The PE Department at Dover Grammar School are fortunate to have extensive and impressive playing fields including two rugby pitches and three football pitches. The school also has a well-equipped, and recently refurbished, gymnasium. There is also a Pavilion on the lower field erected by the Old Pharosians. Adjacent to the school are extensive fields and hills which provide an ideal and enviable terrain for cross country running, hiking and orienteering. The changing rooms and shower areas are central to all these amenities.

There will be many improvements made to the summer facilities by next Year including:

Returfing the main cricket square; 4 new grass tennis courts; a new grass 400m track on Leney’s field together with the building of new specialist shot, discus and hammer throwing areas and new jumping pits. The Department will be heavily investing in new sports equipment this year to update the existing stock and to allow for the introduction of many new activities.

Within the very generous 2 ½ hours per week allocated to PE in Years 7, 8 and 9, pupils will be taught the following: athletics, badminton, basketball, cricket, cross-country running, gymnastics, orienteering, rugby, soccer, trampolining and new this year: camping and hiking, dance, and tennis.

The central philosophy behind the PE Department’s teaching of each activity at Key Stage 3 is to show pupils how to adapt their skills through individual, pair, small-sided or full-sided practices to enable them to devise and adapt strategies and tactics appropriate to their ability level. They will be shown how to understand and evaluate strengths and weaknesses and learn how to improve in each activity.

Throughout Key Stage 3 pupils will also be taught how to prepare for exercise, what the effects of exercise are and how to establish and maintain health.

As pupils move into Key stage 4 and 5 more activities will be taught so that pupils will develop an increased knowledge and ability level and appreciate safety in their chosen activities. Pupils will learn to perform, referee, judge and coach their activities. Pupils will also be taught how to plan, undertake and evaluate a safe health-promoting exercise plan. During Key Stage 5 the Department also makes use of excellent offsite facilities including: Dover Leisure Centre, Dover Water Sports Centre and Walmer & Kingsdown Golf Club.

GCSE Physical Education is an option in Years 10 & 11. Pupils choosing this option will have 4 extra lessons per week. At GCSE level 60% of the final grade comes from the practical performances covering 4 different activities whilst the other 40% comes from theory topics including: health & fitness; hygiene & safety; nutrition; anatomy & physiology; training principles; psychology and sociology of sport. In the Sixth form students can study AS/ A level Sport and Physical Education. Pupils choosing this option have 8 extra lessons per week. The content covers physiological, biomechanical, psychological, socio-cultural and historical aspects of sport. There are also synoptic assignments concerning elite performance and development. These qualifications open the door to many careers in sport such as coaching, teaching, physiotherapy, sports science, sports psychology, nutrition and sociology.

The School has a long tradition of sporting success in all the main sports. Pupils have represented Kent in major sports in recent years especially at football, cricket, rugby and athletics. Several have represented England Schools' football at Under 19 level.

Each Term there are lunchtime and after school clubs for all boys to improve their performance in their selected sport. The school enters individuals and teams in all local and regional competitions. Dover now has Leagues in soccer, rugby, cricket, basketball, table tennis and cross country. Team Games and individual sports are also encouraged through regular House competitions. Each year the School teams in football, rugby, basketball and cricket do extremely well in the Dover and Kent leagues and knockout cups, coming away with many trophies. For example last year the school won 4 of the 5 District 7 a side Soccer Cups. At the elite end the Ist XI Football team is regularly one of the leading contestants in the East Kent league.

The football tradition of the school is further enhanced by the support of the ex-pupil and FIFA referee David Elleray who refereed the 1994 Cup final and regularly referees in the Premiership. The school is also very fortunate to have staff expertise in table tennis. Indeed, six table tennis teams compete through the winter in the Dover Table Tennis League.

The School has a tradition of producing strong Rugby teams. Each year several boys play for the County side and many former pupils make up the backbone of Dover Rugby Club. The school has also produced two Kent County Cricketers, Derek Aslett and Chris Penn. Recently, former pupil, yachtsman Hugh Styles competed in the Olympics.

The School Swimming Sports are held annually at the Dover Leisure Centre Pool. The major annual event is the full Sports Day in June/July. This is the culmination of the athletics season, allowing pupils to compete against each other for House trophies.