At Northcote Lodge, we do not believe in “all work and no play” – we have games most days, and other substantial periods are timetabled for leisure activities, after-school clubs or for just mucking about. Outdoor games are played on the public pitches on Wandsworth Common directly facing the school across Bolingbroke Grove, or on Trinity Fields (a private 7-acre playing field, five minutes walk away) which we share with Broomwood Hall and three other local prep schools.

Boys receive games coaching with others of similar ability so that each can enjoy his sport at his own level. We believe that boys should have the opportunity of participating in as many different sports as possible; the major sports we play are football, rugby and cricket but boys may also play hockey and tennis, and compete in athletics. All boys learn karate in their first two years as part of the PE curriculum (and may optionally continue with it thereafter); with its requirements of balance, co-ordination and control it is a superb discipline for boys of this age.

“Sport for all” is our approach. We play regular matches against other schools and put out enough teams to afford every boy an opportunity to represent the school in each sport at some stage. We have already acquired a formidable sporting reputation – especially in cricket – with many wins against much larger and longer established schools. We organize football and rugby inter-school tournaments at Under 9, 11 and 13 levels, and in recent years have organized a highly successful cricket tour to South Africa during the Hilary half-term.

We have a strong tradition of excellent – and vociferous – support from parents who are encouraged to attend as many school or House matches as possible.

We do also recognise that not all boys are destined, or want, to be sporting heroes. Although we encourage a degree of physical activity and fitness in all boys, we are sensitive if a boy truly dislikes sports or is hopeless at them, and will always try to find something else from which he can derive pleasure.