December Newsletter
Boys Football
The year 8 football team fought well in the 5th Round of the national cup against Fulham boy’s school holding them to 1-0 at half time after scoring a free kick from the edge of the box. The second half was tough allowing their Arsenal academy midfielder too much time on the ball allowing him to dribble into space and spread the ball to their wingers.
The team held their heads high with Alfie W being man of the match after some incredible saves. Score finished 5-1 to Fulham boys. We look forward to the start of our district cup campaign after christmas.
The Year 9 boys recently played in the local Broxbourne tournament. This was a great opportunity to give squad members a game who don’t usually play for the first team. The boys performed very well, beating Broxbourne School in the first game 2-1 and just losing out to a strong Goffs team 2-0 in the second game. Thomas H was player of the tournament performing very well in midfield. The boys now look forward to January and both the District Cup and Saturday football.
Girls Football
I am incredibly proud of the dedication and hard work shown by all of our girls’ football teams this year. Every single player has demonstrated exceptional commitment to training and matches. Their enthusiasm and teamwork have truly been inspiring, and it’s clear that each team has grown not only in skill but also in spirit. Whether on the field or during practice, the players have shown a true passion for the game and a strong desire to improve.
Looking ahead to the new year, we are excited about the upcoming fixtures and the opportunity for the year 7s to get the chance to showcase their commitment and passion for football in the fixtures in the new. We’re confident that the girls will continue to impress, and we can’t wait to see all their hard work pay off on the pitch. Here’s to another great year of football!
Rugby
The Year 7 Rugby team played against a strong well structured Haileybury school team. After conceding the first try within a few minutes we put in some strong tackles and linked up some fantastic passing creating gaps in the Haileybury defence leading to some excellent break away tries. The final score finished with SBS losing 4-7 tries.
Our Year 8 team came back to face a much strengthened Haileybury side compared to last year. However, the year 8’s commitment to training has shown off with some incredible linking up and excellent work within the defensive line. The result came Simon Balles way again with more tries than could be counted. We look forward to our other games after the christmas break.
Netball
During this term the girls have been showing off their skills during training. With not many matches this term, training has been filled with fun drills and games to keep the girls fitness levels high and enthusiasm for playing netball strong. Each week they are showcasing their teamwork and commitment to playing netball for our school by coming to training consistently. After Christmas there are lots of potential matches for everyone to participate in and as a department, we can’t wait to see what Year 7 netball has in store for the students.
This term, our Year 8 and Year 10 netball teams have been showcasing their skills and teamwork in the Herts County School Netball Cup. After an intense first half of the competition, the Year 8 team proudly secured 2nd place in their pool, while the Year 10 team achieved an impressive 3rd place. Both teams have made significant progress, demonstrating excellent development and cohesion on the court. As we move into the new year, we eagerly await the announcement of our opponents for the second round. Well done to all players for their hard work and dedication so far—keep it up!
In the new year, each year group will have the exciting opportunity to participate in the district netball tournament. At Simon Balle, we take great pride in always entering a minimum of two teams for these events, reflecting the enthusiasm and commitment of our players. These tournaments provide an excellent platform for the teams to put into practice everything they have worked on throughout the term, showcasing their development and teamwork in a competitive environment. We can’t wait to see how they perform!
Basketball
Year 8 have started training well over this half term and we look forward to the start of our games in January.
Attendance at after-school Basketball training for Year 9 has been excellent and students are preparing for their first match of the season away to Chauncy on Tuesday 17th December.
Y10 played Chauncy and Freeman College in the district league. In year 10 the competition was very strong and despite very spirited performances on both occasions the team lost both games. Training will continue up until xmas
The senior basketball team has been in action this month, with new players coming into the team, it has been fantastic to see how positively they are growing as a team and working hard for each other.
The senior team has enjoyed a really positive start by beating a very strong Freman College by 33-31. The boys were then narrowly beaten 34-31 in the District competition at the semi-final stage by an impressive Chauncy school team featuring many high level players. The team showed amazing levels of determination and the game swung back and forth several times before the end. A special mention must go to Lucas N who led by example for the team, scoring, assisting and working hard on defence. I have been very impressed by the team’s attitude and I look forward to more games in the future.
Year 11 fixtures should start in the District competition after Christmas and we have high hopes for them progressing into the latter stages.
Interhouse
The inter house sports competition this term was an exciting showcase of talent and teamwork. The teamspirit and sportsmanship displayed by each form, across each year group, was commendable and showed a great sense of community across the school.
Girls Football Tournament
| Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | Year 10 | |
| 1st | New | Rib | Ashbourne | Lea |
| 2nd | Mimram | Ashbourne | Beane | Beane |
| 3rd | Ashbourne | Mimram | Lea | Rib |
| 4th | Rib | Lea | Mimram | New |
| 5th | Lea | New | Rib | Ashbourne |
| 6th | Beane | Beane | New | Mimram |
Boys Football Tournament
| Year 7 | Year 8 | Year 9 | Year 10 | |
| 1st | Beane | New | Rib | Beane |
| 2nd | Mimram | Lea | Lea | Ashbourne |
| 3rd | Lea | Beane | Beane | Lea |
| 4th | Ashbourne | Mimram | Mimram | Rib |
| 5th | New | Ashbourne | Ashbourne | Mimram |
| 6th | Rib | Rib | New | New |
The overall scores of inter house across all years are:
In 1st place is … Lea
In 2nd place is … Beane
In 3rd place .. New
In 4th place … Rib
In 5th place … Ashbourne
In 6th place … Mimram
Congratulations to Lea who are the overall winner!
Sporting Success
A huge congratulations to Nathalie W, year 7, for her incredible achievement in the Badminton England Under 13 Girls Doubles event. Competing against top talent from across the country, she secured a silver medal—a testament to her hard work, skill, and dedication to the sport.
Nathalie commented the following about the event: ‘There were many amazing doubles pairings and it was amazing to watch some of the girls play while I watched from the sidelines of some of the matches. Many children came so there were lots of great matches to watch while I waited to play again. And it was inspiring to see how amazingly some girls played. The atmosphere of the tournament was tense yet also full of excitement.’
We are immensely proud of Nathalie’s success and can’t wait to see her continue to thrive in her badminton journey.
Upcoming Sports Events
- District Indoor Athletics Championships – Monday 20th January 2025
- Sportshall Athletics – Takes place in Jan & Feb 2025
- Herts Schools Cross Country Championships
- Primary – Saturday 1st February 2025, St. Margaret’s School, Bushey
- Secondary – Saturday 1st February 2025 (Westminster Lodge)
