How to Choose a Gymnastics Club in the UK

Choosing a club is mostly about verifiable basics: registration, coach qualifications, safeguarding practice and class ratios. All of them can be checked by asking.

Registration with a governing body

Start with clubs registered with a national governing body. British Gymnastics runs an official club finder. Welsh Gymnastics says the clubs listed on its website follow its minimum standards and policies, including having a nominated Welfare Officer and staff who are appropriately trained and DBS-checked. Scottish Gymnastics advises parents to send children only to clubs registered with it.

Registration is a useful filter, not a guarantee — the questions below are still worth asking.

Coaches and their qualifications

British Gymnastics’ safety guidance sets out who can coach:

• Level 2 is the minimum qualification to coach independently, and the coach designing and directing a programme should hold at least Level 2 in that discipline.
• Level 1 / assistant coaches must work under the supervision of a qualified coach.
• Unqualified assistants can help with demonstrations and warm-ups, but must not coach, support skills or run classes, and must be supervised by a Level 2 coach.
• Coaches should only coach the disciplines, and the level, they are qualified for.
• Coaches working with children must have a British Gymnastics-approved criminal records check and complete a recognised safeguarding course.

Class sizes

British Gymnastics recommends:

There should always be at least two responsible adults in the gym. The coach in charge must also judge whether a ratio is safe for that group, so lower numbers are common for younger or less experienced children.

Questions to ask

The NSPCC suggests five questions for any children’s sports club:

1. Have the staff been checked?
2. Does the club have a safeguarding policy?
3. What happens if there is an accident?
4. Who can you talk to?
5. What training is there?

Scottish Gymnastics adds gymnastics-specific ones: were coaches recruited using safe recruitment procedures; is there a named, trained safeguarding officer; are coaches qualified and insured to the right level; does the club keep a sign-out record and each child’s medical details?

What parents are entitled to

Welsh Gymnastics’ code of conduct for parents sets out what you have a right to: to see any of the club’s policies, know who the safeguarding and wellbeing officer is, know what training and qualifications the staff have, be told about injuries and see accident records, and have your consent sought for activities. The same code expects parents to support the coach, follow the club’s rules and behave positively — including at competitions.

What to look for at a trial class

A good trial lets you watch, or briefly join in. Look at how corrections are given, whether the group size matches what you were told, whether landing mats are in place, and whether the equipment looks well maintained.

For where to go with a concern, see safety, safeguarding and wellbeing.