FAQs
What happens if I get selected for the school team?
There is a huge opportunity for all pupils to represent Lymm High School in inter-school competition and all teams are managed by a member of staff. These managers will select players from practices and team sheets will be posted School Sport Website – SOCS. This will provide details of the fixture including venue, leave time and estimated arrival time. Please note that we can’t always get the arrival time back to Lymm spot on.
Will practices/matches be cancelled on the day?
This will ONLY happen in extreme circumstances which include; staff absence, poor weather conditions or late cancellation by the opposition. If this is the case we always ensure pupils know as soon as possible and pupils are given the opportunity to phone parents from the PE office or Students Service. Staff will also endeavour to update the SOCS website.
What if I CANNOT attend a PRACTICE or a match?
It is the responsibility of the pupil to see the team manager or teacher leading the practice. If you do miss a practice but tell the teacher the reason this will not prevent you being selected for the team. If you cannot play in a match which you have been selected for it is very important that you tell the team manager as soon as possible so another pupil can be given the opportunity to take your place.
How will I know when MATCHES will take place?
We try to publish details of fixtures as soon as possible on the SOCS website. The lists are not easy to produce due to changes to fixtures for various reasons including, transport, teacher availability, meetings, parents’ evenings and poor weather. In addition many fixtures, especially cup, aren’t confirmed until the last minute.
As a parent how do I know my child is in a school team?
All team sheets are published for pupils to see on the SOCS website, it is the responsibility of the pupil to tell their parents what they are doing. Dates, times and transport arrangements are always on the team sheets. We encourage parent to download the SOCS website app to keep updated.
Away fixtures
Arrangements for away fixtures will always be outlined on the team sheet (SOCS website). We usually use our own self-drive minibuses or hire in coaches, depending on staff qualifications, distances to travel and the number of students participating. Students may, on occasions, need to leave school early. This should be always at the time indicated and never before. Students will often get changed at break-time or lunchtime to minimise the time missing from lessons. It is good manners to speak to the teacher at the start of the lesson regarding your time of departure. The member of staff will already have emailed a squad list and details to all teaching staff beforehand. Students must ensure that they have their books and equipment for all lessons in case the fixture is cancelled. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they catch up on any work missed including the completion of any home learning set. Failure to comply with these basic requirements will jeopardise future involvement in fixtures.
All students are returned to the school site. If the students are getting picked up directly from the away venue then parents must be there on time. We will never leave students at another school or sports venue without their parent present. Please note that staff and other students cannot be expected to wait around. Therefore, students will be returned to school.
If you are happy for your child to walk home from a local venue then a letter of consent (or email) must be provided to the member of staff in charge.
Good behaviour when representing the school at a fixture is a non-negotiable.
Can I come and WATCH my child take part in sport?
Where possible, it is encouraged that parents attend and watch school matches. For fixtures taking place during the school day it is important to sign in at the front reception before making your way out to the playing area. In may be more difficult to watch indoor sports due to limited viewing space. If in doubt please email the teacher in charge of the fixture.
Player selections and substitutions
There is always a limited number to how many students we can use in any one fixture and unfortunately, we just don’t have enough staff to field 2nd teams in all sports at every age group. However, please be assured that our philosophy is to include as many students as we can where appropriate.
We would like nothing more than to include every child in matches every week but this is impossible. We try to ensure that, in a season, everyone has played in at least one match. We do choose what we consider to be our best teams for the National and Cheshire Cup fixtures.
In addition, it is also unfair to select pupils who fail to adhere to the school expectation regarding behaviour or fail to attend training sessions without a valid and authorised reason.
No team is fixed, and through experience we know that different children develop at different rates. We realise how disappointing it is not to be chosen for a match, which is why we will arrange ‘B’ team fixtures and also play schools whose teams are not usually as strong as ours. In this way, we try to include everyone. Our policy, however, is to play the appropriate team for that particular match and level of competition, not let the children take it in turns.
As Head of PE & Sport, I believe that the member of staff’s judgement on issues such as selection must be accepted as final. However well you know your son or daughter, you cannot share the same overview of the whole team. The member of staff is best suited and qualified to take all factors into consideration and make the right decisions for the team as a whole.
Substitutes: The decision to use substitutes in matches will be at the discretion of the team manager. Whilst it is extremely rare that substitutes don’t participate, there may be times when it is not in the best interest of the team/student.
Competitive sport has flourished at Lymm for many years and it is a great strength of the school. We wish to continue this tradition and for that we rely on the goodwill of those teachers who give up their time for after-school training and matches, often travelling considerable distances for competition. Without this continued goodwill and the full and healthy support of parents and students, school sport will gradually diminish to the detriment of everyone, especially the children.
Thank you in advance for your co-operation and support.