Sports in Schools initiative

    
  Pantheon Leisure PLC
  04 September 2008
   

    Pantheon Leisure plc / Epic: PLEI / Market: AIM / Sector: Leisure
    4 September 2008
    Pantheon Leisure plc ('Pantheon' or 'the Company')
    Sports in Schools initiative 

    Pantheon Leisure plc, the AIM quoted company formed to acquire businesses in the leisure sector, fully endorses the Government's latest
declaration of injecting much needed additional funding into children's physical education.  Pantheon's trading subsidiary Elms Sport in
Schools ('ESS') recognised the massive gap in the market for the delivery of a wide range of sporting activities to the primary school
market - 4 - 11 year olds.

    In 2006 they were coaching 30 children per week in tennis, they now are coaching over 6,000 children per week at over 80 schools,
increasing weekly. ESS is currently focussed on schools in London and the Home Counties, and intends rolling out the scheme nationally over
the next 3 years. Their recruitment strategy is to have on board semi-professionals in a wide variety of sports, with the emphasis on
continuing professional development ensuring that the children benefit from skilled staff delivering the widest possible range of sports in
a professional exciting manner.   

    Whilst school Heads and staff now have to adhere to the mandatory Government policy of PPA (the planning, preparation and assessment
scheme to which all teachers have to give 10% of their school week), ESS specialist coaching staff deliver high-quality, national curriculum
based sports including all QCA termly assessments, ensuring that not only do the children have first-class tuition, but Heads are relaxed in
the knowledge that their sport is in safe hands whilst meeting the Government's current requirements of a minimum two hours of sport per
week and perfectly positioned to meet the oncoming five hour stipulation which is soon to be introduced.

    ESS also recognises that in addition to curriculum activity, working parents require their children to attend school from breakfast
through to after-school. For this they supply an outstanding range of sports from 7.00am through to 6.00pm encouraging all children to
participate. A key to their outstanding success, in addition to first-class lessons, is their National Award Scheme to which every child
regardless of age and ability belongs. A unique weekly web-based table of their achievements, both individual and group.

    Barbara Moss, CEO of Pantheon Leisure said, "The Board of Pantheon is delighted that it is most definitely in the right place at the
right time and fully endorses the Government's latest declaration of its commitment to increasing the physical education activity for
children in schools. Perhaps, late in the day, but certainly not too late for 2012.  ESS schemes are committed to delivering professional
development coaching, ensuring that children benefit from skilled staff offering the widest possible range of sports in a professional
exciting manner."

    * * ENDS * *

    For further information please visit www.pantheonleisure.com or contact:
 Geoffrey Simmonds  Pantheon Leisure plc                  Tel: [phone]
 Liam Murray        Dowgate Capital Advisers Limited      Tel: [phone]
 Neil Badger        Dowgate Capital Stockbrokers Limited  Tel: [phone]
 Susie Callear      St Brides Media & Finance Limited     Tel: [phone]


This information is provided by RNS
The company news service from the London Stock Exchange
 
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