Sporting Alumni Success

Over many decades, Plymouth College has carved itself a reputation as being a world-leading school for performance sport whilst maintaining an environment where all pupils can feel empowered to find a life-long love of physical activity.

Nurturing Champions

Over the last two decades, Plymouth College has cultivated a global reputation as a world-leading school for performance sport. We achieve this by fostering an environment where dedicated young athletes can meet the rigorous demands of high performance training while pursuing academic excellence, ensuring one does not compromise the other. As one parent noted, pupils are not obliged to choose between academics and sports – they can excel in both at a high level here.

Our core aim is to provide opportunities for all, from pupils discovering a lifelong love for physical activity to those aspiring to Olympic podiums. We take the enjoyment and development of every pupil seriously, supporting participants from club and school level right through to the world’s very top international competitors, enriching their overall educational experience.

A Legacy of Achievement

The success of our sporting programmes is evident in the impressive accolades achieved by Plymouth College pupils and alumni. Our athletes have been crowned Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth champions at both junior and senior levels across numerous disciplines. This remarkable track record is highlighted by the fact that if Plymouth College were a country, it would have ranked in the top 50 on the medal table during the London 2012 Olympics.

Since the turn of the century, over 160 of our athletes have represented 47 different nations in 15 different sports. This demonstrates not only their exceptional talent and dedication but also our internationally recognised performance sport culture and our ability to consistently nurture world class competitors who succeed on the global stage.

Paris 2024 Olympians

The Paris 2024 Olympics were a source of immense pride for Plymouth College, as we enthusiastically supported our remarkable alumni and a dedicated current pupil who competed. Fourteen esteemed Old Plymothians (OPMs) and one current pupil showcased their exceptional talents on this global stage and we celebrated their years of hard work, dedication and the outstanding achievements their efforts yielded.

Their participation was an inspiration to our whole school community. We proudly recognise the following individuals who represented the spirit of Plymouth College in Paris:

Swimming: Chad Ning (Eswatini), Honey Osrin (Team GB), Laura Stephens (Team GB), Ben Proud (Team GB), Kregor Zirk (Estonia), Ruta Meilutyte (Lithuania), Henriques Mascarenhas (Angola), Jaydon Wulliez (Antigua & Barbuda), Tom Fannon (Ireland), Damien Shamambo (Zambia), Erin Riordan (Ireland) and Aimee Canny (South Africa).
Diving: Tom Daley (Team GB).
Modern Pentathlon: Dr Kerenza Bryson (Team GB) and Myles Pillage (Team GB).

Diving Excellence Legacy

Our partnership with world-renowned Plymouth Diving establishes Plymouth College as a centre of excellence for the sport, producing a legacy of successful alumni. National and international divers benefit from bespoke academic programmes allowing them to train extensively during the day and after school, without compromising their education. Plymouth Diving consistently makes headlines with its Olympic, World, European and National successes, a tradition continued by our pupils.

Based at the world-class Plymouth Life Centre, the club’s expert coaches offer programmes from entry-level to elite international divers like former Plymouth College pupil and Olympic champion, Tom Daley. The programme allows young divers to flourish, effectively gaining the best of both worlds: premier diving coaching and an excellent, personalised education with close liaison between coaches and teachers. Current talents like Ollie Heath, Junior European Gold medallist 2023, demonstrate this continuing success. Scholarships are also available.