“We are delighted to be collaborating with Podium Analytics; it enables us to contribute to a sector-wide understanding to sport, health and wellbeing and is a privilege to be part of that. As a pilot school, we are keen to gain better understanding of the positive and negative of sport injuries, how to treat them but also use the data to inform our coaching. At Dean Close, we have significantly reduced injury by investing in strength and conditioning training; delivering expert warm ups and access to our school physio to every child in the school. There is no such things as ‘off games’ at Dean Close; rather it is a ‘road to recovery’, reflecting our proactive approach to looking after the welfare of our pupils. From team work to personal health, exercise should be a key aspect of the education for all young people. To play an active role in a project that seeks to enable more young people to play sport more safely and with more enjoyment, is a something that sits very easily alongside our aims as a school”

Dean Close School is a co-educational boarding and day school for ages 2-18.

Established in 1886, the school is set in 50 acres of parkland in the centre of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. With our excellent reputation for academic, sports and co-curricular opportunities, Dean Close delivers an exciting and inspiring setting for work and play.  Our on-campus sports provision includes floodlit astroturfs, 25m indoor pool, climbing wall, indoor rifle range, dance studio and fully equipped gymnasium.

All Dean Close pupils participate in our aspirational sports programme.  We enjoy exceptional achievement in Hockey and Rugby with national  selections and special links with Gloucester Rugby. Sports at Dean Close is not just for the elite sportsplayer; we promote sports for all and believe in providing all pupils at every level of sporting endeavour with the opportunity to enjoy, engage and be fulfilled by sport.

“With our pupils being at the forefront of all that we do, the opportunity to work in partnership with Podium Analytics allows us to contribute to and benefit from innovative research, that will only enhance our capacity to deliver a programme that will further shape and support the boys and girls in our care. The data driven platform will help us to ensure that our pupils at Dean Close continue get the very best level of care. We are proud to be part of a wider project into the research of injuries in youth sport and know that the part that we play, will be an important one in our school community and beyond.”