Stonehenge school PE now a winning formula with improved facilities
The school will soon have a Sport England level playing field on site
Pupils at Stonehenge school are benefiting from better PE facilities at the school, thanks to safety improvements at the nearby Holder's Field.
The school have invested in new equipment for sports, meaning they're now able to host home fixtures and have held their first sports days without major travel for 15 years.
The school started using the new block containing a new school hall, drama studio and music classrooms in September 2023, which were part of a £6m development project funded by Wiltshire Council and the Department of Education.
And the sports provision at the school will get a further boost as the old lower block has been demolished to make way for a Sport England level playing field.
Holders Field had previously been available to the school, but not used due to it's safeguarding concerns. But with Wiltshire Council investing in upgrading the security of the fence, pupils are now safer at the off-site location that before.
The school has purchased football and rugby equipment after ground staff made designs to optimise the use of the space, while a storage space has been created for other PE equipment, enabling students to explore a wider range of sports and games.
Alex Protheroe, the schools head of PE, said the improved facilities mean pupils can participate in different ways.
"We can offer a lot more for children at the school," he said, adding that pupils can be officials and coaches, as well as competing in games.
Alex also told us that the Holders Field environment is allowing the schools extra curricular sporting activities to 'thrive'.
The school are in the process of buying more equipment for Holder's Field, including 'dugouts' in order for their teams to have facilities worthy of hosting matches. Before the improvements, the school had been forced to travel for fixtures.
One of the pupils we spoke to said having home fixtures allowed players to look forward to sports more, as they got to experience home support.
The improvements have allowed the school to host it's first Sports Days at Holders Field in more than 15 years. Previously, the school had travelled to Tidworth Oval for the event.
And the viability of Holders Field as a venue means the school saves £5000, as that's what it would cost to transport the entire school to Tidworth Oval with its increased pupil capacity.
Students were able to compete in House football and rounders matches, take part in athletics events and also try their hand at activities like archery and circus skills.