Lawn Manor Academy now boasts one of the best school gyms in the county thanks to a partnership with Wiltshire and Swindon Sport (WASP).
The school has transformed a formerly underused area into a professional quality gym with dedicated sections for cardio training, weights and combat sport, together with a room ideal for holding exercise classes.
The project was achieved as part of the Department for Education’s Opening Schools Facilities programme, which supports schools to develop their existing sport facilities to appeal to a broader range of people and to partner with sporting organisations who can help deliver activities.
Together with WASP and leading gym company Absolute Performance, which designs and installs equipment for the British Olympic Association, the new gym complex was designed to appeal to pupils as well as support the PE curriculum and wider school objectives. The gym is now open every day before and after school for open sessions for it to be used by pupils and the wider school community.
Mike Wilson, Head of Sport & Leisure, explained, “The Club House has been transformational for the school. It means that pupils who wouldn’t normally have access to this standard of facility can learn more about their health and improve their fitness, as well as giving everyone a great choice of what to use in lessons.
“We are also using the gym to support our pupils who may be disengaged with their learning and to promote positive behaviour and early results have been incredibly positive. Improving our pupils’ physical literacy impacts on every aspect of their school life and beyond as it can help them focus in class as well as promote healthy living too.”
Stuart Arthur, Project Lead at WASP, added, “When we first met with Mike to discuss the opportunity he had great aspirations as to what he wanted to achieve, especially in order to support children who were struggling to make the most of their PE lessons due to their fitness levels and the traditional after school clubs didn’t appeal to them.
“When we saw the potential of the area of the school that would become the Club House and that the vision was supported by everyone at Lawn Manor, we knew it was ideal for the programme and that the school would have a high quality gym that would last many years.”
Lawn Manor Academy is part of the Ascend Learning Trust. For more information visit www.lawnmanor.org