Toot Hill School are officially one of the top three table tennis teams in the country following the Butterfly National Schools’ Table Tennis Championships.The Under-16 Girls team showed their talent to end with a third-place finish at the National Schools Championships.Sally Atkinson, Evie Ferrar, Sophie Lager, Phoebe Tomlinson and Evie McDowell represented the school, which is part of the Nova Education Trust, in the championships in Wolverhampton.With over 100 schools entering the original competition, the girls had to win the three previous rounds to reach the national championships.The girls competed in Nottinghamshire at Carlton le Willows, a Zonal Final in Bradford and a Regional Final in Grantham, before the National Schools’ Championships saw the four best teams in the country come together.
With their first two opponents specialising in table tennis, it was a tough start for Toot Hill in the competition.But with determination, passion and teamwork, the girls fought back to win their final match 5-3 and take home third-place medals.Year 10 pupil, Evie Ferrar, said: “I enjoyed the day and had a really positive experience.“It was an amazing achievement to get to the national finals.”Chris Eardley, Head Teacher of Toot Hill, said: “All the girls represented their school with great pride and Toot Hill are extremely proud of their achievements.“This is an incredible result for our under-16 team who have been competing against schools with long traditions in the sport of table tennis.“They serve as an example to all our students as they have showed true teamwork and bravery in reaching the final and securing third place. We are all very proud of them.”