Rowing in Year 7 shows students what the sport is all about on dry land before they progress to rowing on the water. Across the whole Trust, Year 7 squads train once a week. Students go through a varied programme at first in order to start building all-round fitness. From learning technique on the indoor rowing machine, to gymnastics for flexibility, and strength and conditioning workouts to improve fitness, students will never get bored of the wide-ranging offer in the first few terms. In rowing, it is not just about helping students become good athletes. Just as important, is that they have a real sense of belonging to the Boat Club. Students do not need to have had experience in rowing or even be any good at other sports. Ultimately, it is the aim of The GORSE Boat Club to win at the top level of junior rowing in this country – and that means Henley Royal Regatta!

We aim for our students to leave their secondary academy as a knowledgeable and competent 1st Dan black belt in Wado Ryu Karate. This will enable them to continue their learning or in fact begin teaching and passing on their knowledge to others. Karate is an ever-growing sport with multiple paths to choose from. Year 7 Karate is all about seeing what the sport can offer and how much fun it can be.

As students progress through the academy, they can continue to grade and eventually assist with teaching other students. They can also compete in many competitions including multiple British championships. Karate training sessions will be held in each academy every week. In these sessions, students will develop their skills in a wide variety of activities including grade training, sparring practice, footwork & agility drills, fitness and self-defence. Students who are consistent in their training will be given opportunities to grade and compete throughout the year. Karate Kata and Sparring sessions cater for all abilities. Karate isn’t just for learning self-defence, it’s also great for your overall health and well-being.

In memory of Ruth Gorse, a former PE teacher and player for Leeds Volleyball Club who was sadly lost to breast cancer, the club and Trust formed a partnership resulting in an exciting new programme, The GORSE Volleyball Club (TGVC). This collaboration won the 2023 Leeds Sport Awards Active Schools category and has produced 14 England players. All primary and secondary students are taught a six week block of volleyball within curriculum time and are supported by extra-curricular volleyball clubs for further development and play. In primary, students learn the basics of the sport through sitting volleyball in Years 3-4 and move on to 4v4 mini volleyball in Years 5-6. Years 7-9 form teams to compete in matches against respective academies as well as the annual GORSE Games, and if selected, students aged 11-18 are invited to train and compete through the award-winning, Leeds GORSE Volleyball Club (LGVC). The fun doesn’t stop in the summer, as LGVC also hosts the biggest beach volleyball tournament in England at Bridlington Beach. As volleyball is a team sport, we look for students with positive attitudes, open minds and a strong work ethic. Our aim is to provide students with a sense of team unity and belonging and help them achieve their full potential.