Can state educated children compete on the playing field?

This is not going to be a private education versus state education ranty post.  There is a place for them but not today. I have a very talented daughter, well I have three talented children but for the sake of this post I am talking about the eldest, my millenium baby, my fifteen year old.

Chloe was identified at primary school as being very able in sport, she would try everything and she would generally do rather well at it. Whether it was rounders, running, trampolining, hockey or cricket she would have a go and find herself excelling. Over the years at secondary school she was quickly picked up by the sports staff and involved in everything. Despite breaking bones she keeps going and now it is hockey that she has placed as her number one sport. Hockey is so different from when I was at school and thankfully there is now a well established scouting programme. Children can be picked out by their school and recommended for Junior Development Centres, at this level they receive extra coaching and then some children will be selected for Junior Academy Centres which if they again show promise will be put forward in-front of Junior Regional Performance Centres. Yesterday saw us with two other state school friends at that trial. Chloe wore her Gloucestershire hoody with pride.

During the eight matches Chloe was watched by England Hockey assessors.  She looked at their jackets and clothes that were sporting England Hockey and I knew what she was thinking!  She wants that top one day!

However there was also a reality check – Chloe and her friends were very much in the minority as state educated hockey players.  Whilst it is not about envy as such I do wander what her chances would be if she went to a specialist private school that was heavily focussed on sport.  Chloe gets much less hockey coaching than her team mates, the facilities she has are not comparable and whilst the assessors are looking for potential and not the finished player it is hard to see how private schooling does not give others an advantage.

As we sat in the warm in the building used as a resting place there is an impressive roll call on the walls of both girls and boys that had attended Millfield and then gone on to represent their country from England and Wales to Germany and Japan.

I watched as Chloe played her guts out and I am so proud of her for getting to where she did yesterday.  Research has shown that many of our past Olympians and elite athletes are from private schools or those who have parents connected with the sport themselves, as either coaches or former players.  That suggests that it is much harder for state schooled children to break into that elite barrier.  I do think with a single entry tier that England Hockey have developed a system that gives a pathway but we still need to break the barriers of access.

I don’t propose any answers (unless there is a company wanting to sponsor Chloe into attending Millfield) and I doubt this just happens in Hockey but it is frustrating and just highlights that we are not all on the same playing field when it comes to sport.  All children should be able to access the best facilities and coaches and maybe more needs looking at at primary level to highlight those with potential.  It is sad that Gifted and Talented has died a death in secondary education due to funding cuts.  Chloe has been on that register for sport but I am not sure that she has benefited from it.  Her schools have given her opportunities and she has taken them but that still isn’t enough.

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