Stories

St Dunstan’s College launched the gender-neutral sporting model in summer 2021 to ensure all pupils at the school have access to the same opportunities, regardless of gender.

Through sport, St Dunstan’s has a unique opportunity to influence and inspire the young people at the College. Sport gives them the opportunity to learn about themselves; how they respond to challenges and pressure, how to work with team-mates and opponents and about the culture that they perform within. The College aims to create a sporting environment that inspires all to enjoy and achieve their potential not just in sport, but when they go back into the classroom and on into their chosen careers.

The sporting landscape has changed, and schools have a responsibility to take the lead. Too often competitive sporting programmes have been split, with girls and boys following completely different sporting pathways.

Our gender-neutral approach to sport ensures boys and girls at St Dunstan’s get access to the same opportunities. It doesn’t matter what your sporting passion is, every child at St Dunstan’s will benefit from the same level of support regardless of gender.

St Dunstan’s Assistant Head Cocurricular, Danny Gower, explained: ‘It is interesting to consider, would we accept any other subject being split by gender in a co-educational environment, with contrasting opportunities for boys and girls? The stigma that this creates around certain sports can be difficult to overcome. As an industry, we are at risk of creating barriers rather than equality of opportunity. Trying to force it to fit alongside other established sporting, co-curricular and academic commitments is unlikely to be enough, with these massive growth sports suffocated before they have a chance to establish themselves.

‘Our gender-neutral approach to sport means that where gender is still often a barrier to participation in certain sports in schools, at St Dunstan’s, every child has equal access to opportunity across the full spectrum of sports.’

Speaking about the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022, Mr Gower added: ‘Despite its reputation as the fastest growing women’s sport in the UK, girls football remains a minority sport in many schools because of the well-established stigma and gendered view. The buzz of a home tournament and outstanding performances of the Lionesses have presented schools with much needed momentum, but it must be seized.

 

‘A new era of sport in schools is emerging, and women’s football is well positioned to lead the way.’

 

St Dunstan’s Head, Nick Hewlett, also added: ‘Traditional constructs of sport, sex and gender risk reinforcing stereotypes, and subconscious and conscious bias and prejudice.’