Exciting new sports programme launched at King’s Ely’s pre-prep

Children at King’s Ely’s pre-prep – King’s Ely Acremont – are getting a greater taste of some of the sports they will be able to take part in as they progress through the school.

Henning Kaaber, Director of Sport at King’s Ely, and Ruth McAlinden, Head of Girls’ Games at King’s Ely Junior, are delivering an exciting new sports and activity programme at Acremont House, which is where King’s Ely pupils aged 2-7 learn and play.

The over-arching plan is to devise a clear pathway for the development of physical education and games at King’s Ely from Reception right the way through to Year 13.

Henning Kaaber, who started in post in September this year, said: “The introduction of specific sports at King’s Ely Acremont allows the children to have exposure to some of the school’s mainstream sports at an earlier age and underpin their learning experience. All games and activities are fully conditioned and appropriate to the development and capability of the children. The principle aim is, as ever, to enjoy learning new skills in a vibrant and fun way.”

Faye Fenton-Stone, Head of King’s Ely Acremont, said: “As parents and educators, we are all aware of the benefits of physical exercise and over recent years, there has rightly been greater importance given to it in the Early Years. At King’s Ely Acremont, we value the benefits of physical activity, be that Dance, Drama or Hockey in Year 1 and Year 2, or the development of key motor skills such as balance, co-ordination and agility in Nursery and Reception. Over the last year, we have extended time spent in outdoor play and the amount of time dedicated to sport in our curriculum.

“Increased core strength, resilience, collaboration and team spirit also filter back into classroom learning and offer children additional routes to success or achievement. In a fun and supportive environment, the children learn to challenge themselves and discover that having a go can be exciting and that it is not always about the big win but the small steps along the way. Through a well-developed programme, the children build up their fundamental motor skills through a wide range of sports including Hockey, Tag Rugby, Athletics, Swimming, and Gymnastics. These then extend into sports-specific skills and gameplay. We are all excited to be enhancing the sport opportunities here at Acremont and the children are loving it so far!”

At King’s Ely, we are passionate about sport and firmly believe that all students should enjoy a wide range of sporting experiences, whilst at the same time making the most of opportunities to excel. We provide an outstanding programme of specialist coaching for our elite sports students. We also support our students in sports they pursue outside school, with many going on to represent their counties, regions, and, in some cases, their country. To discover more about opportunities at King’s Ely, please visit: www.kingsely.org