Wednesday, January 21, 2026

The state school team competing with ‘freedom and confidence

“I have seen it first hand where all you have to do is turn up at the schools and already the students are on the back foot,” says Lottie Porter, a PE teacher at Great Marlow School. “They walk into double sports halls and automatically they feel like they shouldn’t be there.”

Great Marlow School (GMS) is a non-selective state secondary, geographically positioned in an 11+ area in Buckinghamshire with nearby grammar schools. After five years of dedication towards reaching a first national finals, and plenty of matches regarded as the underdog team, GMS will compete at the Super 6s under-18 finals this week after becoming South Central Indoor champions in November.

“The girls’ commitment to training has been outstanding because they’ve had such a strong desire to get to a national final,” says Porter, who also plays for Buckingham HC.

“They’re always underdogs because the only teams they seem to play against are private or grammar school teams.

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This week, the Super 6s schools and club indoor finals will be staged across the UK.

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