training. It is not unusual on a Saturday afternoon to see over twenty tennis courts in use for either competitive matches or recreational games sessions.

Badminton is a popular option for Y11 to Y13 students and with five courts, many students can participate all year round. Many pupils play badminton for recreational purposes, but we also have an elite group which make up the squad who train and play against other schools throughout Kent such as Sevenoaks School, King’s School Rochester and King’s School Canterbury. We enter the School Sports Magazine U14 & U16 National competitions for both boys and girls where our established players compete. We often also encourage Boarders to take up badminton in their free time in their evenings on a recreational basis.

Further down the school, badminton is proving to be increasingly popular, thanks to the fantastic facilities in the Sports Hall and we offer badminton across every year group throughout the academic year.

Athletics at St Lawrence College is there for all, regardless of ability. Running, jumping and throwing comprise the core skills for most competitive and recreational sports, so participation enhances a pupil’s all-round sporting performance.

Cross-country in the Michaelmas term focuses on building a sound aerobic base. The inter-house fixture provides a starting point from which future goals are set. Specialised training programmes and development plans, tailored to the individual athlete, are a natural extension. Coaching is athlete-centred, with pupils encouraged to adopt a discovery approach to their own training.

We compete against other schools at the Thanet Secondary Schools’ Championships. In recent years we have had many pupils represent Thanet at the Kent Schools’ Cross-country Championships.

During the Lent term, our athletes begin more specialised training in event groups working towards summer track and field competition. The Sports Hall facilitates event-specific strength and conditioning sessions to complement technical training, especially for throw and jump disciplines.

In the Summer term, our inter-house Sports Day is eagerly anticipated and hotly contested where we actively encourage all pupils to partake and represent their House.

Those athletes thought capable of attaining AAA National Standards are encouraged to enter graded open events via our established links with local clubs. The Kent Schools’ and Inter-County events provide a progressive pathway towards the National Schools’ Championships for pupils achieving the respective track & field qualifying standards. Recent leaver Lily Murray represented England at the England Athletics U20’s & U23’s World Junior Championships in 2023.

Above all, athletics at St Lawrence College emphasises enjoyment of the sport and long-term athlete development. Those who pursue the sport will find a supportive environment in which to develop their potential fully.

Basketball is a very popular recreational sport and many boys are passionate about it, especially in the boarding houses. Matches are played in the Sports Hall but, when the weather is good, students can often be seen in the late afternoon sunshine practising on the outdoor spaces.

We are continuing to develop our basketball programme and hope to offer weekly practice sessions for both Juniors and Seniors along with competitive fixtures.

As a great way to get fit, compete, or just have fun, squash is becoming more and more popular at St Lawrence. Played by more than 500,000 people in England every month, the only equipment needed is a ball, racket, a pair of non-marking sports shoes and, protective eyewear.

The College has two squash courts in the Sports Centre. As a Games option, it is available in all three terms to Y11 to Y13 pupils. Recreational squash, however, is available to both junior and senior players and can be played all-year-round as an optional activity and in free time during the opening hours of the Sports Centre.

Squash matches are planned and an inter-house squash competition is held in the Lent term, giving a number of players the chance to experience competitive squash.