Bancroft School’s under-19 girls clinched bronze at the Eteach National Schools’ Netball Finals at Southampton Outdoor Sports Centre on Saturday.

Regarded as one of the most prestigious events in the netballing calendar, 18 teams qualified for the Finals from the 54 original entrants, spread across three age groups.

Bancroft topped their group with eight wins from nine games, with their solitary defeat coming against a very physical Roedean team.

The Woodford school progressed to meet Cardinal Newman School in the last four, but lost 12-7.

They were left to battle it out with Sharnbrook Upper School in the third/fourth place play-off and secured a 12-10 victory to bag the bronze medal.

Bancroft’s coach Pam Telford, said: “Half of the team will be leaving school this summer, I have coa-ched them since they were 11 and am delighted that they are going out on a high.”

In the other half of the draw Barking Abbey School recorded a 100 per cent record in the group stage, before beating Sharnbrook 17-5 in ther semis.

The gold medal was secured with a 17-5 win against Cardinal Newman in the final.