Astro Resurfacing
Thanks to the generous legacy of Mrs Joyce MacDonald, we were able to resurface our Astroturf facility over the Summer of 2022. This well-used facility was in need of refurbishment to allow all pupils to play hockey and tennis with the benefit of a safe, high performance surface.
Cricket Nets
The existing Clayesmore cricket net facility had been starting to show its age and was proving to unsuitable for the level of cricket Clayesmore plays and wants to offer. The decision was taken to go out to tender and procure a new ECB (English Cricket Board) accredited system, that would not only play to the high compliance standards of ECB, but also look aesthetically professional and show that Clayesmore takes its sport seriously.
The new nets consist of:
Ideal orientation of lanes, which has involved turning the facility approximately 90 degrees, to now orient at 345 degrees North - South.
Fully engineered sub base, with appropriate stone infill compacted to provide a stable base for the tarmacadam top layer. This provides a true consistent base for playability.
New synthetic carpet laid on top of a shock pad intermediate layer, fixed all year round.
The 2 outer lanes have bowling lines, which aid specialist bowling coaching.
The facility has independent netting to each lane, but is also fully enclosed at the perimeter, giving an all round professional feel, and also contains the ball more which improves health and safety to other sports and public in the immediate area.
The netting system has other design features such as privacy screens in each of the eight lanes, which reduces distractions for the batsmen, and a white sight screen incorporated within the south elevation netting to aid better visuals on the bowler and the ball trajectory.
Natural Lanes - the four remaining natural lanes have been slowly reinstated over the year by our in-house Grounds team.
New Cafe
Our new cafe, "The Writer's Block" provides a welcome space for OCs, parents, pupils and staff to enjoy.
Outdoor Classroom
At Clayesmore, we are blessed to have a beautiful lake within our grounds and we have developed this area into a space in which all our pupils can learn outdoors and enjoy the wonderful surroundings. A beautiful outdoor classroom provides shelter and a wonderful place to learn.
Pontoon
The lake contains a wealth of pond life and our budding biologists are able to take advantage of this pontoon to collect samples and study the increased biodiversity in and around the water.
Dance Studio
Clayesmore’s Dance Studio has been a real hit with pupils. With professional standard flooring, lights, mirrors and equipment, the facility is enjoyed by pupils of all ages from the Pre-Prep to the Sixth Form. Weekly lessons are taken in Ballet, Modern, Tap and Contemporary Dance, while the room is also used as a rehearsal space for some of the School’s productions.