World champion athlete Jake Wightman opens Pennthorpe School's brand new sports pitch

The new 70m x 35m sand based Astro will accommodate a plethora of sport, namely hockey, football and netball all year round.

The entire Pennthorpe community welcomed Old Pennthorpian Jake Wightman, Team GB and 1500m Gold medallist at the July 2022 World Athletics Championship, to cut the ribbon for the official opening.

In addition to working with the children on athletics-inspired sessions, Jake delivered an incredibly powerful and inspiring talk on his journey into elite athletics to the children, staff and families.

With the addition of this state-of-the-art facility, there will be more hours of play for all of the children owing to the dependable surface, even in extreme weather conditions.

Pennthorpe Director of Sport, Matt Barnett, commented, “This is a facility that will strengthen our already compelling offering of sporting facilities. Children here at Pennthorpe, of all ages, will benefit from this facility and are very excited at the prospect of competing and learning on the Astro.”

Head of Girls’ Games, Mrs Claire Page, added, “To have the space of four full size netball courts and two junior hockey pitches, all year round, is a fantastic addition to the Prep Schools’ sports circuit, too”.

With more Sports Scholars at Pennthorpe, in recent years, this Astro presents a significant stride towards the future of Pennthorpe’s sporting success and progression.

The Astro replaces historic tarmac courts and joins our sporting facilities which include, but are not limited to, the Sports Hall, Pavilion, football and rugby fields, cricket square and playing fields.