Orienteering

In the past KHVIII individuals and teams have had good record in Orienteering and we would like this year to be no exception. We can only achieve good results with your continued commitment and efforts. We hope that the regulars will encourage the others of their year group to participate and we would like team players from other sports to try to run wherever possible to improve their general fitness. There are opportunities to represent the school as part of a team in your age group and to run for a place as an individual.

Orienteering is a sport that involves using a specially drawn map and a compass to navigate around a course from point to point. Each point is called a control and is located at a particular feature on the map. At each control point is an orange and white marker as well as a manual or electronic punch, which records that you have visited the control. The winner is the person who visits the correct controls is the right order in the quickest time. Winning requires fitness and skill in finding the best route between the controls.

Over the past few years, King Henry VIII has experienced considerable success in orienteering. Our performances in the two British Schools Championships in the various categories would rank us in the top two schools nationally, and a number of pupils have represented their area and their country.

For probably the first time in any sport at the school, a team from KHVIII represented Great Britain at the World Schools' Championships. Our senior girls orienteering squad who won first place in their category also qualified for the WORLD Championships held in Madrid in April! The team consisting of Harriet Batten, Sophie Kirk, Emma Kettley, Philippa Rawbone and Joanna Read came an excellent fourth against teams as far wide as New Zealand and China; a brilliant achievement!

Results for the British Schools'Orienteering Score championships held at Hylands Park, Essex, were as follows:

See also:                  www.octavian-droobers.org