At Merton Court we believe that participation in PE and Games remains central to the cognitive, physical and social development of an all-round, balanced child. We believe that fit, healthy children are more ready to learn and we seek to educate them so that they may take responsibility for their own personal fitness.
The school implements all aspects of PE in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum, whilst celebrating the long-standing tradition of sport at the school, which continues to encourage the combination of team spirit and healthy competition. This is achieved through inter-house and inter-school sporting activities and events. The school is divided, for good-natured rivalry, into three houses; Merton, Modern and School.
Pupils have wide-ranging opportunities to acquire and practise different sporting skills. Peer appraisal, coaching and umpiring is actively encouraged to develop a wider sense of the activity undertaken.
All children have weekly swimming lessons all year round in our 25m indoor heated swimming pool, obtaining vital water safety skills. Merton Court Swimmers take part in a variety of in school swimming championships, house events and inter school galas. Swimmers have also been very successful at County and National levels.
A wide range of sports are available. In Winter, Cross Country, Football, Gymnastics, Hockey, Netball and Rugby are taught.
In Summer the focus is on Athletics, Cricket and Rounders. After school clubs are available in all these sports.
The school has a ski team that represents the school in competitions and runs a very popular annual family ski trip for pupils and parents . We also have lunchtime Table Tennis and Netball clubs.
Our residential visits for senior children involve outdoor pursuits and more unusual sports like Archery. In S4, Year 6, the children encounter more new and exciting activities through their two-week ‘Leadership & Teamwork Challenge’. Orienteering, in our 17 acre site, has become a highlight for all children as part of Science Week in the Summer term, linked to curriculum problem solving. Dance, in our new Dance Studio, is taught to all children by a specialist teacher on a weekly basis, often interlinked with Music and Drama and leading to school productions.
We encourage all children to be involved in sports at Merton Court. The huge majority are able to achieve selection for sports teams. We host numerous fixtures, a team Cross Country event along with an Athletics meet. We also participate in a wide variety of ‘friendly’ matches, games, galas and meets against other schools. In the last 3 years Cross Country, Netball and Athletics have been very successful at County and National levels.
In the summer, we hold a traditional Sports Day where children take part in track and field events for their house teams. During ‘Sports Week’ we invited sports coaches into school to introduce the children to some different, less mainstream activities which they may not have previously experienced.