The main aim of the sports department is a belief that every 
child has a right to physical activity and ensuring that each pupil leaves the school having enjoyed playing and experiencing many different games. Every games session is structured to be enjoyable and fulfilling to both gifted and the less able participants. Encouragement and quality coaching is given by all staff throughout a games session.
We hope that talented sporting individuals will fulfil their potential and achieve representative honours (known as colours) and further achieve at their senior school, having tasted all the varied sports on offer both at team and individual level.
Cheam is very fortunate in having spacious and extremely well maintained playing fields, a state of the art sports hall with dance studio, a floodlit hard court area, six hard tennis courts, squash court and a 20m rifle range.
Each child is timetabled for five games sessions per week (approximately 75 minutes per session) in the winter and six sessions in the summer term. The choice of sporting activities on offer for all children is testament to our dedicated and professional games staff. For boys the main team games are rugby, football and cricket. Girls compete in hockey, netball and rounders. Coaching for all these main sports begins in year three.
As well as the team sports already mentioned, boys and girls also have t
he opportunity to participate in cross country, tennis, swimming, athletics, golf, badminton, squash, judo, fencing, horse riding and shooting (rifle and clay pigeon). Matches are also held in many of these sports.
The school selects teams to compete for both local and national events, including IAPS tournaments and we try to find fixtures against other schools for as many children as possible, so that they are given the opportunity to compete in all of the major sports and many of the other sports. It is not uncommon to have match days, Wednesdays and Saturdays, on which all pupils are representing their school in various sports. This year Cheam teams will be involved in over 700 matches, with days when the school will be fielding as many as 25 teams. Some children go on to reach national standards and sports scholarships.
The internal house competition between the four divisions is keenly contested and sport plays a major part. Academic, Music and the Arts also make up the majority and the Division Cup is awarded to the winning group at the end of each academic year.
Sports tours also take place from time to time thereby giving the children the opportunity to experience different cultures. The latest cricket and netball tour was to South Africa.
Autumn Term
The main sport for boys is football and all age groups compete in matches. Our 1st XI on average play thirteen matches and over the past several years have been extremely successful. Hockey is the main winter sport for senior girls (yrs, 6, 7 and 8) and is played on grass. The pitches often play like an astroturf which is testament to our Grounds Department. Like the boys our first team is selected from both year 7 and 8, play on average twelve matches and have also enjoyed much success in recent years. The junior girls play netball (years 4 and 5) and we have six netball courts, four
of which are floodlit.
Easter Term
The main winter sport for boys is rugby. We have three senior XVs and often a fourth twelve. Eleven matches are played on average by our top team including several sevens’ tournaments. The top junior team also compete in sevens’ tournaments. The girls swap over sports and our top senior netball teams compete in the IAPS National tournament, often qualifying for the finals at Roedean.
Cross Country is an extremely popular voluntary activity for boys and girls. There are regular training sessions, an internal and several externa
l competitions, culminating in the National Prep Schools Competition in Malvern.
Summer Term
Cricket is the major boys' sport and we field five senior school teams (years 7 and 8) and two or three teams at each of the younger age groups. The 1st XI play on average thirteen matches and have had unbeaten seasons on several occasions in recent years. They also compete in the JET National knockout competition. The school has two all weather pitches, eight grass squares and four outdoor nets. Indoor nets can also be used in the sports hall and are often used for winter coaching.
Rounders is the major sport played by all girls this term and the 1st team play twelve matches on average and also compete in the National JET competition. The school benefits from seven rounders' pitches, which allow Cheam to host many home matches each week. All girls play tennis at least once a week. Many other pupils have the opportunity to play tennis during games sessions and daily coaching is held internally at lunchtimes mainly for the senior part of the school. Tennis matches are played against local schools for both boys and girls. Internal Knock Out competitions are also held and the six hard courts are very popular especially in the evenings for social games. Internal and external Athletics have thrived in recent years, and on average Cheam compete in four athletic meetings against other schools. Our best athletes often compete at the National Prep Schools Championships.
One of the most exciting days in the Cheam calendar is Sports Day. This is competed amongst all four divisions, is a team competition and all children compete in a minimum of two events. There are numerous cups awarded for individual event winners, culminating in a Victor Ludorum and Victor Ludorix.
Swimming takes place in our large heated outdoor pool. All children have swimming lessons during PE and games sessions. The master in charge of swimming also holds squad training on a regular basis and there are three swimming matches against other schools. A large number of pupils also take part in the Division Swim
ming Competition. Golf is very popular on both a competitive and social side. Cheam has a lovely and challenging nine hole golf course within its grounds and this is well utilised especially in the summer term. Two golf matches are played against other local schools. Golf coaching is held during activity sessions in the Autumn Term and at regular times during the Summer term.
Cheam School regards all our teams as important and our ‘C’ teams are often mentioned for their success by the Headmaster in weekly assemblies. The school regards the taking part, enjoyment, development of self-esteem and social skills are just as important as playing to win.