The Gymnastics Academy

The Gymnastics Academy: children's gymnastics classes across the UK

The Gymnastics Academy is a British children's gymnastics provider that organises classes, holiday camps, birthday parties and one-to-one coaching. Its team states more than 20 years of experience working with children, and the programme is built around a stated child-to-coach ratio of 5:1, which the academy presents as the lowest in the UK.

Classes are grouped by age, from babies and toddlers accompanied by a parent through to teenagers, and the academy operates several clubs in England and Scotland. A free trial can be booked through the site.

Age-based gymnastics programmes

The class structure follows the child's stage of development rather than a single curriculum for all ages:

• Parent & Toddler (4–36 months): sessions in which the accompanying adult takes part alongside the child, working on strength and motor skills through play.
• Pre-School (3–5 years): basic gymnastic skills and games aimed at building confidence and self-esteem.
• Primary School (6–12 years): tumbling, vaulting, bar and beam techniques offered at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.
• Secondary School (13–16 years): the same apparatus and skill areas, also organised in beginner, intermediate and advanced levels.

Holiday camps and birthday parties

During school holidays the academy runs full-day, sports-based childcare from 8am to 5pm for ages 3 to 16, with full-day and half-day options. The programme combines gymnastics with dodgeball, ninja challenges and assault courses, and is open to both members and non-members.

Gymnastics-themed birthday parties of 90 minutes are offered at the Leeds, Castleford and Huddersfield branches. The package includes a guided gymnastics session led by the academy's instructors.

One-to-one coaching

Individual sessions provide personalised coaching from the academy's instructors, who observe technique and break down skills into parts to work on specific elements of a child's performance.

Clubs and locations

The academy lists clubs in Leeds, Castleford, Sheffield, Manchester and Glasgow. The site includes a search tool for finding a club by town, city or postcode. Birthday parties are advertised at the Leeds, Castleford and Huddersfield branches.

Development model and coaching safeguards

The academy describes a multidimensional development model covering seven areas: social skills, physical development, healthy habits, emotional development, life skills, sleep development and important values. It also states that all coaches are DBS checked and that activities are insured through Aviva.

Feedback published on the site refers to the atmosphere, the themed parent-and-toddler sessions at the Manchester branch and the possibility of watching classes through large glass panels.