SPORT
Sport is a central part of daily life at Pilgrims’, with every boy encouraged to take part, play safely and enjoy competition. Winter sports include football, rugby and hockey, while summer focuses on cricket and athletics. PE runs year-round, with swimming taught until October half-term, and a wide co-curricular programme offers activities such as judo, rowing, tennis and sailing.
Skills are developed progressively, building confidence and ability as boys grow, with talented sportsmen supported towards senior school scholarships. A busy fixtures calendar provides regular competition, balancing performance with participation so as many boys as possible can represent the school.
Our varied PE programme promotes lifelong fitness and introduces boys to a broad range of activities, including swimming, gymnastics, basketball, badminton and volleyball. Facilities include extensive pitches at New Piece and Wolvesey, an outdoor heated pool, all-weather surface and cricket nets, along with access to the outstanding facilities at Winchester College.
SOCCER
Played during the Christmas term, the boys follow the FA developmental model with small-sided adaptations, smaller pitches and goals, and no off-sides until Year 7. Holiday courses culminating in a pre-season training week with professional coaches from Southampton Football Club are very popular with the boys. We enter ISFA (Independent Schools Football Association) tournaments at U11 and U13 and nominate candidates for ISFA trials.
RUGBY
Rugby is the main sport during the Lent term. As with soccer, we follow the RFU age grade rules of play. Skills are developed through a greater involvement within the game and a deeper exposure to the skills required. This is particularly reassuring for boys who are new to the sport. Our rugby coaching begins with learning to throw and catch the ball in the Pre-Prep, which develops to tag rugby in Year 3. Contact is introduced in Year 4, solely with the tackle, with technical components adding to the game as it develops to 13-a-side at Year 8.
Staff hold the RFU Rugby Ready qualification as a minimum and the programme is supplemented further with weekly coaching by a specialist. We nominate candidates for the London Irish Developing Player Programme (DPP).
The season culminates with the Rosslyn Park 7s, the largest 7s tournament in the country.
HOCKEY
Hockey is offered as an alternative to rugby during the Lent term for boys in Years 7 and 8. School-based practices are held on the all-weather surface on the Grid, and the hockey group has access to two local AstroTurf pitches nearby. All Year 7 and Year 8 boys may represent their Set in the school tournament held at the end of the Lent term.
CRICKET
In Years 3 and 4, we begin by playing the pairs version of the game. This allows for plenty of inclusive play as players lose runs, rather than their wicket, for being out. The hard ball is introduced halfway through Year 4. In Year 5, the boys adopt the more familiar 11-a-side format, with the regular laws, and a strong emphasis on the spirit of the game.
Adaptations of the format are adopted as appropriate for the level of any given team, throughout the age groups. Additional coaching sessions in the nets are held after school in the summer term and specialist cricket courses are available in the Easter holidays.
Pilgrims’ boys often play at club, district, or county level.
ATHLETICS
Athletics takes place in PE lessons in the summer and is available as a specialist games option from Year 6. The boys compete against other schools and against each other, working to achieve and better English Schools Athletics Association age-appropriate standards, gain personal bests, and maybe to break school records. Hurdle heights, throwing and running event distances are all age-applicable, and modified equipment may be used.
The Pre-Prep Sports Day is a mixture of competitive races and fun events with lots of family participation, while Athletics Finals, held on Wolvesey, is the culmination of the season for the Prep, a family day of track and field competitions, picnics, and Pimm’s.
SWIMMING
Weekly swimming begins in Year 1, taught by staff who are highly experienced in developing the skills and confidence of young swimmers. Swimming lessons continue throughout all the year groups.
Water polo is played in our own outdoor pool (known as the Puddle), which the swim squad also use for training sessions. Impromptu swims in the day may also occur in the heat of the summer term when a quick splash in the Puddle helps to refocus hot minds!
SAILING
The games programme is supplemented by sailing, run by SWAC (Southampton Water Activities Centre), which runs from the start of the Summer term to the October half-term break, open to boys from Year 5, according to capacity. Boys may be selected for the IAPS Regatta at the National Sailing Academy in Portland.
ROWING
Rowing is run in conjunction with Winchester College as a Commoner through the winter terms and as a games option in the summer for boys from Year 7.
FIVES
We are one of the few Prep schools to play Winchester Fives competitively. Our record in the national Fives championships is impressive for both pairs and singles and includes previous National Under-13 champions. Winchester Fives is played in a court similar to a squash court, but with a solid ball and a glove on either hand.
Pilgrims play the game from the age of 11 as a Commoner activity at the Winchester College courts, while the younger boys begin to learn the game by playing pit-pat – the Pilgrims’ version – against various walls around the school.
Sport at Pilgrims’ – a message from Mr Greenwood, Director of Sport
Inside the Dugout
We are delighted to announce that Pilgrims’ has been listed among The Cricketer Magazine’s Top 50 Prep Schools for Cricket 2025. This recognition reflects the dedication of our pupils, and our ambition as a school – an achievement of which we can all be incredibly proud.
Ongoing Conversations and Exciting Possibilities
Alongside this fantastic news, we are engaged in a series of positive discussions with the College following the merger about future sporting collaboration. While these conversations are still evolving, they are pointing towards some very promising opportunities, including:
- Continued use of the Sports Hall and the possibility of access to the new climbing wall once staff training is in place.
- The possibility for pupils to have lessons in the College’s brand-new swimming pool.
- Potential expansion of the Games programme, with active dialogue around the return of Hockey in 2026, as the College opens its new astroturf, and the introduction of an Outdoor Programme.
These plans are not yet final, but they reflect a shared ambition to further enrich the sporting experience at Pilgrims’.
Strengthening Partnerships
We have also been working towards establishing a sporting internship scheme with Winchester University. This would see a sports science/coaching undergrad join us during Games afternoons, offering valuable coaching support while strengthening our links with the local community.
Improving the Parent Experience
Enhancing the parent-facing side of SOCS remains a priority. We are working closely with the provider to deliver a smoother interface, including individualised push notifications for match-day arrangements – ensuring communication is clear, timely, and easy to access.
Staff Development: The Pilgrims’ Pathway
Our excellent staff are central to the success of sport at Pilgrims’. We are proud to introduce the Pilgrims’ Pathway, a comprehensive coaching manual designed for the entire Games Department.
The Pathway:
• Provides clear, progressive, sport-specific session plans that ensure progressive, age-appropriate coaching.
• Establishes a consistent philosophy across all coaches and sports, supporting continuity and progression.
Thank you for your ongoing support of Sport at Pilgrims’. There is much to be excited about as we move into the new year, and I look forward to sharing further updates as plans evolve and are confirmed.
Myles Greenwood, Director of Sport
Our Location
Set in the heart of Winchester’s Cathedral Close, the school enjoys a unique and peaceful setting between Winchester Cathedral and Winchester College, with the city on its doorstep and the South Downs countryside just beyond.