A new climbing wall, added to the St John’s Sports Hall, was today, Friday November 29, officially opened by Headteacher Ian Tucker and members of the St John’s Foundation Trust. The investment in the climbing wall comes as St John’s celebrates ten years in the current buildings.
The climbing wall was funded largely by the Foundation Trust and it will make a significant addition to PE and Sport provision within the academy.
Kit Dillon is Head of PE at St John’s Marlborough, “We will be using the wall in lessons as part of an ‘Outdoor Adventurous Activities’ scheme of work for all year groups. Students will be taught to safely belay each other, as well as the key climbing skills. Climbing builds students’ muscular strength and endurance. It is also an excellent way to develop problem solving skills, resilience and team work.”
The climbing wall, which has been designed and built by top climbing wall company Entre-prises, has 10 ‘lines’ or roped climbs, with a maximum height of 7.5m. The wall also has a separate bouldering/traversing section which can be used without the need for ropes and harnesses. Each line has numerous different routes which can change the difficulty of the climb to suit all abilities.
Steve Tapper, Chair of the St John’s Foundation Trust, told marlborough.news, “We’re thrilled to be able to make such a positive physical contribution to students’ health and well-being. The students chose the wall over several other possible projects the Trust was prepared to support.”
The wall is big enough to allow groups of ten students to climb at the same time, so will become a routine part of the school’s PE curriculum. St John’s will also offer after-school and lunchtime clubs from January to enable any interested students to train in a smaller setting.
Headteacher, Ian Tucker, said, “We’re delighted. There is a buzz of excitement from students and staff. Very few schools have this facility. I know of only one other and that’s on a much smaller scale. It opens up real doors for our students and allows them to access new experiences. We are very grateful to the St John’s Foundation Trust for their contribution.”
St John’s is currently working with the Youth Sport Trust and Excalibur Teaching School, in a Sport England funded programme. The programme aims to help PE teachers to build positive attitudes to PE and physical exercise among students. St John’s PE staff will be investigating whether the use of the climbing wall can improve students’ confidence and resilience to help them manage the increased workload during their GCSE years.