Since opening in 2021, our strength and conditioning Performance Gym has created the ideal environment for pupils to improve their health and fitness.
The purpose of the facilities and coaches are to help aspiring athletes and those in the Talented Athletes Programme to pursue a career in professional sport. There is also equal focus on those who want to become more confident in the gym and further their understanding of using the equipment in a safe environment. The facilities are used during sport lessons to cover the academic curriculum and provide practical learning.
The ethos is being implemented during Games sessions, sports team practices and during pupils’ free time, when they can sign up for gym use. We champion a holistic approach, which teaches pupils how to make healthy food choices and combine this with regular exercise. By having our coaches working both in the gym and out training, our pupils can contextualise their work and understand how the skills learnt in the gym transfer to competitive games.
The gym includes lifting platforms which are installed into the flooring, half squat racks, a multi-use rig and all necessary accessory equipment to support a performance programme. We are constantly updating equipment and means of delivering programmes to pupils, making everything more personalised.
Our Head of Athletic Development works closely alongside the School Physio, a specialist in child and adolescent musculoskeletal conditions. Having both the physiotherapy and the strength and conditioning facilities under one roof ensures a gold standard service from point of injury through rehabilitation and return to full games and activity participation.