Outstanding Sport at St Joseph’s

Our Mission

Sport at St Joseph’s College offers a unique opportunity for individuals to meet their ambitions. Whilst we strive to create international athletes of tomorrow, we believe in instilling a lifelong love of sport in our pupils.

Our aspiration to develop athletic ability is central, but our focus extends far beyond technical skills. We believe that character development is the cornerstone of our sporting practice. The ability to communicate effectively, tackle challenges and adversity, collaborate with peers, and maintain a balanced self-awareness of strengths and areas for improvement are fundamental traits we cultivate within our sporting provision and lead to success both on and off the pitch.

Football at St Joseph’s College

Professional Coaching

Premier League Partners

National Champions & Premier League Partners

The football programme at St Joseph’s College is led by two full-time specialists: Director of Football, Paige Shorten and Head Football Coach, Cole Skuse. They are supported by a team of teaching and support staff, enabling us to field teams across all age groups and genders from U8 to U18. Our football programme has achieved significant success, including:

  • National ISFA U15 Boys Champions
  • County Champions U18 Girls
  • County Finalists U13 Boys
  • One professional contract (ITFC Women)
  • One International honour (Wales U15s)
  • St Joseph’s College National Football Festival Winners (Girls and Boys)
  • Winners of the St Joseph’s College U11 Football Festival

The Esteem of our Rugby Provision

Our rugby programme is spearheaded by Director of Rugby Rowland Winter, Rugby Professional Mike Haywood, and Rugby Development Officer Josh Sharp, along with a team of specialist coaches. We field teams across all age groups from U8 to U18, with the addition of our first girls’ rugby games this year. Key achievements include:

  • 5th place at the National Schools Rugby Festival
  • Hosting the National Schools Rugby Festival for the 37th consecutive year
  • U12 undefeated season
  • 12 boys selected for Northampton Saints Academy Squad
  • U13 County Champions
  • U14 County Champions
  • U16 7s Plate Winners (Uppingham 7s)
  • One player invited to England Training camp
  • Rugby Tour to South Africa

 

Why St Joseph’s College good at Rugby

Professional Coaching

Festival

Our Leading Netball Provision

The netball programme, led by our Head of Netball and current Fiji Netball Captain Maria Lutua, provides extensive support for players of all abilities and has garnered recognition locally and nationally. Our achievements in netball include:

  • St Joseph’s College National Netball Festival Plate Winners
  • Eight players selected for representative sides
  • One Super League Academy Contract
  • Introduction of individual support sessions

Why St Joseph’s College are ellite at Netball

Professional Coaching

Premier League Partners

A Triumphant Cricket Season

Our cricket programme, led by Head of Cricket Ben Parker and supported by Lead Cricket Coach Martyn Cull, is on the cusp of appointing an exciting new cricket professional. Notable successes in cricket include:

    • 1st XI Boys Regional Finalists
    • U15 Girls XI County Champions
    • U15 Boys XI County Finalists
    • U12 Boys XI County Finalists
    • One player selected for Senior men’s minor counties
    • Hosting the Lashings Cricket Events
    • Hosting IAPS Cricket

Why St Joseph’s College are ellite at Cricket

Professional Coaching

Sports Staff

Director of Football

Miss Paige Shorten

I am an experienced UEFA A License coach and FA Youth Award recipient, with over 10 years of expertise in player development. I balance roles at St Joseph’s College and as an assistant coach for England U15 women’s team, prioritising player support and understanding.

Head Football Coach

Mr Cole Skuse

I hold the position of Head Football Coach at St Joseph’s College, balancing this role alongside playing as a midfielder for Colchester United. I previously played at Bristol City and Ipswich Town Football Club. I am passionate about developing the skills and knowledge required by our ambitious young male and female footballers to support them to achieve their ambitions.

Head of Netball

Mrs Maria Lutua

Upon taking this role as Head of Netball for St Joseph’s College, I am delighted to be present and ready to take on this journey with everyone. I have learnt the many successful achievements that netball has brought so far and also not forgetting the learnings along the way.

Maria has gained 86 caps representing her country, Fiji, at international level. She has just returned from her 3rd World Cup in Cape Town where she captained her national side.

Maria also plays for Norfolk United Netball team, a premier league club and was proud to play for the Yorkshire Jets in the England Netball Superleague before her move to Australia in 2016, where she was a training partner for the Sunshine Coast Lightning Team.

Over the years Maria has gained her coaching experience alongside her playing career. She has coached grassroots level and schools to high standards. Her aim is to achieve this through skilled coaching and quality programmes.

Frequently asked questions about sport

How can St Jo’s help my child develop their love for sport and improve their skills, even if they are not currently in a team?

You don’t have to be an elite rugby, football, netball or cricket player, to play sport at St Jo’s. We encourage cheerful participation in Games and PE lessons and we have a range of tempting options outside traditional team sports.

My child loves sport and dreams of playing professionally – how can St Jo’s help?

We understand the passion for sport and aspiration to pursue it professionally. We offer a range of programmes to support athletically able students in achieving their dreams, but we also ensure they remain well-rounded individuals. Our Dual Career programme allows students to balance their academic studies with sports training, whilst our Performance Sports programme provides additional coaching and support. We also have an ‘Excellence in Sport’ programme that recognises and rewards students who excel in their chosen sport. St Joseph’s may be a small school, but an impressive number of students have gone on to represent their country or play professionally in their chosen sport.

St Jo’s is rightly renowned for sport. Does it provide opportunities for less sporty students and those whose interests lie in other areas?

Absolutely! We pride ourselves on the breadth and depth of our curriculum and extra-curricular offering. Sport is strong here, but so, too, are the creative and performing arts. Opportunities abound in public speaking and debating, engineering, enterprise and service. Regardless of whether your child is sporty or not, we will help them discover and develop their passions.

Why is St Joseph’s so special when it comes to sport?

We love it! The professional playing records and elite coaching positions on the CVs of Faculty members speak for themselves. The coaching team brings to bear an impressive amount of analytical and strategic knowledge. Our carefully crafted training programme is scaled to the students’ individual sports and their age to hit the sweet spot of maximising training but never overdoing it. Our first aid provision and visiting physiotherapists are excellent and our return-to-play programme is pioneering. Our facilities are superb. 

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