Fitzwaryn School in Wantage has created a new outdoor sports facility

Senior School and Student Centre pupils from Fitzwaryn School (part of the Propeller Academy Trust) are enjoying getting fit in the fresh air after seeing their ideas come to fruition.

A group of post-16 students spent time coming up with ideas about how to improve the school’s outdoor areas and their mental wellbeing. They carried out in-depth research, as well as visiting locations around Oxfordshire to test out various pieces of equipment before finally submitting their proposal to school leaders. The students had to demonstrate why this was a good investment and what it would mean to future students.

Headteacher, Stephanie Coneboy said "The young people within our Senior School and Student Centre are not only improving their fitness but also demonstrating amazing levels of co-operation and turn-taking, as students wait patiently for their friends to finish exercising before moving onto another piece of equipment. The new facility means that the school will be able to offer older students an improved sporting and physical fitness programme all year round and allows them to confidently and safely access this type of equipment in the community”

Post-16 Student, Jacob Hodgson said “It’s nice to be outside in the fresh air, it’s good for your body and makes it fit. I can feel it in my arms and legs after I’ve used it”

Tracey Stratton, Chief Operations Officer for the Propeller Academy Trust, said:

“We could not have achieved this without the support of Phil Arnold of WPA, Peter Yearling of St James’s Place and ultimately the generous grants from the WPA Foundation and The Fairhill Foundation. We are excited to work with companies that provide this type of investment to allow our students to develop their business skills and well-being, and look forward to the next student project”

WPA is one the UK’s leading not-for-profit health insurers helping customers fund their healthcare.

The WPA Foundation delivers WPA’s second objective promoting good health with a current focus on promoting healthy activity amongst the young through supporting schools to purchase healthy physical activity equipment