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Spires Academy

Sport

Driven by a determination to create welcoming schools for the local community, where every person thrives, makes excellent progress and succeeds.

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Sport

Sporting Academies

Gymnastics Academy

Successes include:

  • 3rd in U16 Floor and Vault Milano National Competition 2022 (Regional Competition)

  • 1st  in U14 Floor and Vault Milano National Competition 2020 (Regional Competition)

  • 3rd in U14 Floor and Vault Milano National Competition 2020

  • 4th in U14 Floor and Vault National Qualifiers competition.

  • 1st in U19 Novice Girls Category of Floor and Vault regional competition (Toni Quirke).
  • 1st U13 Novice Girls Floor and Vault regional competition (Amy Carpenter).  
  • 3rd U12 Intermediate Floor and Vault competition (Jasmine Manley).
  • 4th in the U14 Milano Team Trio in Sports Acro, Floor and Vault competition.
  • 3rd and 4th in U12 Sports Acrobatics (Eloise Wallis and Jasmine Manley).
  • China Mattis is currently representing Team GB at Gymnastic levels and trains throughout the week at City of London Gymnastic Club. She also accomplished winning this seasons Level 2 British Gymnastics Competition.
  • Spires Competed in Dover Gymnastic clubs school event (hosted by Folkestone Academy) finishing 1st in novice floor and vault ( Chelsea Grant, Bonnie Hards and Lucy Fagg).
  • Spires Hosted the South Eastern nationals and regionals competitions, finishing 3rd in the Novice category and 2nd in the intermediate category.

Outline of the provision

All students access gymnastics within the curriculum.

Gifted and Talented Gymnasts attend Canterbury Gymnastics Club on an invite only basis once a week for 2 hours where they are coached by a BGA (Level 3) coach within the disciplines of floor, vault, sports acrobatics, tumble and floor.

Students then compete for Spires Academy at qualifying competitions within the South East of England. Our aim is to reach the Nationals in May 2017 at Stoke on Trent.

Please add the PDF to profile – China Mattis

 

Golf Academy

Golf Academy

Successes include:

  • Spires has become the organising body responsible for Kent Schools Golf 2018 onwards.
  • Five Kent Golf Union players (Owen Fagg; Harry Fagg; Kurt Bryant; Kieran Collins; Ben Collins) 2016 - 2018
  • Three Kent Schools Golf Team players (Owen Fagg; Harry Fagg; Ben Collins) - 2018
  • Three students have won Order of Merit (2016/18) and Junior Club Championships with their respective clubs (Kurt Bryant; Harry Fagg and Owen Fagg).
  • Owen Fagg came 6th out of 45 juniors at Princes Junior Links Open representing Spires Academy. Two other students finished in the top 12.
  • Owen Fagg played in the Princes Junior Open and came 10th out of 36 juniors from across the country.
  • Spires came 4th in South East Region British Schools and Colleges League playing against international players at U19 level.
  • Drew with Kings School first team both home and away (Royal Cinq Ports GC)
  • Harry Fagg winner of order of Merit at Canterbury Golf Club

Outline of Provision

Stretch and challenge the most able golfers and introduce students to golf.  Gifted and Talented Golfers attend training sessions at Canterbury Golf Club with PGA Head Professional, Richard Wallis. The programme runs throughout the year with a lesson every two weeks and access to either the golf course or the academy course following the lesson. The first team have full membership to Canterbury Golf Club and currently play in the East Kent League Team against golf clubs from across the South East.

Students also play in the British Schools and Colleges League involving 4 fixtures against other colleges across the South East (including Brighton and Eastbourne) as well as the South Links National Qualifier. Last year this was held at Princes Golf Club but this may not be a Royal Cinque Port this year.

Two of the Spires Golf Academy up and coming players, Owen Fagg – aged 14 and Ben Collins – aged 13, took part in the County School Golf Competition on Thursday 27th April. 

The competition was held at Bearsted Golf Club for handicappers playing off 12 or below. This was a Championship for the best 11 – 19 year old golfers in the county. It was being run by Kent Schools Golf Association. 42 students from across the county were in attendance from a variety of schools.

Owen Fagg came 3rd in the nett competition shooting 81 shots after 18 holes. This is a fantastic achievement for the school and for Owen. Owen plays within the junior Scholarship programme at Canterbury Golf Club and is in the elite golf academy at Spires Academy.

Player Profile Owen Fagg

Player Profile Ben Collins

 

Equestrian Academy

Successes include:

  • Spires’s equestrian team won Barton Field Farm Equestrian Jumping Cup against Canterbury Christ Church University show jumping team. The equestrian team also took first and second place in the individual competition.

Outline of the provision

Students are taught at Barton Field Farm (Canterbury) by accredited instructors. This provides stretch and challenge to the most able dressage and show jumpers within the school. It all helps to improve their Junior section and allow our talented students to access coaching from highly experienced coaches.

Students have a show jumping lesson at Barton Field Farm every two weeks in groups of 6. The provision is differentiated to ensure that even the most experienced show jumpers are stretched. Spires Academy will launch the first Show Jumping League for Schools in South East Kent for many years in conjunction with The Pony Club and Barton Field Farm Equestrian Centre in 2017. Schools invited to take part in this provision are The King’s School Canterbury, Canterbury Academy, St Edmund’s School (Canterbury), Simon Langton Girls’ Grammar School, Kent College and Canterbury Christ Church University.

Football Academy

Successes include:

  • Kent representative currently playing at Crystal Palace FC (Megan Pearce)
  • A student currently playing at Gillingham FC (Sophie Chapman).
  • 3 Students playing for Dover Athletic Football Club

- Denis Mehalla and Eddie Jordan Under 13's

- Toby Swinn Under 15's

  • Year 7s reached the last 16 of the under 12’s National Cup Sponsored by PlayStation, beating 2 independent Schools along the way and eventually lost on penalties to another independent school.

Outline of Provision

Football Academy students train for two hours a week and the high class training promotes professionalism and hard work, as well as enjoyment of the game.  The Academy sets its standards high and this is evident in the professionalism and dedication of the players.  Trials are held at the beginning of each school year to assess students’ abilities and only those with a high level of ability are taken through to an interview process where each student must demonstrate dedication and a strong work ethic throughout Academy life.  Through close links with other Football Academies, post 16 students have the opportunity to continue to progress and our link with Dover Athletic and Margate FC allows younger students to be offered trials using our own Nicky Lewis (FA Level 2 coach and ex county footballer).


Player Profile - Megan Pearce
Player Profile - Sophie Chapman

Player Profile - Eddie Jordan

Player Profile - Denis Mehalla

Player Profile - Toby Swinn

Dance Academy

Successes in 2015/16 include:

  • Bobbie Scargill solo finalist at Kent Freestyle Dance competition (May 2016). She had to dance 4 rounds to make her final and achieved an incredible 6th place overall. Bobbie Scargill and Kiya-Elise Ward were pair’s finalists in the same competition. They had to dance 3 rounds to make that final and finished in 4th place.
  • Sinead Campbell and Robyn Beattie competed in the Street and Slow categories and scored incredibly well against U18 competition. Sinead entered in the Slow category and Robyn in the Street. Both girls managed to be recalled and got through to the 2nd round of the competition.
  • Robyn Beattie came 2nd in the Kent Street Dance competition.
  • Kiya-Elise Ward, Bobbie Scargill, Robyn Beattie and Sinead Campbell were all placed at Kent Street, Freestyle and Slow Dance Competition (July 2016).
  • The Dance Academy performed at The Marlowe Theatre in the Spires Dance Showcase and at many awards ceremonies.

Outline of the provision

Students will be taught by an external dance company who deliver a variety of dance disciplines. This also improves their Junior section and allows our talented students to access coaching from industry professionals.

Students have one Dance Academy session a week.  They perform throughout the county but the Spires Marlowe Dance Showcase and other school productions are the highlight of the year for our students and other schools within the area.

Leadership Academy

Successes in 2015/16 include:

  • Megan Pearce and Sinead Campbell have been invited to take part in the Kent Leaders Scheme run by the Youth Sport Trust.
  • Spires students ran Petham Primary School Sports Day July 2016.
  • Spires students ran Canterbury Sports Partnership Rounders Festival June 2016.
  • Spires students supported Sturry Parish Council Summer Festival July 2016.

Outline of the provision

This is to allow students the opportunity to achieve qualifications such as the Young Leaders Award, Kent FA (Level 1), Award for Sports Leadership, Maths Leaders, Literacy Leaders, and Badminton Junior Leaders. The experience will also prepare students for Unit 6 of BTEC Sport (Level 2) qualification which is recognised within the open bucket of GCSE qualifications. This academy will also enable students to support primary schools and partnership sports events across Kent. In 2016/17 they will also support a new scheme being launched by Canterbury Sports Development Unit to make Spires Academy the Performance Centre for Badminton in East Kent.

The Leadership Academy students supported the Hoath and Chistlet Primary School Sports Day this year which was held at Spires Academy on 20th June 2017. The Leadership Academy students, is a group of the most gifted leaders across the Academy. They help to support various events throughout the year as well as this one. Throughout the afternoon yesterday the Leadership Academy supported the primary school’s sports day by providing inspirational leadership, incredible interpersonal skills and helped create such a positive environment for the students from Hoath and Chislet that they said they wanted to come back next year.

The Sports Coordinator from Hoath and Chislet commented specifically on how professional, well-mannered and supportive the Leadership Academy students were. He was appreciative of how much time, encouragement and patience the leaders showed to all of the young children. They helped create a really special experience for the young people within our community which will hopefully inspire future sports leaders. Mr Lewis and I, indeed everyone at based at Spires Academy, is exceptionally proud of each of the leaders for everything they do for the school and their local community.