Sport at St Edward’s Prep
Wherever you are around the School the sound of happy, enthusiastic children having fun playing sport along with the positive feedback and shouts of encouragement from Mr Bovingdon can be heard.
Nick Bovingdon joined St Edward’s Prep as Director of Sport back in 2016 from Blue Coat School in Sonning. Since then, the Sports curriculum has gone from strength to strength.
Nick was instrumental in moving swimming from Central Pool to the Oratory School and ensuring that our children swim every week in Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 with every half term in Years 3 and 4. The school were able to organise a couple of swim galas before the pandemic struck where St Edward’s Prep children, despite not having their own pool to train in, won most of their heats.
Our children have regular PE sessions right from when they join the school in Little Griffins, working on their hand eye coordination, balance and confidence. As they move in to Pre-Prep the children have one afternoon session a week at our sports ground in Sulhamstead moving to two afternoons a week in Prep School (Years 3-6).
Nick organises a busy and competitive sports fixtures list throughout the Autumn term for football, the Spring term for rugby followed by cricket during the Summer term. Despite being a comparatively small Prep School, we very often win our fixtures against schools which are much larger. Sportsmanship and behaviour are taught from an early age at St Edward’s Prep and the children are always incredibly proud to represent themselves and their school.
With the exciting move to Co-ed from January of this year Nick says “I can’t wait to start developing a programme of Sport aimed at our girls. It will give them the opportunity to access all the sports that our boys currently participate in such as cricket, football, rugby and swimming but also those more traditionally played such as netball”.
During the Summer term our sports day is always packed full of competitions that the children can all get involved in including running races, long jump and ball throwing. Even our Little Griffins nursery children love taking part in the highly anticipated egg and spoon race!
Sport is an integral part of a child’s development and Nick’s ethos echoes that here at St Edward’s Prep to ensure every child has access to a sport they can learn to enjoy. What greater pleasure in life is there than to find a sport that makes you feel happy and healthy.
Prior to working at Blue Coat School, Nick joined Holme Grange following his BA(Hons) at Winchester University and his PGCE at Buckingham University. In his spare time he loves being with his wife and young daughter. Nick also manages an U18 local football team and most holidays he can be found helping out at his brother’s business laying patios and installing fencing.