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Senior Coaching Staff

Sporting Ethos at Westonbirt

As a School, we place emphasis on the holistic development of the player and sportsperson. This means that learning and refining the core skills required is vital and encouraged through the sessions but this sits alongside the values that sport brings such as: resilience; independence; teamwork; sportsmanship; courage and work ethic.

Children are encouraged to be competitive, determined and to give their all but at the same time to be evaluative of their performance, supportive of others, fair and most of all, enjoy playing sport. Where children show a particular aptitude for sport, we will encourage and assist in their development and support them with their journey.

Mr Nic Sestaret

Westonbirt Director of Sport

Mr Sestaret joined Westonbirt School as Director of Sport in January 2024. He has played rugby at both national and international level, including for the Barbarians and for his home country of France. After 13 years of playing professional rugby, Mr Sestaret shifted his focus to education and spent 8 years at Taunton School. He first served as the Director of Rugby and later became the Head of Athletics. During his time at Taunton School, the rugby department experienced significant growth under his professional expertise. This growth led to four students currently playing in the Premiership. He also established a coaches’ development programme there and focused on improving sports with an emphasis on inclusivity at all levels. He implemented a vision and ethos that emphasized respect, responsibility, enjoyment, and a strong work ethic. He was also employed as a Senior Coach at the University of Exeter where he developed a professional coaching team for high-performance pathway development.

Mr Sestaret earned his degree in management from the University of Pau (IEC). He has also obtained a Rugby Advance Coaching Award, Level 2 Certificate in Coaching Strength & Conditioning, and a BSA Advanced Certificate Course in Pastoral Care & Boarding Management.

In his free time, he enjoys hiking in the Pyrenees and cooking French food for his family and friends.

Mr Peter Wilson

PE Teacher and Head of Lacrosse

Mr Wilson is the Head of Lacrosse at Westonbirt School and has been privileged to both play and coach at international level. As a Level 3 England Talent Pathway Coach and Team England International Box Lacrosse player, he has been extremely proud to share his ideas and expertise throughout his years teaching here.

Beginning lacrosse at 8 years old, Pete played at Stockport Grammar School from 2002 competing against NEMLA clubs at the U12, U14 and U16 levels. Since the age of 16, Pete gained experience in both the NEMLA and SEMLA Premier Divisions and went on to play for Bristol University in the BUCS Southern Premiership from 2010-2013. He also represented England Universities at the 2012 and 2013 British National Championships and captained the team in 2013. Following this, Mr Wilson was selected onto the Team England Box Lacrosse Senior Squad and has represented his country at both the 2017 European Championships in Turku, Finland, and 2022 Box Nations Cup in Dresden, Germany.

After being a Lacrosse Development Officer with England Lacrosse for four years, Mr Wilson decided to pursue a career in Physical Education and gained his PGCE at Bath Spa University. He has regularly been involved as a lacrosse coach within the National and Regional England Academies as well as being the former Head Coach of the University of Bristol Lacrosse Programme where he led the men’s first team to five consecutive Premier League titles. In his spare time Mr Wilson likes to travel the world, play music and practise his stick skills!

Miss Pittaway

Strength & Conditioning Coach

As the Strength and Conditioning Coach, Miss Pittaway brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the role. She holds a BSc in Strength and Conditioning and has coached athletes at all levels, from recreational to international. In her current role, she also works with the England Amputee Women’s Football team, where she develops and implements strength and conditioning programmes tailored to the specific needs of each athlete.

In addition, Miss Pittaway runs a successful business with her partner working with a diverse range of clients, including everyday individuals, aspiring stunt performers, and elite international athletes, helping them achieve their performance goals.

Miss Pittaway played netball at both national and international levels, representing England Universities in the 2021-2022 season. She also competed with the Saracens Mavericks U17s/U19s and Severn Stars U19s/U21s, demonstrating her commitment and passion for sports.

Miss Pittaway’s experience as both a coach and an athlete allows her to bring a unique perspective to her work, inspiring and guiding young athletes to reach their full potential.

Miss Stephens

PE Teacher & Netball Coach

Miss Stephens is an England Level 1 Coach and B award umpire. She has played for a few different clubs across Gloucestershire but she is currently playing for Challengers netball club in regional 2 meaning she gets the chance to play against many teams across the South West. When Miss Stephens lived in the Middle East for 2 years she set up a Kuwaiti Challengers club to allow more people in the country to learn about netball. Her biggest achievement is probably getting to play in the first team at University and being able to play with and against a load of players for England, Wales and Superleague. Miss Stephens also loves that she gets to play on the same team as her sister.

Mr Andy Blaylock

PE Teacher & Rugby Coach

Coaching Experience: Gloucester Academy Age Group Coach, South West U16s Coach, England U16s Shadow Coach, Sweden Women’s Coach, Irish Exiles U18 Coach, Worcester Rugby Academy Program Coach, Gloucestershire & Stroud District Age Group, RFU Level 2 & Talent ID coach.

Miss Scarlett Jones

Lacrosse Coach

Miss Jones first started playing lacrosse in Year 7 as a former pupil at Westonbirt School and loved lacrosse from the get go! It is an exciting, fast paced and aggressive sport which is what attracted her to play lacrosse and try something new.

Miss Jones attended Westonbirt in 2009 and left in 2016. During her time at Westonbirt she played many lacrosse matches and playing at National Schools was always a highlight of hers at the end of the season. She was able to create such great friends for life and met many friends in the lacrosse world through Gloucestershire County lacrosse and later on international lacrosse. Since starting lacrosse, Miss Jones went on to play for the U19 Welsh team and gained her first cap at 15 years old, at the Home Internationals in Newport.

Miss Jones now trains with the Senior Welsh team and throughout the School term continues to play for a club close by.

Previously she coached at the Kings School in Canterbury; at Richmond Lacrosse Club in London, Chiswick Lacrosse London, AMG Sports, and a lacrosse camp in the USA.

Mr Paddy Hyams

PE Teacher & Boys Sports Coach

Mr Hyams is a specialist rugby coach, who also has experience of playing and coaching both hockey and cricket to a high level; representing the national age group squads in hockey. Having qualified as an RFU Level 3 Coach in 2020 he started coaching within the Bath Rugby Academy DPP pathway and not long after completed a Master’s Degree in Rugby Performance. Prior to starting at Westonbirt in September 2022 he had coached in three separate secondary schools and one university, in addition to his role with Bath and has since taken on additional responsibility as a Mr Developer for England Rugby as part of the RFU Rugby Education Workforce.

Mr Steve Johnson

Prep & Senior Tennis Coach

Mr Johnson is a LTA Licensed Level 4 coach and has been a full time teaching professional for 26 years, he was previously Head Coach at David Lloyd, Bristol for 10 years, Head Coach at Bridgewater LTC for 6 years and Head Coach at Sodbury for 8 years. He has also coached several boys to top national level and been on national training squads and coached the Winner of a European U14 Girls singles event.

He represented Lancashire and the North West of England as a junior before playing professionally in Spain for a year. Mr Johnson then joined the RAF and became RAF champion and British Forces Tennis champion. He currently still play Masters Tennis for Gloucestershire, the RAF and British Forces Masters teams.

 

Additional Tennis Coaches:

Mrs Kerry Marshal

Assistant Tennis Coach

Mrs Marshal is a LTA Licensed Level 4 coach with over 20 years of teaching experience. She has coached Avon County LTA girls teams and played at national level as a junior.

 

 

Ms Julie Hatton

Assistant Tennis Coach

Ms Hatton is an LTA Licensed Level 4 coach. She currently plays county veteran tennis.

 

 

Mr Chris Butcher

Assistant Tennis Coach

Mr Butcher is an LTA Licensed Level 3 coach. He currently plays for Sodbury men’s 1st team.

Miss Adele Potts

PE Teacher and Swim Lead for Nursery, Prep, & Senior

Previous Acting Head of Swimming at Bishop’s Stortford College and Swimming Specialist at Hill House International Junior School. Previous Swim Coach and Teacher in Western Australia. Currently, Miss Potts is training in Stroud Masters and competing in triathlons; she swam in the 2-mile Swim Serpentine in September 2021. She is also a Senior Women’s record holder in 400 and 800m freestyle in the NW Open in Western Australia (2016). Swim England Coach member, Teaching Swimming and Water Safety and Teaching Towards Competitive Strokes accreditation (2018, AUSTSWIM, Australia) and UKCC Teaching Aquatics (2010).  Also, England Netball and Hockey Level 2 coaching accreditation.  

Mr Wayne Hill

PGA Golf Professional & Golf Coach

Mr Hill has over thirty years’ experience in the golf industry and is a qualified PGA Golf Professional. He has extensive experience coaching all levels of golfer, from beginner to professional and has held positions as Head Teaching Professional, and Director of Golf as well as General Manager and CEO managerial positions at golf clubs.

Mrs Jo Baker & Mrs Johanna Luddington

Equestrian Team Managers & Volunteer Parents

Mrs Baker has many years experience of managing successful Beaufort Hunt Pony Club teams as well as Westonbirt Schools, specialising in dressage.  She jointly manages teams with Mrs Luddington, also a parent and very experienced and successful showjumping manager for the Pony Club who oversees the older riders and Bryony Antrobus who looks after the younger riders and organises team training.

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