Barnard Castle School’s sports consultant Lee Dickson swaps a rugby ball for a racquet as he tries out padel ball
The one-year pilot of the UK’s fastest growing sport has seen Barnard Castle School’s former croquet lawn redeveloped for padel.
In a carefully planned trial, the initiative is designed to introduce pupils to the sport and further enrich the school’s already broad sporting and co‑curricular provision. It will also be available for community use.
Director of International Education and Enterprise Dave Bates said: “Padel is an inclusive, dynamic and social sport, well suited to players of different ages and abilities.
“It offers clear benefits in terms of fitness, teamwork, agility, tactical awareness and confidence, and we believe it will be a valuable addition to our PE curriculum and games programme.”
The school is working in partnership with Padel Schools UK, which brings significant expertise and experience to the project. Its experts will provide professional support across installation and activation, ensuring that pupils benefit from a high‑quality and well‑managed facility.
Raquex has agreed to sponsor the pilot and will be providing initial equipment to support the launch.
During the school day, the court will be used primarily by pupils. At other times, the court will also be available for community and family use, helping to strengthen local connections and maximise the value of the facility.
Public court access will be available at set times. All bookings will be managed via the Nettla app.
For more information visit https://www.barnardcastleschool.org.uk/venue-hire/padel-court/.
School visitors, Australia 7s captain Matt McTaggart, left, and ex-Fiji international Niko Matawalu rise to the challenge on the new court
