Northampton school to become first mixed gender state school to have dedicated hockey programme

A Northampton school is set to become the first mixed gender state school in the country to have a dedicated hockey programme.

Malcolm Arnold Academy's scheme will give players aged 11-18 five and a half hours of elite coaching a week alongside their studies from September.

The programme, in partnership with David Ross Education Trust and England Hockey, will be open to boys and girls and the only cost will be for training and match kits.

Principal Megan Morris said: “Being part of the David Ross Education Trust means being passionate about sport and we are delighted to be launching the hockey development programme in September.

"This programme will help our students develop both as athletes and individuals as students will learn how to balance elite training, performance and academics.

"Amongst our students we will have potential Olympians, world champions and future sporting greats, and we cannot wait to help them reach the pinnacle of their sporting potential.”

Training sessions will take place during the week and regular matches will be scheduled throughout each term but players will still be able to compete for external clubs too.

All athletes will additionally benefit from an academic mentor who will ensure they stay on-track and are able to balance the demands of the programme with their studies.

The hockey programme is the latest sports enrichment scheme David Ross Education Trust, which Malcolm Arnold is part of, has run over the last nine years.

Shane Ward, head of sports enrichment at the trust, said: “We can’t wait to launch the hockey programme at Malcolm Arnold in September.

"We want to make Malcolm Arnold Academy a hub for excellence in Hockey by providing aspiring hockey players an opportunity to raise their game through additional elite level coaching and matches, alongside a world-class education.

"This programme will allow us to do just that and bring something that is usually only possible in fee-paying schools to the state sector.

“We look forward to holding informational events in the coming weeks and providing our community with more insight into this exciting new programme.”

Over the coming weeks, Malcolm Arnold will be holding information evenings to share further details and answer questions about the programme.

The virtual sessions will be held at 7pm online via Microsoft Teams on Friday (April 9) and Friday, April 23. To register, click here.