Independent Schools and Team GB

39% of the medals won by Team GB at London2012 were won by pupils who were educated in UK independent schools, despite only the sector accounting for only 7% of the total school population ('Olympics 2012: third of Team GB medallists came from private schools' Guardian 14/08/2012) It's surely worth exploring why these schools are so successful in fostering success. Coming to the school I am at from the state system, I believe that it comes down to valuing sport as an integral part of the curriculum. Not only that but investing in it too: 1.Time. Pupils in Independent Schools do so, so much more games and PE than in the state sector. 2.Facilities. Schools like the one I'm at invest millions in providing state-of-the-art facilities: sports hall, swimming pool, games pitches, weights rooms, squash, fives and tennis courts etc etc.Plymouth College (Tom Daley's school) is an interesting case in point here. 3.Coaching. Perhaps most significantly of all, Independent Schools invest in quality sports coaching. I would love to see much more of these aspects in the state sector.