Athletics is a major feature of the Summer Term, with pupils training and competing across a wide range of track and field disciplines. Our facilities include a grass 400-metre track, long-jump and high-jump areas, alongside shot, javelin and discus facilities, providing an excellent environment for developing young athletes. Pupils regularly represent Waverley at the Surrey Schools Championships, while House Athletics provides a hugely popular opportunity for the wider School community to compete. The programme also embraces innovation, with pupils having taken part in an indoor high-jump competition within the Teaching Block, demonstrating the enthusiasm and creativity that underpin sport at Cranleigh.

Climbing is available during the Michaelmas and Lent Terms, offering pupils the opportunity to develop strength, movement skills, problem-solving and confidence. Our on-site bouldering wall provides an accessible introduction, while regular visits to Surrey Sports Park and Blue Spider allow pupils to experience more challenging climbing environments. Pupils compete in House competitions and against other schools, developing their skills through both recreational and competitive opportunities. Target Sprint combines running and precision shooting and is offered during the Summer Term. Cranleigh has enjoyed notable national success in the sport, with pupils embracing its unique combination of speed, accuracy, concentration and fitness.

Cross country is available as a sport choice during the Michaelmas and Lent Terms, with the School’s stunning Surrey Hills location providing an exceptional natural environment for training and competition. Pupils enjoy a variety of challenging routes both on and off site, developing endurance, resilience and a strong sense of team spirit. Alongside individual competition, runners compete as part of School teams and take part in the hugely popular House Cross Country. The programme continues into the Summer Term through our early-morning Running Club, where pupils meet at 6:15am for supervised running drills before finishing the term with an exciting team relay challenge.

Squash and Badminton offer pupils two distinctive indoor sports, with opportunities for both participation and competition. Squash can be chosen in the Michaelmas and Lent Terms, with three new courts providing excellent facilities for players of all abilities, alongside opportunities for recreational play. More than 40 pupils select Badminton as their core sport, making use of eight courts in our double sports hall and competing against schools throughout the year.

Swimming is available to pupils in every term and provides opportunities for both participation and competition. Our 25-metre on-site pool offers approximately nine hours of timetabled pool time each week, alongside two early-morning sessions before the School day begins. The programme caters for all abilities, from pupils developing confidence in the water to experienced swimmers seeking competitive opportunities. Regular inter-school galas and participation in a schools’ league provide a strong competitive pathway throughout the year. With expert coaching and excellent facilities on site, swimming enables pupils to develop technical ability, fitness and confidence in the water.

Golf benefits from an exceptional setting, with the School’s own nine-hole course providing opportunities for pupils to choose it as their main sport during the Michaelmas and Summer Terms. Matches take place regularly during the week across senior and junior age groups, while some pupils can further develop their game through visits to the local indoor simulator sessions, driving range and practice rounds at nearby West Surrey Golf Club. The School competes throughout the year in the SWIFT Schools Tournament and has recently supported a pupil progressing to university golf scholarships in the USA. Pupils also gain unique experiences, including annual involvement with the Open’s 18th green scoreboard and recent tours to Normandy and Florida.

Created in response to the changing needs of pupils following the COVID-19 pandemic, CranFit has become a popular choice for both girls and boys throughout the year. The programme offers an extensive range of activities designed to develop fitness, wellbeing and confidence, making full use of our outstanding facilities. Sessions include yoga, HIIT, aerobics, dance and gym-based training, alongside more adventurous challenges such as military-style fitness using tractor tyres. CranFit provides pupils with an enjoyable and varied approach to physical activity, helping them develop healthy habits and a lifelong appreciation of fitness and wellbeing.

Tennis is a hugely popular summer sport, with around 300 girls and boys participating across the School. Pupils make full use of our 24 courts, with regular Saturday fixtures, House matches and internal training sessions providing opportunities for competitive play at every level. Our programme caters for complete beginners through to high-performing players and also incorporates pickleball at selected age groups. Tennis remains accessible throughout the year, with weekly sessions offered through our Priority Time activity programme during the Michaelmas and Lent Terms. In 2026, our tennis teams travelled to Malta for a specialist training tour.

Netball is predominantly a Lent Term sport at Cranleigh, featuring six senior teams and five teams per age group from Year 9 to Year 11. Our outstanding facilities, including 10 outdoor and two indoor courts, allow large numbers of pupils to train and compete weekly. All squads play in Saturday fixtures, while the 1st VII competes in the Sisters in Sport and County Cup competitions, recently reaching the Plate semi-final in 2026. Performance players can train weekly during the Michaelmas Term alongside their other seasonal sports. Off the court, the school enjoyed a tour to Abu Dhabi in 2025, and former pupils have gone on to represent the England Roses Academy and University 1st VIIs.

Boys’ football is played predominantly in the Lent Term and, from 2027, will become a sport choice for all age groups. The majority of fixtures take place during the Lent Term, with the U15 and 1st XI squads also training in the Michaelmas Term alongside another sport. The School fields six senior sides and four teams at each age group, competing in ISFA, London Schools and league competitions. Recent success includes the 1st XI reaching the ISFA Shield Final in consecutive seasons. Pupils train and compete across 11 grass pitches, an indoor sports hall and a state-of-the-art floodlit 3G pitch. Girls’ football is an exciting and rapidly developing part of the School’s sporting programme. Weekly football sessions are already available through the Priority Time Activity programme, providing pupils with opportunities to develop their skills, confidence and enjoyment of the game. Building on this growing participation, the School has an ambitious vision for girls’ football, with the aim of introducing regular competitive fixtures at U15 and U18 level in the future.

Cranleigh’s boys’ and girls’ hockey programmes are regarded among the leading school programmes in the country, combining high-performance opportunities with an exceptional breadth of participation. The School fields multiple teams across every age group, ensuring pupils can enjoy and develop their hockey at every level. Both boys and girls compete in the National Outdoor U18 and U16 Super Leagues, alongside National Outdoor U14 Tier 1 Cup. Our provision is supported by three all-weather pitches and a double sports hall for indoor hockey, to support our entries into the U18 and U16 indoor competitions. To support ambitious athletes, our new Hockey Performance Pathway offers tailored support both on and off the pitch, and direct links into England Hockey Talent Academies. Cranleigh has a proud history of national success, including U18 and U16 indoor and outdoor titles, while more than 25 pupils have represented age-group or full international teams over the past 15 years. Former pupils currently represent both the Great Britain men’s and women’s teams. Girls’ hockey is predominantly played in the Michaelmas Term and boys’ hockey in the Lent Term, although pupils can play across two terms to support their development and performance pathway. Regular tours to Holland provide further opportunities to compete and train, while many current pupils are involved in England Hockey Talent Academy pathways.

Cranleigh has an outstanding reputation as one of the country’s leading school rugby programmes, combining a proud tradition of national success with opportunities for every pupil to thrive. Four or five teams compete at each age group during the Michaelmas Term, supported by 12 grass pitches and a new floodlit 3G surface. Teams regularly compete against leading schools nationally on Saturday afternoons, alongside evening fixtures. In the Lent Term, pupils can continue their rugby journey through Rugby Sevens alongside another sport. Harlequins coaches support the programme throughout the week, particularly at C and D team level. Recent honours include the Rosslyn Park U18 Sevens, St Joseph’s U18 National Tournament, Daily Mail Trophy U18 and U15 National Plate. Cranleigh has also produced numerous professional and international players, including Will Collier, Oscar Beard, Hugh Tizard, Dino Lamb and Sammy Arnold.

Cranleigh offers an exceptional Equestrian programme, centred around its dedicated on-site Equestrian Centre, which includes stabling, two floodlit sand schools, riding school ponies, extensive grazing and on-site hacking. The School has a sustained record of national success across Dressage, Show Jumping and Arena Eventing, with multiple NSEA National Championship titles in recent years, including three titles in 2024 and five in 2025. Although Cranleigh riders have also achieved individual national titles, and International representation, the programme caters for grassroots riders just starting their equestrian journey.

Cranleigh’s boys’ and girls’ cricket programmes combine a strong tradition of performance with an outstanding breadth of participation and development. The school features regularly in the The Cricketer Schools top 100 Guide.  The School fields around six senior boys’ teams, with a further four teams at younger age groups, alongside four girls’ teams competing on Saturday afternoons. Boys’ cricket benefits from 14 all-weather nets, three indoor nets and a dedicated indoor cricket bubble, providing access to high-quality practice facilities throughout the year. Our teams compete on a highly competitive fixture card, including National T20 and Hundred competitions, against many of the leading cricket schools in the country. The programme has helped develop a number of professional cricketers, while current pupils continue to progress through county, regional and national pathways. Girls’ cricket continues to grow rapidly, supported by year-round training, small-group coaching and opportunities to compete and develop at every level.

Fives remains a particularly popular Cranleigh tradition, with six floodlit courts enabling pupils to enjoy the sport throughout the year. In 2019, Cranleigh’s Fives programme marked a significant milestone when our first pair won the U15 Plate at the National Championships, beginning a period of increasingly strong national performances. In the seven years to 2022–23, Cranleigh reached six National Finals and won a National Championship. In 2022, our girls’ U16 pair became National Champions at Eton, securing Cranleigh’s first National Schools’ Championship. This success continued in 2024, when Cranleigh won the Girls’ Open National Championship at Repton, defeating Shrewsbury 3–0 in the final.