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Elite sports scholarship gives youngsters a head start

Dyke House Sports & Technology College (Dyke House) in Hartlepool, judged by Ofsted to be an outstanding school, is to launch a unique sports scholarship for young, talented athletes in Hartlepool and the wider region who possess the necessary flair and aptitude to be part of its elite development squad.

With sport as one of its specialisms, Dyke House is already recognised for the quality of its sporting achievements and state of the art facilities, as well as its high standards of academic performance.

The Elite Development Squad Sports Scholarship will allow the school to build on its established links with both Durham and Teesside universities together with the Youth Sports Trust to develop the potential of the next generation of talented local youngsters who are capable of competing nationally.

The programme is part of promoting the Olympic legacy after Dyke House succeeded in becoming one of 20 Get Set Olympic Schools which were involved with the Olympic Games.

The majority of applications are expected to come from students within the natural catchment area for Dyke House but suitably gifted students from the wider region may also apply.

A generous package of support is available to all successful students which includes financial assistance for travel costs, free specialist and general training kit, free membership/competition fees, regular fitness testing and attendance at training camps, previously held in Italy and the USA, plus a host of other benefits.

Headteacher, Andrew Jordon, believes it is a fantastic opportunity for talented young people who would not normally be able to secure this type of backing outside of the independent schools sector to fulfil both their sporting and academic potential. He explains:

“Dyke House has been a sports and technology college for five years and as part of our strategy for continuous improvement and pursuit of excellence, in March this year, we became an academy school, sponsored by Northern Education Trust.

“Whilst the creation of an elite sports college has been on our agenda for some time, it is only possible now because of our academy status, which provides us with greater self-determination when it comes to setting and allocating budgets. We will also receive support from our two local universities for use of their extensive facilities.

“Currently we have a cohort of 1050 students at Dyke House and out of this number perhaps five to ten students are operating at or above the regional level in sporting achievements so this means that we already have our Year 7 allocation more or less complete for the next academic year. We are only looking for around ten students in each year group and ideally would prefer to build up the numbers over time, but I can confirm that all kinds of sporting activities will be catered for.

“However, I would like to stress that this will not be an easy option. It will be an academically challenging regime and students will be required to contract to a set of conditions that they must meet and maintain – so as well as developing their sporting ability it will also provide students with a wide pathway to pursue future academic opportunities.”

Roger Alston, chief executive of Northern Education Trust, said: “We’re delighted that we can offer talented young people the chance to become part of our elite development squad. Sports and outdoor pursuits are crucial in the provision of a rounded education.

“Many students who have a talent tend to give up their sport when they are 14 or 15 years old as they cannot access the type of support they need to really progress, so the elite development squad will make a real difference, allowing them to develop their potential both in and out of sport.”

Albert Potts, who oversees elite athlete recruitment at Durham University, explains how the sport scholarship initiative fits well with the strategic aims of the University.

“At Durham we have a clear agenda to provide a student experience which allows individuals to excel in both an academic and a sporting arena. By working with sport specialist academy schools, such as Dyke House, we believe we will be able to widen participation in higher education, raise the aspirations of individual students and help those students to reach their true academic and sporting potential. We are delighted to be able to support this new scholarship scheme and look forward to working with many talented young athletes of the future.”

Applications can be considered at any point during the academic year. Initially an application form must be completed and if students are successful after this stage, they will be invited to an assessment day at the college, followed by an invitation to meet with the director of the elite development squad and the headteacher.

Dyke House is one of eight schools sponsored by the Northern Education Trust which is headquartered in North Tyneside. Launched in October 2012, it is the only multi academy trust focused on the north of England region and based in the north east.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Laura Drake .