Mr James Vecchio – Head of Rugby 

The College has a rich history in rugby and our programme offers pupils an opportunity to develop the fundamental skills required to play the game safely, and at a level that suits them. For some, they will relish the nature of contact rugby whilst others will excel in touch versions of the game. Above all, we aim to encourage pupils to enjoy their rugby journey as they follow the RFU guidelines through each age grade, developing confidence and resilience along the way. Mr Vecchio also works with Bristol Bears and will bring his vast knowledge and experience into the College to allow every student, both boys and girls, to take part. As well as mass participation, we hope to build upon the number of pupils that go on to represent age groups and academies.

Mr Jack Knight – Head of Hockey 

• Girls – Autumn Term 
• Boys – Spring Term

Hockey has been one of the College’s most prestigious sports, with the boys and girls regularly competing at national level through the Schools Championships. The programme is based around a solid understanding of the fundamentals, which underpin performance and allow each player to reach their potential. We want the pupils to love their hockey and this intrinsic value is just as important as their ability. Every students has the opportunity to participant, whether it is for enjoyment or to represent the College in our competitive fixture list. 

We regularly have players selected for the England Hockey Player Pathway and we support them along the way. Our Head of Hockey, Mr Jack Knight, is involved in the Player Pathway and offers his experience to both those new to the sport, and those pushing forward at the elite level. Every student has the offer of regular training and competitive fixtures, with multiple teams in every age group for both boys and girls. We also compete in the local indoor hockey tournaments and we are the base for the local team, Taunton CS hockey, who use our two floodlit pitches for training during the week.

Mrs Liz Halls – Head of Netball

• Girls – Spring Term

Netball is a growing sport at the College and is the girls major sport in the Spring Term. We will have multiple teams in each age group who will have access to regular training and competitive matches. A number of the pupils also play for local clubs and go onto represent at County level.

As a fast paced game, we teach the pupils to be quick thinkers as well as focusing on high levels of fitness and mobility. We have 3 full sized courts and the players also benefit from regular conditioning sessions with our Head of Strength and Conditioning. 

• Boys/Girls – Nets (year round) and outdoor Summer Term

You only need to look around the College to understand the history of the game at Queen’s. our beautiful pavilion is at the centre of all things cricket throughout the College and every student is given the opportunity to play the game during their time at Queen’s. We run teams for both boys and girls in every age group on our 6 cricket pitches, and have recently had a new outdoor net facility installed to allow training throughout the year. We also use the indoor cricket nets in the sports hall for winter training. A number of students will go on county trials each year and we will do what we can to support them on that journey. 

As well as our own Head of Cricket, we make use of the local county coaches who come in and run sessions for all ages and abilities, focusing on a fun introduction to the game, right through to specialised one to one lessons for our elite players.

Mrs Liz Halls – Head of Swimming

• Boys/Girls – All Year

We offer swimming sessions throughout the year in our indoor pool, which caters for those learning to swim right through to the College’s elite swimmers who will take part in the regular galas. Sessions run throughout the day, including early mornings and during the co-curricular timetable, to enable all pupils an opportunity to learn and develop this vital life skill. Students will develop a range of swimming strokes to allow them to enjoy swimming as part of a healthy lifestyle, or to compete for the College and beyond.

Mrs Jennie Cooling – Head of Athletics

• Boys/Girls – Summer Term

Athletics is one of our main summer sports. We offer regular training in a variety of events to allow the pupils to find the disciplines that best suit them. We will also regularly attend local athletics competitions and open meets to give the students a taste of competitive action. Taunton Athletics Club is within walking distance and as well as competing there, we will encourage the pupils to join to further their athletic development. 

Miss Rachel Booton – Head of Tennis 

• Boys/Girls – Summer Term

With access to more than 15 tennis courts across the school site, tennis is a developing sport at the College which gives the students further choice in the summer term, alongside athletics and cricket. As well as regular competing against other schools, we have a visiting tennis coach who is available for small group and one to one sessions for those who wish to start their tennis journey, or those who are fine tuning their skills. 

Mr Tumie Ngkane – Head of Basketball

• Boys/Girls – All Year 

A new programme this year which allows the pupils to train regularly throughout the week in our sports hall. As a new sport for a lot of pupils, we deliver the fundamental skills and knowledge to allow the pupils to enjoy the game. We also compete in a local league during the week, hiring Taunton’s full sized Basketball court to host our fixtures. A number of our international pupils have thrived in this programme and we hope to continue developing the number of teams playing competitively.