Our mission statement is for every learner to be able to move seamlessly from LeAF Studio into employment, professional performance or university, equipped with the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding to purposefully engage in all of the challenges and opportunities they will experience.
Students enrol at LeAF Studio in order to study academic and/or vocational qualifications at both Key Stage 4 and Key Stage 5, with the aspiration to also perform at a high level in either sport or performing arts. Since its inception in September 2012, we have supported regional, national and international level student athletes across sports as varied as volleyball, football, swimming, cycling, running, triathlon, duathlon, powerlifting, rowing, trampolining, gymnastics, badminton, karate, boxing and Brazilian jujitsu.
Whilst at LeAF Studio our student athletes have trained for, competed in and won regional, national and international titles both individually and as part of a team, whilst also achieving academic qualifications in line with or exceeding their expected levels of attainment. In order to support our learners in doing this, the school has been innovative in its use of tutoring and mentoring through our extended timetable and specialist sport coaching staff, enriching our student athletes’ understanding of intelligent goal setting and their development of transferable skills such as communication, problem solving and teamwork. We are also proud of the close relationships that our staff build with parents, external clubs, coaches and NGBs in order to ensure the network of support around our student athletes is as effective as possible.
We are delighted to be the first secondary school in the country to be recognised by the TASS Dual Career Accreditation Scheme for the extensive professional support, advice and guidance we provide our student athletes, and we look forward to successfully continuing this with future cohorts of young people who strive to pursue both sporting excellence and academic or professional success.