Transforming life chances is at the heart of this mission, and that means investing in opportunities beyond the classroom and learning time. When we create environments for young people to thrive, we strengthen the communities they serve, while finding sustainable ways to invest back into their education.
We’re proud to work alongside Thinking Solutions for Education, a collection of expert services who support senior leaders so they can deliver for their young people. As part of this, our Trust has worked with Thinking Fitness and Thinking Lettings; experts in their field who are proud to transform school spaces.
Through the opening of five gyms on site at our schools, Thinking Fitness have created state-of-the-art facilities for staff, students and members of the public to use. As experienced instructors, they take pride in their inclusive, welcoming environments and friendly service. This means more people in our communities have access to affordable ways of staying active and can maintain a healthy lifestyle.
It’s not just gyms where our communities are benefiting from spaces being utilised in our schools. Thinking Lettings work with senior leaders to market existing spaces such as classroom, halls and dance studios to local groups and organisations. These spaces provide meeting points for members of our communities, as well as ensuring they deliver for schools outside of learning time.
Across Thinking Schools Academy Trust, we’re committed to helping our young people see a future filled with possibility. With support from Thinking Solutions for Education, our students can gain an insight into the world of work through our Fitness and Lettings operation.
In our South West region, 54% of our workforce are made up of alumni from our schools. We’re also proud to have 46% of our staff across our regions as former sixth-form students, which is testament to their dedication and passion for wanting to help the next generation.
Nick Forward, Head of Business Development at Thinking Schools Academy Trust, recognises the strength of the work which has taken place in recent years, and how Thinking Solutions for Education has made a real difference for senior leaders.
“School leaders have never been under more pressure without having to manage gyms and facility bookings on top of their existing workload. By taking those responsibilities off their shoulders, we’ve enabled schools to generate extra income, strengthen the communities they serve and make better use of their spaces.
“This work delivered by experts in their fields works for everyone, but most importantly for young people who benefit directly from investment back into their schools”.
Live in Devon or Kent? Find a Thinking Fitness gym near you at Thinking Fitness: Home.