Prep Pupils Excel with New Sports Programme: WASP

In September, we introduced a brand-new sports programme for our Prep pupils known as the Wednesday Afternoon Sports Programme, or WASP for short. Wednesdays have always included a range of sports fixtures, but through this new initiative we have been able to cement, expand and celebrate this while ensuring all pupils are able to get active even if they aren’t involved in a fixture.

All pupils in Years 5 to 8 are now able to enjoy a vast sports provision which promotes physical literacy, enjoyment of sports, personal choice, and confidence – ensuring every pupil stays active, engaged, and inspired to find their exceptional through sport.

This dynamic sports programme rotates each term and includes twice-weekly games and regular Wednesday fixtures against other schools. For those not involved in a fixture, our WASP initiative offers a bespoke Sports Development Programme instead which includes athletic development, fundamental movement skills, and swimming and can be tailored to pupils of all abilities. Pupils also benefit from small group coaching in a sport of their choice which changes each week, including cricket, football, netball, hockey, rugby, swimming, and racket sports, to ensure pupils can try a range of sports to find one they truly enjoy.

The programme also gives pupils who have already discovered which sport they enjoy another opportunity to train in that sport – for example, four county-level Year 6 cricketers recently did not have a fixture with their rugby team and were able to spend the time training with our Director of Cricket instead. Similarly, a group of girls not playing hockey one week took part in a netball session with the Senior School’s Head of Netball. The following week there was the option of a cricket session with the Director of Cricket, a swimming session with the Head of Pentathlon, or a tennis lesson with the Head of Tennis.

The highlight of the programme so far was a day in the autumn term where we were able to facilitate 29 teams across Years 4 to 8 playing hockey and rugby at the same time. This was a great celebration of inclusivity of sport at the School with every pupil being able to compete at the same time.

A programme like ‘WASP’ is unique for a school to offer as its organisational and logistical difficulties can make it a challenging prospect. It is a great achievement to be able to run the programme so successfully despite these challenges.

Taunton Prep School’s Director of Sport, Shaun Winsor, said: “WASP is a game-changer for our pupils, ensuring every child is engaged, challenged, and supported in their athletic journey. It gives every pupil the chance to thrive, from athletic development and swimming to specialist coaching across a range of sports. Inclusive, aspirational, and tailored – it’s designed to support every child’s sporting potential and instil a genuine love of getting active at a young age.”

Taunton Prep School hosts more than 800 sporting fixtures every year across 17 sports and is proud to see its pupils compete at national competitions in sports including pentathlon, triathlon, and biathlon, swimming, netball, cricket, and more.

Find out more about Taunton Prep School > https://www.tauntonschool.co.uk/schools/prep/