A whole-child education includes a healthy body, a competitive spirit, and the joy of doing things well.
Our junior school athletes compete in sprint events, middle distance, and field events. We participate in inter-school athletics meetings, and our students regularly place at district level. Athletics teaches children to compete with integrity and to push past what they think is possible.
Swimming is part of both our preschool and junior school programmes. All students learn to swim well — a life skill as much as a sport. Our junior school swimmers compete in inter-school galas, and we have produced strong district-level swimmers over the years.
Cross-country running builds resilience, endurance, and mental toughness. Our students run regular cross-country courses and participate in inter-school events. There is something particularly formative about running a long distance — it teaches children to keep going when things get hard.
Chess develops strategic thinking, patience, concentration, and the ability to hold multiple possibilities in mind at once. We have a strong chess culture at Ambleside, with regular in-school tournaments and participation in inter-school chess competitions.
Each year, our junior school 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.