LeAF Studio has received special recognition from Sport England for giving young athletes top education alongside their training and competitions. Year 11 student Macie Schmidt (left) is leaving for Australia in November for a month to compete with the GB cycle speedway team. During this time she will receive online support and set work from LeAF. Studio. Here she is pictured with business teacher Helen Kellaway.
Bournemouth’s specialist state school has become the first in England to receive recognition for providing both education and career opportunities for talented athletes.
LeAF Studio is the first secondary school to be accredited with Sport England’s innovative Talented Athlete Scholarship (TASS).
TASS provides extra support and resources through its Dual Career Accreditation Scheme to schools, colleges and universities that support talented young athletes to gain qualifications alongside their sporting pursuits.
LeAF Studio Principal, Nadine Lapskas, said: “We are thrilled to be the first secondary school to receive this prestigious accreditation from Sport England.
“The TASS scheme is what we have always been about – providing top level sporting and condition coaching alongside teaching academic and vocational subjects.
“Our timetable is geared so that our very talented students can combine the often intensive nature of their sport alongside their everyday schooling.
“At LeAF we enable students to combine their drive to succeed in the sporting world alongside receiving the very best education and neither side suffers.”
LeAF Studio has received special recognition from Sport England for giving young athletes top education alongside their training and competitions. Year 11 student Macie Schmidt (left) is leaving for Australia in November for a month to compete with the GB cycle speedway team. During this time she will receive online support and set work from LeAF. Studio. Here she is pictured with principal Nadine Lapskas.
As a Dual Career Accredited Centre, LeAF Studio will be an important extension of the network of universities that already partner with TASS, delivering core support services to more than 400 student-athletes each year.
These support services include physiotherapy, nutrition, lifestyle support, psychology strength and conditioning and a private medical scheme.
All accredited centres will receive a toolkit of resources to provide practical career support and bring together all parties who work with the athlete.
And student-athletes will have access to online notes or resources, a choice of assignments and can arrange catch-up sessions with lecturers, or even reschedule deadlines or exam dates in exceptional circumstances.
Meanwhile for LeAF Studio, the recognition of becoming a TASS Dual Career Accredited Centre is expected to be beneficial in attracting a greater number of talented athletes and building connections with other local sporting institutions.
Sport England’s Director of Sport, Phil Smith, said: “Our future sporting champions shouldn’t have to choose between getting an education and excelling at their sport, but they are at risk of dropping out of one of them if they don’t get the right support.
“Since 2004, over 6,000 athletes have been supported via the Sport England-funded TASS scheme, 98 of whom went on to compete at the Rio Olympics.
“We’re excited we can now offer education institutions the opportunity to become a TASS Dual Career Accredited Centre, so they can access training and resources to help provide practical dual career support for athletes.”
LeAF Studio, part of Ambitions Academies Trust, is a specialist state school for talented athletes and performers aged 13 to 19.
For more information please contact Rachel Read, account director at Deep South Media, on 01202 534487.
