Pantheon Leisure Announcements

RNS Number : 7567C Pantheon Leisure PLC 04 September 2008  
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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."

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For further information please visit www.pantheonleisure.com or contact:
Geoffrey Simmonds
Pantheon Leisure plc
Tel: 020 7935 0823
Liam Murray
Dowgate Capital Advisers Limited
Tel: 020 7492 4777
Neil Badger
Dowgate Capital Stockbrokers Limited
Tel: 01293 517 744
Susie Callear
St Brides Media & Finance Limited
Tel: 020 7236 1177

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