More Than a Game: How Sydenham & Dulwich Girls is Cultivating Lifelong Skills and Resilience through sport
Over the past few months we have seen women play tennis at Queens for the first time in 50 years, the Lionesses retain their Euros trophy, the Red Roses win the Women’s Rugby World Cup, and the women’s Cricket World Cup get underway. It is a joy to watch these role models showcase the best of women’s sport.
From my perspective as Director of Sport, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is to get girls moving and to keep them engaged in sports, not just for their physical health but for their future success. New research from Public First showing girls who play after-school sports are 50% more likely to land top jobs later in life, comparable in its long-term benefits to a university degree, reinforces what we already believe at Sydenham & Dulwich Girls. It’s a powerful validation that sport gives our students the resilience, confidence, and adaptability they’ll need to handle pressure and bounce back from setbacks in any career. However, Temple University research notes that the valuable leadership skills gained from playing sport requires positive, gender-specific coaching to tackle the unconscious bias which sees conflict between ‘masculine’ leadership traits and the engrained stereotypes of appropriate behaviour for young women leading to girls masking their leadership traits in certain contexts. As an all-girls school, we are highly proficient in supporting the nuanced needs of girls and, here, every leadership role is taken up by a girl.
Considering the benefits of sport also brings into sharp focus a persistent issue: the well-documented decline in sports participation among teenage girls, often driven by body image concerns and deeply ingrained gender stereotypes which overshadow the joy of sport. As Stephanie Hilborne OBE, Chief Executive of Women in Sport, states “Too many girls are missing out the joy of sport and its benefits to their mental and physical health, academic and career achievement.” While statistics show that many girls across the country disengage from physical activity, Sydenham & Dulwich Girls is a place where they are encouraged to embrace it, ensuring they are not just developing as athletes, but as confident, resilient, and well-rounded individuals ready to take on the world.
At Sydenham & Dulwich Girls, our message is clear: sport is for everyone, and we are determined to ensure every student has the opportunity to discover and sustain a lifelong love for physical activity.
Our “sport for all” approach actively encourages participation in every way we can, targeting girls at every level of interest and ability. This means offering a wide range of activities—from rowing to trampolining—to ensure every student finds something they genuinely enjoy. For us, PE is a core part of the curriculum for all students up to Year 13 because we believe so strongly in the mental, social, and wellbeing benefits that support academic success. Our ‘no trials’ policy means that all girls get the chance to play and the fluidity of our squads means that those who maybe join us having had limited exposure to sporting disciplines, but show increasing talent and ability, can move into the top teams. We also offer initiatives like the early bird running club (#nogirlisleftbehind), led by our Assistant Head, as well as our ‘come and play’ games sessions, to encourage a low-pressure way to stay active. Our strength and conditioning programme is an important part of our provision, especially for our elite athletes, and all girls are able to participate in a wealth of recreational sports such as yoga, badminton, table tennis and fitness among others.
Beyond the tangible health benefits, as a school we recognise that sports are a vital vehicle for cultivating essential life skills. Participation in team sports fosters communication, leadership, and teamwork, while the inherent challenges of competition build resilience and determination. In an age dominated by screens, sports offer a crucial opportunity for balance, where students can engage in the non-tech world, promoting social connectivity and mental well-being alongside physical fitness. Our commitment to these principles is demonstrated through initiatives like Sports Scholarships, which not only support sporting development but also an opportunity for leadership and to be an ambassador for sport in the school.
For our elite athletes, we provide a Most Able & Talented (MAT) and High Performance Programme (HPP) that allows them to balance their sport with their academic commitments. We are used to supporting elite athletes, and adapt students’ academic timetables to accommodate the rigorous training and competition schedules, allowing them to excel in both their sport and their studies. Be that supporting an English Schools runner, county hockey player, international fencer, national cricket or football academy star, we ensure our dedicated programmes and support allow them to perform at the highest level. Over the years we have seen alumnae go on to achieve fantastic sporting success from representing the nation to setting up grass roots clubs to encourage more girls into sport. More over, those who played sport at school have utilised the skills of leadership and resilience to build careers across all industries, unapologetically powered by their r time playing sport at school. It’s our strong culture of encouragement, support, and opportunity that helps our girls fall in love with sport, and stay in love with it, long after they leave our school.
Jenny Matthews, Director of Sport