Chessington Community College has been awarded Specialist Sports College Status by the DfES. The new status means half a million pounds worth of investment over the next five years and a raft of new sports facilities. Chessington has already secured £100,000 of New Opportunities Funding from a separate submission to add to the total funds available.

It means the College will become a benchmark college for the provision of sports teaching in the Borough. Said Principal David Kemp: “We are a community facility and this award means a whole new world of opportunities for the students, the community and the many local primary and special schools that we work with.”

The award was welcomed by Kingston’s Chairman of Young People and Lifelong Learning Cllr Martin Blakebrough who sent his congratulations to staff, students and parents and said: “This is a tremendous recognition of the efforts of everyone at the College. It is important not just for the students at the College but at the other schools and colleges that Chessington works with.”

Kingston’s Director of Education and Leisure Patrick Leeson added his congratulations saying: “The new status will enable the school to reach a new level of sporting achievement at the same time as the academic record is improving. It also means the school can become a invaluable community asset.”

Specialist schools are maintained secondary schools that receive additional funds (they raise £50,000 from sponsorship and receive a £100,000 capital grant and £123 per pupil recurrent funding per year for five years). Chessington will focus on PE and sport and deliver a four year development plan to raise whole school standards.

Work should begin this summer on a new range of facilities including a six floodlit all-weather tennis courts, three floodlit five-a-side football courts and three netball courts. In addition there will be a far wider range of sports equipment and programmes of sports coaching available.

Chessington Community College is a county secondary school maintained by the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames. In the 12 years since Chessington Community College adopted its new name and status it has developed a tradition of continuous academic success at both GCSE and 'A' level. As a result, it has grown rapidly, doubling its student role in that time. In 1996 this success was acknowledged with the College being mentioned in Her Majesty's Chief Inspector's Annual Report to the Government as an improved school and this was followed by a visit by the then Minister for Education. An OFSTED Inspection in 1998 confirmed the good progress and examination results since then show that the College continues to be successful.

Current school facilities consist of a multi purpose sports hall, which can be used for badminton, volleyball, 5 a side football, basketball, mini tennis, netball, uni-hoc, and table tennis. A sunbed room is also available to the community. Basketball, Gymnastics, trampolining and roller skating take place in the sports hall. There is also a fully equipped Fitness Suite.

Chessington Sports Centre is home to various Clubs, such as Chessington Badminton Club, Chessington Volleyball Club, the Surrey Basketball Association, Kingston Wildcats, Genesis Gymnastics, Hook & Southborough F.C., Surbiton Badminton Club, and Skaters Roller Disco.