Physical Education
Our comprehensive curricular programme is grounded in the pursuit of ‘sport for all’. We strive to encourage participation through a variety of sporting programmes, ensuring that every student seeking a competitive or social atmosphere can find their place. Unlike any other subject, PE’s main medium is human movement, so it is all about learning through action. It is a vital part of a young adult’s total education. Not only does it have huge physical implications but also contributes to many aspects of the students’ learning and development. Leadership, sportsmanship, fair play, officiating, analytical minds, evaluative approaches and communication are at the heart of all PE lessons at St Paul’s.
Curriculum
In the Lower School, all students will take part in lacrosse, netball, athletics, tennis, cricket and swimming as their core sports. Alongside this, they will also get the chance to try various other activities including: gymnastics, dance, lifesaving, Adventure-based learning and more. As they progress through the school, students will be able to rotate through a range of options, including yoga, rock climbing, Pilates, Boom Cycle, cardio dance, volleyball and more, in addition to the main sports of netball, lacrosse and rowing. The aim is to ensure all students can find the sport that suits them and develop an enduring commitment to an active lifestyle.
Facilities
The facilities at St Paul’s are outstanding. The main school site hosts our sports hall, equipped for badminton, basketball, gymnastics, football, netball, volleyball, and with a large viewing gallery upstairs.
Our multi-gym and fitness studio are state of the art and after an induction session, students in the VI-VIII (Years 11-13) can use this facility during their free time to develop their fitness. The fitness studio is complete with a sprung dance floor, yoga/gymnastic mats and two flat screens with Apple TV, making it versatile for many of the clubs we have on offer.
Next door is the multi-gym, complete with four treadmills, stationary bikes, ellipticals and ergo machines as well as weights and kettlebells for both strength and cardiovascular improvement. A short walk away is our 25 metre, six-lane indoor competition swimming pool. This is a fantastic aquatic centre, which is also used for lifesaving, synchronised swimming, water polo and diving, and has a large viewing area upstairs.
Next to the pool, we have our pavilion and sport specific courts, which facilitate an array of sporting opportunities. The new pavilion has two classroom spaces complete with Apple TV and an indoor training and weights centre. In the winter there are two lacrosse pitches and four netball courts, while the summer months transform the facility into an athletics centre, with a six lane 300 metre track plus specific areas for all of the field events, four rounders pitches and five tennis courts. For rowing we use the facilities at Tideway Scullers for the LV-VIII (Years 9-13), which is located on the scenic River Thames. We have a range of boats and rowing is offered both in the curricular and extracurricular programmes.
To explore our sports provision beyond the classroom, please click here.
