Ferndown Middle School, where John Thornton was a pupil, caters for children aged 9 to 13 years.

The JTYAF allocated funding to the school for the first time in 2011 and are hoping to continue to provide similar support in the future.

The JTYAF funding in 2011 subsidised sporting opportunities for pupils Gifted and Talented in Physical Education from Ferndown Middle School

For the last 7 years Dorset County Council has part funded a Sport Summer School for Gifted and Talented students which has been available to the schools in the Ferndown Pyramid and run by Mr Hayter from Ferndown Upper School. The Sports Summer School brings together the best sports people from across the Ferndown Pyramid in a challenging yet non pressurized social way. It is certainly a highlight in the children’s calendar and the limited places available are always oversubscribed and hotly contested. With the current ongoing cutbacks in all budgets the funding for the Sports Summer School was completely withdrawn this year making the trip out of reach for some very deserving athletes. The support of the JTYAF has enabled this excellent activity weekend at Calshot to continue.

Calshot Activities Centre is one of the largest outdoor education centres in Britain, situated on the shores of the Solent adjacent to the New Forest National Park, the magnificent setting gives immediate access to the most popular watersports in the area. Activities at Calshot are not limited to the water however and include, archery, orienteering, mountain biking, track cycling, skiing, snowboarding and ski-bobbing on the artificial ski slope, high ropes and low ropes to name but a few.

Pictures above: show the students enjoying some of the huge range of activities at Calshot Activities Centre

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