Sport

To find out about Fixtures and Teams please visit our Sports Portal by clicking the link below:

Our Sporting Ethos

At Mount Kelly we aim to provide a sporting environment in which every pupil has the opportunity to achieve their potential. Our core values of Respect, Commitment, Teamwork, Sportsmanship and Humility are at the heart of everything we do. We strive for excellence both in performance and attitude, and cater for everyone – regardless of ability – by providing first class coaching, facilities and opportunities to train and compete.

Staff

Mr Pale Nonu

Director of Sport, PE

nonup@mountkelly.com

I was born and raised in New Zealand and have played rugby at representative level in different age groups for the Wellington province. I moved to the UK in 2005 and have played at a professional level in the English Championship and in the All Ireland League. I have a first-class honours degree in Sports Performance which I undertook whilst playing at Plymouth Albion RFC. I am a qualified teacher of PE and previously taught at Camborne Science International Academy, Cornwall. Alongside this role I was also Head Coach for Redruth RFC National League Rugby.

I am an experienced and passionate rugby professional and educator, and am extremely interested and enthusiastic in developing individual skills and team performance through coaching and management of players ensuring that core values are paramount. My philosophy is just as much about helping pupils develop as people as it is about developing their sport.

Fixtures

To find out about Fixtures and Teams please visit or Sports Portal by clicking the link below:

Sports Portal

Timetable

Michaelmas Term	Boys’ Rugby and Girls’ Hockey
Lent Term	Boys’ Hockey and Girls’ Netball
Summer Term	Boys’ Cricket, and Girls’ Athletics & Cricket

Rugby

Rugby is a major sport at Mount Kelly and the school fields teams from U8 through to 1st XV, catering for all levels of ability.

All teams play a balanced and competitive fixture list in the Michaelmas term and the school is extremely fortunate to have impressive grounds and facilities. With a well-structured player-centred rugby programme in place based on player development and enjoyment, pupils benefit from four sessions a week which include game and skill based sessions, alongside strength and conditioning and pool recovery sessions.

Mount Kelly has a traditionally strong rugby reputation with teams entering the NatWest Cup with both the Under 15 and 1st XV teams reaching the latter stages of the competition in recent years. Players also gain honours regionally with Devon, South West, Exeter Chiefs and also nationally; most recently with the Independent Schoolboys Lambs RFC.

In the Lent term, alongside hosting the prestigious Mount Kelly 10s tournament, Rugby 7s is also played, with a number of age groups playing in several tournaments on the 7s circuit across the South West and culminating in the Rosslyn Park National Schools Tournament.

In recent years, teams have also embarked on pre-season tours to Bath and biennial tours to Canada and Holland.

Academy Programme

This is our selected out-of-season training programme for each major sport. These academies enable us to prepare effectively for the season ahead, by improving our pupils’ individual skills as well as creating a team culture in which they are able to learn from one another. Our Heads of Sport lead the sessions at both Junior and Senior level, using contemporary coaching strategies to develop and improve individual core skills. Coaches will also start laying the foundations for what we refer to as ‘The Mount Kelly Way’ – a commonly understood set of principles that will underpin not only our playing strategy, but also our wider sporting ethos. The aim is that all age groups – from the youngest teams at the Prep, to the first teams at the College – will train and play to an established pattern, with a consistent philosophy of coaching and playing.

Mr Palepoi (Pale) Nonu

Head of Rugby, PE

Netball

Netball is played by all girls during the Lent term. Pupils play netball in their two hour games session and there is also a squad practice one evening a week. A netball club is offered during the Michaelmas term.

Mount Kelly takes part in the National Schools competition during the Michaelmas term. Our matches are played predominately on Saturdays, with a few taking place midweek. Over the past few years we have been extremely successful in the end of season Plymouth Schools Tournaments. These are always very well supported and offer the girls the opportunity to play at the Life Centre in Plymouth. The girls are taught by experienced Level One and Two Netball Coaches who play in the Premier Divisions of the Plymouth and District Netball League.

Academy Programme

Hockey

Hockey is a thriving sport at Mount Kelly and one that is hugely popular with many pupils, with more children playing than ever before.

The girls play hockey in the Michaelmas Term whilst the boys play in the Lent term. Year 9 pupils and above receive a double lesson during the week as well as a one hour squad training session during an evening. Each games session covers a variety of different skills and techniques that progress as pupils make their way through the school. The facilities at Mount Kelly include three all-weather pitches.

Fixtures are predominantly played on a Saturday with some mid-week matches included in the fixture list. Fixtures are played against a variety of local independent schools and participation in these is firmly encouraged. County and regional tournaments are also considered within the games programme.

The hockey programme is led by experienced coaches who have played and coached at regional, national and international level, and offering some of the highest quality coaching available in a school.

The partnership between Mount Kelly and Tavistock Hockey club has led to brand new playing and changing facilities as well as an increase in the number of children representing in club level hockey. The standard of players at the school has never been so high with multiple children representing at county and international level.

In recent years teams have embarked on international tours, including a successful First XI tour to Holland in October 2018.

Academy Programme

Mr Tom Honey

Conway Housemaster, PE, Head of Hockey

After spending his childhood playing all sports on offer it wasn’t until secondary school that Mr Honey picked up a Hockey stick and fell in love with the sport that he is so heavily involved in today. After quickly progressing through his local clubs Men’s section he was playing senior 1st XI standard by the age of 14, county and regional level soon followed.

Whilst at Plymouth Marjon University studying an Applied Sports Science & Coaching Degree he had the opportunity to represent one if the largest clubs in the south west at 1st XI level, Plymouth Marjon Hockey Club. Here he was able to develop as a player representing at regional and national league level.

His love of the game soon transferred onto a coaching and teaching platform where he then completed his teacher training at Mount Kelly in 2013. Mr Honey was appointed as Head of Hockey for the Foundation in 2017 where he currently teaches both at Prep and College. Mr Honey is also the head coach for Tavistock Hockey Club as well as coaching within the England Hockey single system at multiple age groups.

Mount Kelly Hockey is going through an exciting period of time. We now have more children playing than ever before and have the most fixtures being played against a variety of different opposition, both school and local clubs. The partnership that the school is fostering between school and Tavistock Hockey club has led to brand new playing and changing facilities as well as an increase in the number of children representing in club level hockey. The standard in players at the school has never been so high with multiple children representing at county as well as international level. Our target at Mount Kelly Hockey is to further increase the number of children participating in the sport and support them on their journeys at whatever level that may be.

Cricket

Cricket is a popular sport amongst both boys and girls at Mount Kelly and the school boasts an impressive fixture list.

Pupils benefit from professional coaching, a number of beautiful pitches, artificial nets and an indoor sports hall which allows cricket to be played throughout the year. Cricket is delivered in games sessions at all ages in the summer term and extra training is available in one of the multiple net sessions offered throughout the week.

In recent years teams have embarked on international tours, including a successful First XI tour to Dubai in March 2018.

Academy Programme

Girls' Football

To find out more about our Girls’ Performance Football programme in association with Chelsea FC Foundation click here:

Girls’ Performance Football

Other Sports

Athletics, Tennis, Cross Country, Fives, Squash, Basketball, Rugby 7s and Football.

These sports are played at representative level throughout the year.

Athletics

Athletics is taught as part of the PE and Games curriculum both on campus and at the Tavistock athletics track.

Pupils get the opportunity to try the whole range of track and field events and are given the opportunity to specialise in areas in which they flourish, or simply enjoy.

In Year 9 and above, pupils can test themselves at local trials. There is a set structure which representative athletics follows. The best local athletes are selected to run for West Devon at the county meeting, which in turn can lead to Devon selection at the South West and English Schools’ championships. At Mount Kelly we give our athletes the opportunity to compete, supporting them at every stage of this process, and the school has enjoyed some great recent success including coaching multiple County and Regional Champions. Pupils regularly go on to the Nationals Schools Athletics Finals at both Prep and College level.

Facilities

Mount Kelly offers first-class sporting facilities, including three all-weather pitches (two of which are floodlight), grass pitches for rugby, football, cricket and rounders, a 700m² indoor sports hall, four squash courts, indoor and outdoor cricket nets including a permanent astro training facility, three cross-country courses, netball courts (one indoors), 50m and 25m indoor swimming pools and a heated outdoor pool. Simply Outdoors, our outdoor adventure centre, features a high ropes course and a shooting range. Our location on the edge of Dartmoor National Park provides an excellent facility for our keen cross-country runners.