BANCROFT’S School has been establishing itself as a Jack of all trades and a master of all, after several impressive displays at national and international level in a number of pursuits.

The Woodford Green school’s hockey, netball and trampolining teams have all tasted success in recent weeks.

Perhaps the most impressive achievement of all arrived in Barcelona, when Bancroft’s under-14s girls teamed up with Old Loughtonians Hockey Club to win bronze at the prestigious ‘Tournament of the Immaculate’ at Barcelona Polo Club.

Teams from as far afield as Italy and Russia, as well as from the host nation and the United Kingdom, gathered to take part in the annual event.

And the local side got off to a perfect start, as they defeated Madrid’s Club de Campo 3-1 and home favourites Barcelona RC Polo A by a single goal.

A repeat tie against Barcelona was their reward in the next round, but the combination of Bancroft’s and Old Loughts could not replicate their earlier feat, and were edged out by the same 1-0 scoreline.

The defeat meant the Woodford girls missed out on a place in the final, although they were afforded the chance to win a bronze medal when they met RC Polo’s B team in the play-offs. Another one-goal victory ensured they secured a third-place finish.

Team coach Jonathan Prole was delighted with his side’s efforts. “It was gratifying to see a group of local girls taking on the prestigious European clubs and causing havoc in the process. Captain Ellen Herbert deserves a special mention for her tenacity in defence,” he said.

Indeed, such is the sporting talent at the school that three of the players competing in Spain flew back early to compete in another tournament, this time in netball.

Team captain Ellen Herbert, Becky Mead and Bethany Lamb all made the trip back to help the U14s qualify for the Regional Round (London and the South East) of the National Schools Netball Tournament.

Having already beaten off competition to win the Redbridge Round, Bancroft’s U19, U16, and U14 teams impressed once again as they made it through the Essex Metropolitan Round.

The U19 team finished second in their group, just behind Barking Abbey, to whom the team succumbed in their final match.

The U16s were faultless as they cruised to victory in each of their games to win their group, while the U14s won seven of their eight matches, drawing the other against local rivals Waltham Forest.

The Regional Round will be played at Lady Eleanor Holles School in Hampton on January 31.

The winning ways did not stop there, however. In the London Round of the BGSA National Schools Trampolining Competition at Harlington, Bancroft’s U11, U15 and U19 teams all came second to qualify for the Southern Schools Regional Round. U13 competitor Ellie Masters and U15 girl Ellie Prideaux finished as runners-up.