Development news

The Tonbridge School Centre - we're counting the benefits

It's inspiring... going into the Centre each day and seeing so many grinning boys getting so much out of sport, at all levels.

Andy Whittall, Director of Sport

The Media Centre and sports coaching

We always envisaged a fruitful link between sport and media. Now we're seeing the real benefits of this. Here's a quick glimpse of just one of the coaching applications:

• Watch video clip (requires Windows Media Player)

This is just one small illustration of the Media Centre's potential. It's a facility which will bring benefits to numerous aspects of school life, from Drama to interview training, to documentary-making - the scope is enormous.

A new take on the campus

As well as all the improvements the Centre has brought to individual sports, it has changed the way the school community views and uses the campus. The Centre it is now the hub of school sport and has created a bridge between the main school and the lower pitches. It has opened up the Tonbridge campus in a way no one quite foresaw.

Climbing

The new wall, named after the late and much-missed, ex-Tonbridge teacher, Nick Prosser, is creating wider interest in this challenging sport, and the standards are on the up, with several of the boys now climbing at 6B.

2012

At Beijing, Tonbridge was promoted as a training site to the Olympic committees of over 200 countries. The combination of the Centre, the track, the astro pitches and the setting is a powerful one. Now we've been approached by three countries to work on the detail. More soon...

New fixtures

50 or more boys are now playing badminton. The sport has become so popular that Tonbridge is now organising fixtures with other schools.

Letting off steam

In addition to all the scheduled daytime school use, the Centre is open for all boys to use between 9 and 10pm. It is also used by many of the boys over the weekends.

Building stamina

Next term, swimming will be one of the major sports. For now the boys are using the pool for their distance training.

Beyond the school

Use by local clubs - Monson Swimming Club, Tonbridge Swimming Club, Tonbridge Athletics Club, Yeomans Karate club. And soon to come: Kent Cricket and Tonbridge Cricket Club.

Schools - Cage Green Primary, Cage Green Centre for Autism and Hilden Oaks school.

Membership

The membership list is growing, especially because there are preferential rates for parents and OTs. For more details, please call the Tonbridge School Centre on 01732 304111.