Department Aims

Our aim is to offer a varied range of activities across the year groups to introduce and encourage pupils to take part in and enjoy all aspects of physical activity. We want to create a culture where sport is played and enjoyed by pupils throughout their school years and on through further education and into adult life.

We are committed to helping all pupils progress in any given sport and to opening up the pathway to success. As a result, many of our pupils compete at national and even international levels. You are never too young to aspire to be the best.

Syllabus

The department includes six teachers who have a wealth of experience and expertise in the activities covered within the PE programme.

PE is taught as a timetabled subject throughout Years 1-11. Sixth Form pupils have the opportunity to take part in Games sessions each week and can choose to take part in a sporting activity after school.

In addition to the timetabled lessons, all pupils are encouraged to take part in the extensive range of sporting activities which are made available as part of the co-curriculum. From Parkour to karate, contemporary dance to yoga, we are constantly looking to widen the range of activities on offer. We know there is an activity for everyone and we want to help pupils to find theirs.

'If there is an activity you want to do that isn’t currently provided, the School will do its best to accommodate you.'  - St Leonards pupil

Our core activities taught through the curriculum and in games and activities sessions include: hockey, golf, rugby, lacrosse, tennis, athletics/cross country, swimming, basketball, orienteering, dance, fitness, Scottish country dance, cricket.

Read more about sport in the co-curricular activities programme.

Facilities

Our facilities include an all-weather surface, squash courts, a 25m heated indoor swimming pool, gymnasium and extensive playing fields. In the past, the likes of Premier League football clubs Everton and Norwich City have come to St Leonards, during the School’s Summer holidays, to use our facilities for pre-season training. 

Following the recent £4m redevelopment of our three boarding houses, in-house gyms are now part of boarding life at St Leonards, and ensure pupils have round-the-clock access to equipment in order to achieve their personal fitness goals.

"When the pitches are frozen we go down to the beach to play sport." - St Leonards pupil

Facilities for our pupils don’t end on the St Leonards site. Our sporting programme also makes full use of those in St Andrews and the surrounding area, helping to create an extensive range of opportunities for all. In close proximity to the School, pupils can therefore take part in activities like sea kayaking, sailing, archery and of course, golf.

Golf

Our location in St Andrews, the home of golf, means St Leonards can provide unrivalled opportunities for pupils to play on the most famous Links Golf courses in the world. We make the most of this with our own golf club and a sector-leading five-tier Golf Programme, run in collaboration with the St Andrews Links Golf Academy, offering our pupils the chance to learn and play the game where it began. We also host our very own National Junior Golf Championships twice a year on the St Andrews Links courses. Find out more about golf at St Leonards.