Incredible netball success at Berkhamsted

Student Timi A has been selected for the England netball squad, and the 1st VIII netball squad has won the ISL tournament.

Last week, we celebrated two impressive successes in netball at Berkhamsted School.

Firstly, Sixth student and boarder Timi A has been selected for the England U17 netball squad, an incredible achievement showcasing Timi’s talent, dedication and tenacity. Hot on the heels of this announcement, the 1st VII netball team were announced as champions of the ISL tournament, going unbeaten across every game in the competition to win the tournament convincingly. Together, these successes are a testament to our ambitious, dedicated students who embody the value of Aiming High with Integrity.

Timi selected for England U17 Squad

Timi A, a Year 12 student at Berkhamsted Sixth, has recently been selected to be part of the U17 Netball Europe England squad. She will play in early March at the 2026 Europe Netball U17 Championships, against teams including Scotland, Ireland and the United Arab Emirates.

Timi was selected after taking part in a busy trial process across January. “A trial squad was announced in early January,” Timi explained, before “two days of camp, at Loughborough University. There was a lot of netball training and matches, and they analysed us the whole way through. The outcome of that trial was then released in late January.” With only 15 players being chosen, and 3 of those being non-travelling reserves, this was an extraordinary achievement for the defender.

Timi began playing netball in Year 3, and loves the communities that are formed through the sport. “I’ve always been a fan of playing team sports, and building those connections as a group has always been so much fun for me,” she shared.

Outside of netball, Timi enjoys playing lacrosse, and also boards weekly at the School. “I love boarding at Berko,” she shared. “Everyone’s so friendly, and it’s a really family-like atmosphere.” As one of several boarders balancing high-level sport with academic life, she benefits from a close supportive community who help her to manage both commitments successfully.

We wish Timi all the best in March as she competes at the Championships, and congratulate her on this fantastic milestone.

Berkhamsted achieves ISL success

Celebrations continued into the week as our 1st VII netball squad were crowned Super 4 champions at the Independent Schools League. With an unbeaten streak across the 16 matches of the competition, Berkhamsted places as one of the top independent netball Schools in the country. Students Timi A and Ashley D-S were also chosen as the defensive and attacking tournament MVPs, respectively.

Berkhamsted’s strength shone throughout the tournament, with Nextgen commentators calling the team “utterly sensational.” They noted in particular the “level of fitness […] that no one else was going to be able to match,” as many of Berkhamsted’s netball team also represent the School in lacrosse. At Berkhamsted, encouraging pupils to participate in a range of sports, no matter the level, is key to our ethos and we often see success follow suit.

Across three days of competition, Berkhamsted achieved a number of impressive wins, entering the final competition day with the highest goal tally of any School. After a strong semi-final victory over Solihull, they beat Gordon’s School 36-33 in a nail-biting final.

“What is particularly impressive is the significant contribution made by students across Years 10-13, highlighting the depth of netball talent within the school,” Director of Sport, Katy Costin stated. “This success also reflects the confidence and trust placed in our younger players by the coaching team, providing them with invaluable experience at the highest level of school netball. This exposure will undoubtedly benefit them as they progress into the senior netball programme next year.”

These recent netball successes are testament to our strong sporting culture, built on participation, ambition and community. Congratulations to the 1st VII netball squad, and Timi in particular for demonstrating how tenacity, remarkable attitude and teamwork always pays dividends.

“Forget netball, they’ve [Berkhamsted] been one of the elite sporting teams across the board in school sports this season. They’ve been absolutely astonishing”

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