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Beaulieu Convent School is leading the way in supporting talented athletes in education in England, having been the first Jersey school to be accredited by the innovative Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) initiative.
The Sport England-backed programme supports young sportspeople on the talent pathway to pursue education, follow other interests and further their personal development alongside their sporting pursuits.
By formally recognising an institution’s commitment to supporting student-athletes, the TASS Dual Career Accreditation Scheme aims to allow athletes to reach their potential in education alongside achieving success in their sport.
Katie Howell, TASS Dual Career Coordinator at Beaulieu, said: “We are delighted to have been the first Jersey school to have been accepted as part of the TASS Dual Career Accreditation Scheme in supporting young athletes achieve their potential in sport and academia. Our school is fully committed to the programme and looking forward to working alongside TASS in delivering an outstanding initiative.”
She added: “We are very grateful for the support from the Jersey Sport Foundation in providing the joint delivery between Beaulieu and the JSF, and the direct and seamless process for the referral of talented individuals from the School to access JSF support programmes.”
Referenced within the Education section of Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson’s Duty of Care in Sport Review published in April 2017, Accreditation shows that a college or university has the ability to support students following a dual career route. Backing the scheme, she said:
“I believe we have a duty to help young people to achieve their potential, whilst prioritising their welfare, wellbeing and education. For the vast majority of athletes, skills and formal qualifications are needed to help them find alternative careers, either alongside their sporting activities or once their sporting days are over.
For me the TASS Dual Career Accreditation Scheme is a vitally important measure to ensure all athletes have the chance to pursue an education and enjoy a more well-rounded approach to life.”
As a Dual Career Accredited Site, Beaulieu Convent School will be an important extension of the network of universities that already partner with TASS, delivering core support services to more than 600 student-athletes each year.
These support services include physiotherapy, nutrition, lifestyle support, psychology strength and conditioning and a private medical scheme.
Debbie Thompson, a Chartered Psychologist in Teaching and Research, supporting Beaulieu whilst also completing her doctorate in Sport and Exercise Psychology, added: "In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in research that explores the well-being of athletes who are combining education, work, or some vocational endeavour, alongside sport. Supporting students with a dual career in sport and education is important, as the competencies developed through engaging in a dual career are often cited as a benefit for employment, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and prolonged athletic career. The additional focus on education or employment can help to maintain a perspective for athletes and help to manage the pressure associated with sport. It also ensures that students have options once they transition out of their sport."
While some of the existing services focus solely on developing the young person’s sporting performance, a dual career support structure and academic flexibility policies are central to the help available to athletes based at an Accredited Site.
All Dual Career Accredited Sites receive training and a toolkit of resources to equip them with practical dual career support and bring together all parties who work with the athlete.
For student-athletes, the academic flexibility policies may mean they have the opportunity to access online notes or resources, are able to arrange catch up sessions with teaching staff, or even reschedule deadlines or exam dates in exceptional circumstances.
Meanwhile for Beaulieu Convent School, the recognition of becoming a TASS Dual Career Accredited Site is expected to be beneficial by attracting a greater number of talented athletes and building connections with other local sporting institutions.
John Scriven, Head of Services, Jersey Sport Foundation, said: "As part of our Islandwide roll out of the TASS schools programme, we would like to congratulate and recognise Beaulieu School in becoming the first TASS Dual Career Accredited site in Jersey. Achieving this accolade means the institution recognises the unique needs of modern aspiring athletes, and that they will provide the appropriate academic support, flexibility and extracurricular development that the student-athlete needs. We really look forward to working in partnership with the School to enhance the programme and the journey experienced by all young athletes who travel through it."
TASS National Director, Guy Taylor, said: “We’re delighted to be awarding TASS Dual Career Accreditation to Beaulieu Convent School.
Dual career support is at the forefront of what TASS does and that’s why the Accreditation Scheme is so important for us in recognising those institutions who place precedence on their athletes’ education too.
We hope that the academic flexibility policies put into place for the Accreditation will begin to develop an effective and lasting dual career structure within each institution.
Congratulations to the successful institutions, we look forward to working alongside many more outstanding colleges and universities in the near future.”
