Search
Sport at Westonbirt Prep

Sport at Westonbirt Prep

Sport is a key part of our provision at Westonbirt Prep and plays vital role in every child’s journey at school.

As a school, we place emphasis on the holistic development of the player and sportsperson. This means that learning and refining the core skills required is vital and encouraged through the sessions but this sits alongside the values that sport brings such as: resilience; independence; teamwork; sportsmanship; courage and work ethic.

Children are encouraged to be competitive, determined and to give their all but at the same time to be evaluative of their performance, supportive of others, fair and most of all, to enjoy sport. Where children show a particular aptitude for sport, we will encourage and assist in their development and support them with their journey.

Sport Lessons

Every child at Westonbirt Prep from our pre-school class in Nursery to Year 6 will have a minimum of two sport lessons per week. Pre-school children take part in one 30-minute PE and one 30-minute Swimming lesson per week, while children in Reception to Year 6 take part in one PE, one Games and one Swimming lesson per week. Lessons for Reception to Year 6 last 55 minutes.

Children in Year 3 to Year 6 also take part in an additional Games fixtures afternoon every week, with teams competing in competitive matches and tournaments against other independent schools across the region. The growth of our competitive sport provision in recent years has allowed pupils opportunities to play in regional and national finals at professional sporting venues.

For Year 3 to Year 6 Games fixtures, rugby is the main sport of focus for boys in the Autumn Term, while girls play hockey. In the Spring Term, it is the boys’ turn to play hockey with the girls’ focus moving to netball. Cross-county is also an additional option for children in Year 3 and above in the first two terms. In the Summer Term, boys and girls all play mixed cricket and athletics. PE lessons for all year groups focus on wide range of sports, including football, badminton, gymnastics, lacrosse, tennis, cross-country and athletics.

Alongside this, children in Years 3 and above have access to additional tennis and golf lessons on site with specialist teachers, our invitation Swim Squad take part in weekly training sessions and regular galas, and the Westonbirt Equestrian Team compete in numerous events locally.

There is also the opportunity for children to take part in sports such as judo, fencing, archery and horse riding as part of our extensive after-school co-curricular options.

Westonbirt Nursery child and teacher smiling

Swimming

Children from Nursery through to Year 6 are given the opportunity to swim every week right here at Westonbirt School. Every year group has at least one swim lesson a week all year round in our excellent indoor 25 metre pool. We focus on children initially learning water confidence and then develop pupils’ swimming across multiple strokes.

As children progress into Year 3 and above, there is an added competitive element where children are able to compete in galas. We have been very successfully in recent years, winning trophies on at a national level in the Olympic pool in London on multiple occasions.

Sporting Success

We have enjoyed growing sporting success in recent years, with impressive achievements at both national and regional level.

This success is led on the hockey pitch with our Under-11 Girls finishing as runners-up in the ISA National Hockey Finals in 2025, with the Under-11 Boys placing sixth. Both teams also finished runners-up at the Gloucestershire County Tournament to qualify for the South West Regional finals.

Also on the hockey pitch, our Under-9 Boys were crowned ISA South West Hockey champions in 2025, with the Under-9 Girls finishing as runners-up.

We have also had a strong number of pupils qualified for the ISA National Cross-Country, ISA National Athletics Finals and ISA National Swimming Finals over the past 12 months.

As part of the Wishford Group, we compete in numerous Wishford Competitions across the school year and are pleased to be the reigning champions in Athletics, Swimming and more.

Westonbirt Prep U11 Girls Hockey Team finished runners up at the ISA National Finals
Tom Davies; Assistant Head - Sport & Co-Curricular; Westonbirt Prep

Prep Sport Staff

Mr Tom Davies; Assistant Head – Sport and Co-Curricular

Westonbirt Prep’s sports department is led by Mr Tom Davies. Born into a sporting family, Mr Davies has been passionate about all sports from a young age. He represented his county in cricket and rugby at youth level; however, cricket was the sport he chose to specialise in, leading to six years in the Gloucestershire Cricket Academy and playing several County 2nd XI games, where he gained invaluable coaching and playing experience. Mr Davies joins Westonbirt from our sister school, Cricklade Manor Prep, where he served for 12 years, including the last 7 as Director of Sport. He has developed his coaching credentials and is an RFU Level 2 and ECB Level 2 coach.

Rachel Farmer; Head of Prep PE and Games; Westonbirt Prep

Mrs Rachel Farmer; Head of Prep PE and Games

Mrs Farmer is the Head of Sport at Westonbirt Prep School and has been at Westonbirt for the last 6 years. Mrs Farmer graduated from the University of Birmingham with a degree in Sport, Physical Education and Coaching Sciences. She gained a Post Graduate Diploma in Secondary Education (QTS) specialising in Physical Education in 2011, before completing her Masters in Teaching Studies a few years later. She has always had a passion for sport; representing Somerset in cricket and taking on the role of Club Captain of the University of Birmingham Women’s Cricket Club. She plays regular competitive netball and was the Netball Coordinator for Team Bath.

Adele Potts; Swim Lead for Nursery, Prep & Senior; Westonbirt School

Miss Adele Potts; Swim Lead for Nursery, Prep & Senior

Miss Potts was previously Acting Head of Swimming at Bishop’s Stortford College. Currently, Miss Potts is training in Stroud Masters and competing in triathlons; she swam in the 2-mile Swim Serpentine in September 2021.  She has also a Senior Women’s record holder in 400 and 800m freestyle in the NW Open in Western Australia (2016).  Swim England Coach member, Teaching Swimming and Water Safety and Teaching Towards Competitive Strokes accreditation (2018, AUSTSWIM, Australia) and UKCC Teaching Aquatics (2010).

Find out more about the Prep School’s sport coaching staff

Sports Facilities

Westonbirt boasts 210 acres of parkland grounds which provide the perfect platform for sporting excellence.

The school is home to its own Leisure Centre boasting an indoor 25m pool, sports hall and fitness suite. A nine-hole golf course is also located on site, while a full size floodlit Astro Turf pitch was recently opened and is used as a multi-purpose space by the sports department.

Tennis and netball courts are also available on site, while the extensive natural grounds provide the perfect location for rugby, lacrosse, football and cricket pitches.

Find out more about the school’s sport facilities

Specialist Teaching

Discover More

Prep Curriculum

Discover More

Book A Visit

Discover More