Gymnastics For All

Our school age recreational programme is offered across 3 stages and gymnasts typically attend one session a week. Foundation and Improvers are 1 hour and 15 minutes per week, while Advanced sessions are 2 hours & 15 minutes. All these sessions are suitable for age 4-12, depending on aptitude and ability.

Stage One: Foundation

For beginners from age 4-9 years old. This is our entry stage for gymnasts beginning their journey or who need a little time to perfect some of the basic building blocks of the sport. In this class a gymnast will learn forward and backward rolls, handstands, cartwheels, basic jumps and spins for floor and beam and the nuts and bolts of bar and vault work, in a fun and constructive setting. As well as developing fitness and the strength required for Stage Two skills, they will work towards mini GFA club displays, Meridian Gymnastics Badge Awards and our own Sparks Rosette system. Sessions are 1 hour and 15 minutes per week.

Stage Two: Improvers

Improvers graduate from our Foundation programme on completion of a set of skills that prepare them for the next level of gymnastics. Typically a gymnast will work towards perfecting a flat back vault, jumping between bars and bar dismounts, performing cartwheels and confident leaps and jumps on the high beam and backward walkovers on floor. This class also builds fundamental preparations for tumbling skills using our tumble track as well as encouraging gymnasts to build fitness and core strength. The focus of these sessions is to build ability alongside a fun and encouraging session structure; they will work towards mini GFA club displays, along with the upper levels of the Meridian Gymnastics Badge Awards and our own Sparks Rosette system. These gymnasts also participate in some competitions. Sessions are 1 hour and 15 minutes per week.

Stage Three: Advanced

Moving on from our Improvers class, our Advanced gymnasts work on skills that build recognisable competition routines across bars, beam and floor and progress to harder vaults such as handsprings and using the table vault. In these sessions, gymnasts will work on more advanced tumble skills and routine building and will work towards the Meridian Gymnastics Badge Awards, our Sparks & Skills Rosette Schemes and Club, General Gymnastics & Floor & Vault competitions. Sessions are 2 or 2 1/2 hours per week.

The Advanced group provides a stepping stone into our Development, General Gymnastics & Squad programme.

Stage Four: General Gymnastics

At age 10, our gymnasts begin to move on to our General Gymnastics programme either as a progression from any part of our GFA or Development programme or as new members of the club. These gymnasts attend 2 or 2 1/2 hours per week and are placed carefully so that they are in a group that suits their experience and ability. The work towards various of our awards as well as local competitions at various levels.

Stage Five: Squad Programme

Alongside the programme described above, we have a comprehensive and developing squad programme that enables multiple levels of gymnasts to experience gymnastics at a competitive sport level. The above image explains how this fits into our GFA/General programme. Squads are by invitation only.