The picture your correspondent paints of a bleak future for sport in state schools (What keeps me awake at night, 20 September) is not one I recognise here in North London. At Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form, we have a thriving range of competitive sports. This includes teams in football, cricket, rugby, swimming, athletics, netball, basketball, orienteering and sailing.
The article suggests that “the next generation of sports stars will emerge only from the independent sector”. I’m not so sure. Last month, two of our school’s former students cycled for Great Britain in the junior and under-23 categories at the UCI Road World Championships.
The school’s aim is to increase opportunities for competitive sports. This year, we opened a compact athletics facility, the first of its kind in the UK, funded by England Athletics, Sport England and the London Marathon Charitable Trust. We hope this will aid future stars and allow every student to enjoy sport.
Henry Stewart, Chair of governors, Stoke Newington School and Sixth Form.