The Tonbridge School Centre for Sports and Media

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Opened in 2008 the Tonbridge School Centre for Sports and Media is a landmark in national sporting provision and was an integral part of the successful bid by Tonbridge School to be recognized as an official training centre for the 2012 Olympics. The Tonbridge School Centre is at the hub of Tonbridge Sport and encourages boys both to compete and enjoy their sport.

A floor plan of the upper-ground floor, showing the 8 court sports hall, the 25m pool and two classrooms and flexible zones
The upper-ground floor plan
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A floor plan of the lower-ground floor, showing the 8 court sports hall, the 25m pool and the wet and dry changing areas The lower-ground floor plan
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The £11 million centre complements the extensive and superior grounds of the school. It contains the following sporting facilities:

  • a 25 metre six lane swimming pool with depths varying from 1.2m to 3.0m which is suitable for teaching, galas, water polo and training. The purpose build 3m deep end means that boys are able to train towards BSAC sub-aqua qualifications;
  • a 5-court sports hall suitable for badminton, basketball, volleyball, hockey and Five-a-Side football and 5 lanes of cricket nets;
  • a challenging climbing wall with a variety of routes and natural feature included in the design which means that boys of all levels of ability are able to experience the challenge of climbing;
  • a Multipurpose Room with sprung wooden floor suitable for classes of up to 60 people but marked out for fencing. This room is also used for martial arts and table tennis (6 tables are regularly in use);
  • a Fitness Suite with 30 stations comprising cardio vascular and resistance equipment together with area for free weights and;
  • eight changing areas for 'dry'' sports and a 'wet' changing area for the pool including a baby changing area for community use.
The Sports Hall

The Media Centre incorporates the Media Suite Studio and Edit Room and gives pupils access to professional TV, video, sound, broadcasting and recording facilities together with editing functions related to school projects and activities. Both the swimming pool and sports hall have high resolution camera positions to enable recording of sporting techniques or matches and editing suites which allow coaches to edit training film in order to replay to a team or single athletes.

There is also a classroom and social areas including bar and café and outside terrace with fantastic views across the school playing fields and Athletics track.

Outside the Centre the school's facilities include about 100 acres of playing fields, an all-weather athletics track of county standard (home track for Kelly Holmes), three Astroturf playing areas for hockey and tennis (one of them water-based), squash courts, fives courts, a rackets court, and a climbing wall. Sailing takes place at Bough Beech reservoir.


The swimming pool

From left to right: the fitness suite, a multi-purpose studio, the climbing wall
Photos by Graeme Gales