For the past three years, the Opening Schools Facilities Fund has been a game-changer for Chichester High School, revolutionising its sports and fitness facilities. This case study explores how the funding has made a tangible difference to students, staff, and the wider community.
Chichester High School may be situated in an affluent area, but its student body is wonderfully diverse, with many pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and international communities. With 1,331 students on roll, the school has a higher-than-average uptake of free school meals—26.4 percent compared to the national average of 19.6 percent.
Head of PE, Charlotte Honour, explained: “The school is located by a massive council estate, so we have a lot of children that are living in council housing. We also have a lot of children that have come over from overseas because we’re right near Chichester Park Hotel.”
The hotel houses migrants and refugees, with children being bussed to school daily and new students regularly joining.
The school’s prime location near bus and railway links makes it easy for students to access its growing range of sports facilities.
The first year of funding was allocated to developing a dedicated spin room, a project that extended into the second year.
Charlotte highlighted its impact: “I don’t honestly know what we would do without it now. We use it a lot during lessons, especially in wet weather, but we’ve also introduced staff sessions. These have been running since September and are funded through this programme. An instructor leads the sessions, and the staff absolutely love it.”
The initiative has since evolved, with boxing classes for staff running every other Monday. Meanwhile, an after-school fitness club on Thursdays – using all three fitness rooms – attracts both students and staff, offering free and accessible exercise sessions.
In the second year, the focus shifted to upgrading the gym for external hire and buying portable floodlights – both of which have been transformative.
Charlotte highlighted the impact of the floodlights: “Having floodlights means we can still run activities when we’d normally have to cancel. This has made a massive difference, particularly after school hours.”
The upgrades have also opened up potential revenue streams through facility rentals, which could help sustain the staff fitness programme in the future.
By the third year, attention turned to netball court improvements and expanding sports activities. The newly marked courts on the existing AstroTurf pitch allow for year-round play, particularly as the surface remains durable in wet conditions.
Charlotte, a passionate advocate for netball, shared: “Netball is a huge sport for us, with club numbers reaching 40-50 students. These improvements allow us to maximise participation and training opportunities.”
During this period, the school saw changes in key roles, including the caretaker, business manager, and headteacher. This meant Charlotte had to repeatedly highlight the value of the initiative and ensure its continuation.
A large majority of Pupil Premium students and those in the school’s ACE (A Champion for Every Child) programme, which offers mentorship and additional support, have accessed these opportunities funded by the OSF Project.
Charlotte noted the spin room’s unique appeal, especially for female students: “The girls love it because it’s dark, they can’t see each other and they can’t see themselves as there are no mirrors, so they don’t feel self-conscious.
“They literally go in there for an hour, sweat, and come out. It has been a massive confidence booster for them, and they actually really look forward to it. They can just focus on exercising and enjoying the music.”
While the funding has enabled incredible improvements, keeping these initiatives going remains a challenge. Charlotte is exploring sustainable solutions such as:
One exciting development is the addition of a strength and conditioning coach for ACE programme students, further enhancing the school’s commitment to student well-being.
The school’s new headteacher is also eager to strengthen ties with the local community.
Charlotte shared their vision: “Sport is a natural way to improve our reputation, so we’ve discussed things like mother and daughter netball, father and son cricket and things like that.
“For us, our focus is extracurricular for our children first, looking after our kids first and trying to encourage them to be active for life.
“But then further on from that, it’s about engaging the families, because we often find that children with a negative attitude towards sport are because their parents have a negative attitude.
“Ultimately, we want the parents to know us. We want them to be part of our community. And obviously, that will then reach out into the wider community.”
The Opening Schools Facilities Fund has been a catalyst for change at Chichester High School, increasing sports participation, staff well-being, and community engagement.
While long-term sustainability remains a priority, the foundations laid over the past three years have set the stage for continued growth and success.
The school is committed to expanding these opportunities, ensuring that sport and fitness remain at the heart of student and community life.
Other OSF projects that ran along the West Sussex region were: