Sport &
Activities
A whole-child education includes a healthy body, honest competition, and the joy of doing things well.
One sport each term, done properly
Every primary child has PE once a week, taught by their own teachers. Each term has one sport at its centre: swimming in Term 1, cross-country in Term 2 and athletics in Term 3. Children build real skill in one discipline at a time, rather than a little of everything.
Children who want to go further can compete in that term’s sport at zonal, provincial and national level through KZN CSSA and CACSSA events. We don’t run team sports such as soccer or netball. Instead, every child takes part in every term’s sport and progresses at their own level.
Swimming
Swimming is part of both our preschool and primary school programmes. Every child learns to swim — not as a competitive milestone, but as a genuine life skill. In Durban, being water-safe and water-confident matters. We take this seriously, and children make remarkable progress through consistent, unhurried instruction.
Cross-Country
Cross-country running builds resilience, endurance, and real mental toughness. Our students run regular cross-country courses on and around the school grounds. There is something particularly formative about running a long distance — it teaches children that discomfort is not a reason to stop, and that finishing is its own reward.
Athletics
Our athletes in Grades 1 to 7 take part in sprint events, middle distance, and field events. We take part in inter-school athletics meetings and place great value on the experience of healthy, honest competition. Athletics teaches children to compete with integrity and to discover what they are capable of when they give everything they have.
Chess
Chess develops strategic thinking, patience, concentration, and the ability to hold multiple possibilities in mind at once. We have a growing chess culture at Ambleside, with regular in-school games and informal tournaments. Chess rewards children who think carefully before acting — a habit that serves them well beyond the board.
Market Day
Each year, our primary students plan and run a real market — choosing a product or service, budgeting, marketing, pricing, and selling to parents, staff, and the public. Market Day is one of the highlights of the Ambleside year. It teaches entrepreneurship, teamwork, financial literacy, and the deep satisfaction of making something and selling it. Many of our students remember Market Day for years afterwards.