Ormiston Venture Academy’s Under 14’s netball team took part in the Norfolk county trials and became the first team from the Academy to reach the semi-finals of the competition.

There were eight Year 9 students who spent their Saturday morning representing the academy at the event, which took place at the University of East Anglia Sports Park in Norwich.

The team included Lily King, Caitlin Perfect, Saffron Braddick, Melissa Campling, Mia Stewarf, Morgan Kelly, Caitlin Williams and Brianna Dyer.

In order to reach the Norfolk County semi-finals, the team had to qualify by playing all the local teams in East Norfolk including Lynn Grove Academy, Caister Academy, Flegg High School, Cliff Park Ormiston Academy and Acle Academy.

The Ormiston Venture Academy team finished this round as the unbeaten winners.

The captain, Lily King, organised the team and ensured that they were able to train well and improve their performance.

The students played brilliantly and impressed organisers and umpires with their quality of game at the event.

After being unfortunately knocked out at the semi-finals, the girls finished fourth overall, making them the fourth best team in the whole of Norfolk — an amazing feat for a small school.

Opportunities like the Norfolk County Netball Trials allow students to learn how to work as a team and learn to develop new skills to become well-rounded students.

Team captain Lily said after the competition: “I feel very proud of our teams’ accomplishments this weekend — we played to our best abilities, both individually and as a team. Overall, I feel we’ve improved tremendously from the start of our school experience to where we are now and we definitely couldn’t have reached it if it wasn’t for our great coach, Miss Ermini.”

The coach of Ormiston’s Venture Academy’s Under 14s’ netball team, added: “This team has worked so hard over the last two years and deserves the success they experienced this weekend. I am immensely proud of all of them.”