The Architect of Excellence: Miss Connell and the Rise of Gymnastics at St Mary’s

Eleven years ago, gymnastics at St Mary’s was just another sport in a busy curriculum. Today, it is one of the school’s standout sporting programmes, producing national level competitors and securing a historic silver medal at the prestigious BSGA Milano Finals Gym Competition for our under 11s team.

At the centre of this remarkable transformation is the incredible Miss Georgia Connell.

From One Squad to a Thriving Programme
When Miss Connell arrived at St Mary’s as a Year 1 teacher, there was no structured gymnastics programme in the Prep School. While a recreational club existed, and senior girls were starting to enter low level competitions, there were no competitive squads, no clear strategies for success and no presence on the national stage.

Recognising the untapped potential, Miss Connell set about building something entirely new. Starting with a single weekly training session and an Under 11 squad, she laid the foundations for what would become a thriving programme. Within just a few years, that single group expanded into multiple squads spanning different age groups, including Under 9, Under 10 and Under 11 teams, each competing and succeeding in their own right.

Today, gymnastics at St Mary’s is not only established, it is flourishing.

National Success and a Historic Achievement
The programme’s rapid rise has been marked by increasingly impressive competitive results. St Mary’s gymnasts now regularly compete against top schools across regional and national competitions, including ISA, ISGA and British Schools Gymnastics Association competitions in both the Prep and Senior House. Their most significant achievement to date came recently, when the Under 11 elite team secured silver at the Milano Finals Gym  Competition, the school’s best ever finish at this level. Competing against 18 other leading schools from across the country, this result firmly places St Mary’s among the elite in school gymnastics.

A Coaching Philosophy Built on Individuality and Excellence

Miss Connell’s success is rooted in a clear and distinctive coaching philosophy. Rather than imposing uniform routines, she focuses on developing individual performances that reflect each gymnast’s personality. Every routine is carefully crafted and choreographed to showcase strengths, build confidence and stand out in competitions.

Crucially, she challenges her athletes to work above their age expectations, pushing technical boundaries while maintaining enjoyment and engagement.

Strong partnerships with local gymnastics clubs play a vital role in supporting each girl’s development. Miss Connell and the school work closely with community coaches, recognising that this collective support is essential in nurturing well-rounded, successful gymnasts.

Her approach to training not only prioritises a strong work ethic, but long-term commitment and team spirit. These values have helped create not just successful gymnasts, but a positive and inclusive team culture.

Miss Connell also credits the girls’ success to the strength of the coaching team around them. Teamwork is a key asset amongst the coaches, just as it is with the girls.

She coaches alongside her former mentor, Mrs Charaffedine, whom she credits as a major influence on her development as a young athlete and as the inspiration behind her coaching approach. Together, they are joined by Mrs Stacey, Assistant Head (Pastoral), who was originally appointed as a PE teacher. Mrs Stacey has supported the gymnastics programme throughout her time at the school and has played an invaluable role in its development. She is currently the South regional representative and oversees the organisation of our South regional BSGA competitions, hosted here at school, while also liaising with the national committee. In addition, she helps to run our ISA regional competition alongside the PE team, coordinating entries from local schools, managing teams, and organising competition schedules and event administration. Miss Connell is keen to recognise her contribution, her contribution is integral to the success of the programme.

Miss Metcalfe, a former St Mary’s squad gymnast, now coaches the girls both within the school and externally at T30, a local gymnastics club in Holtspur with which the school maintains an excellent relationship. She is an excellent coach and a fantastic mentor to the girls. While she primarily works with the senior squad, she is always on hand to support the Prep girls as well. Miss Connell and Miss Metcalfe work exceptionally well together, sharing a consistent coaching approach.

A Vision for the Future: A Centre of Excellence
Despite the programme’s rapid rise, Miss Connell remains ambitious.

Her vision includes expanding coaching capacity, developing stronger pathways into Senior School gymnastics, introducing mentoring opportunities with older students coaching younger athletes, and continuing to grow participation while maintaining elite standards.

Her work has given our pupils the chance to train seriously, compete nationally and achieve results that were previously out of reach for the school.

With the programme continuing to grow, there is every reason to expect further success in the years to come, as she continues to develop St Mary’s into a centre of gymnastic excellence.

Find out more about our Gymnastic Scholarship here