Woodbridge School & Best of Suffolk present “Sport In Her Shoes”

Woodbridge School is thrilled to announce its partnership with Best of Suffolk in order to deliver The Well HQ’s Sport In Her Shoes conference on Friday 11 November 2022. 

As part of our School’s PHSCE programme, the Sport In Her Shoes conference has been organised by Helen Richardson, Director of Co-Curricular at Woodbridge School, as well as The Well HQ co-founders Dr Emma Ross, Dr Bella Smith and Baz Moffat.  Dr Emma Ross is a female athlete health specialist and former Head of Physiology at The English Institute of Sport.  She was also the lead for the SmartHER project within the UK High Performance System from 2016 to 2020.  Dr Bella Smith is a GP and specialist in women’s health.  Baz Moffatt is a former GB rower and now a women’s health coach with expertise in pelvic health. 

The one-day workshop aims to support girls, boys, teachers and coaches in understanding and being able to talk about and discuss the female body, how it works and how to approach issues so that girls can continue to participate in sport and physical activity at all times.  With research¹ showing that over 40% of girls drop out of physical activity and/or sport during puberty, it’s vital this subject is approached, understood and communicated to everyone. 

The event will be attended by girls and boys from Years 7 to 9 and 10 to 13 from Woodbridge School, in separate modules appropriate to age; making Woodbridge School the first to include boys in the conversation.   

During the day, a number of presentations will take place, providing information and the opportunity for discussions on subjects including: the menstrual cycle, the power of female centric nutrition, breasts, bras, pelvic floor, injury and concussion, coaching girls and the female mindset.  Speakers will also discuss the social-political context of gender gaps inherent in the world of sport, exercise and physical activity.   

Many of the topics are currently considered taboo and are perhaps uncomfortable for many since they deal with what might be considered private and personal; anxiety over ‘getting it wrong’ can also be one of the major reasons many of these topics are not discussed or mentioned.  The biggest aim of the day is to reduce embarrassment, increase education and encourage more support and conversations on matters that affect girls and women every day.  

Commenting on the event Shona Norman, Head of Woodbridge School said, “This event provides us with a great opportunity to not only involve our whole School, but many others as we invite schools and clubs from across the region to attend and then share the information received with their own communities.  A challenging subject, I’m looking forward to our staff and students having the opportunity to be involved with and participate in the event and hopeful that the impact will be felt throughout the entire School.” 

This was echoed by Tim Ripman, Director of Operations at Best of Suffolk who added, “Being able to enrich the lives of the Suffolk community by supporting events like In Her Shoes is absolutely key for Best of Suffolk.  Not only do we work with local businesses and Schools such as Woodbridge, but we also work with local charities and communities to support where help is needed.” 

An evening session will be held the night before the conference in School, on Thursday 10 November 2022 where parents of students taking part, local sports coaches, clubs and other schools are invited, and will have the opportunity to be introduced to The Well HQ and the conference content. 

For further information on this event please visit woodbridgeschool.org.uk or call 01394 615000 to talk to Helen Richardson.