Sports Award

Awarded to the educational establishment in the UK that can demonstrate an outstanding committment to developing the sporting skills of its students through the provision of first class facilities and coaching programmes.

2009 Winner: Canterbury High School, Kent

The Canterbury High School is an all ability co-educational 11-19 Foundation School. As a Specialist Sports College, the facilities at Canterbury continue to improve with the addition of The Beach Volleyball and Multi Sports facility which is now being used by children and the community. Other sports features include a 6 lane 400m athletics track with 8 lane 100m home straight, a floodlit football pitch, 6 badminton courts and an outdoor area for 5-a-side football, netball and basketball.

A specialised sports science classroom features a suite of computers, and video cameras are available for students to use inside and outside the classroom. This information can also be fed into 'Darttrainer' performance analysis software to substantiate a student's visual and theoretical understanding of performance.

Chelsea FC Foundation and The Canterbury High School have established Chelsea FC Foundation’s only elite boys’ football academy in Kent. The Chelsea FC Foundation/ Canterbury Academy aims to combine a first class training and coaching programme, delivered by Chelsea’s UEFA approved coaches, with an educational package delivered by The Canterbury High School and its partners in the Canterbury City Partnership.

The PE Department offers an extensive extra curricular programme which runs breakfast clubs and after school from 3 until 4.30pm. The Canterbury High School is also pioneering the delivery of The Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence (AASE). This qualification requires the student to achieve NVQ Level 3 in Achieving Excellence in Sports performance and technical qualifications requiring 780 guided learning hours. Last year 17 students gained this qualification, and the school is in negotiations to offer AASE to elite basketball, tennis and rugby players.

Commended:

Oakham School, Rutland
Bartley Green School, Birmingham