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A gifted child may need a special school
Mahad Ahmed is the Under-13 Scottish champion in the 200m and holds the British record in the 100m. He attends Glasgow School of Sport at Bellahouston Academy, which excels in coaching athletics, badminton, gymnastics, hockey and swimming. Pupils have eight hours of sport coaching a week which fits in around their academic commitments and entry is by selection only.”One of the school’s hockey coaches saw me running and suggested I had a trial,” says Mahad. “My parents were really proud when I was accepted. Yes, I study hard but I also get to run the 60m, 100m and 200m, which is great!”
Mahad Ahmed is a budding athleteGlasgow School of Sport is the first academy of its kind in Scotland and one of an elite collection of UK schools for talented children. These adapt the curriculum specially for pupils so that they can focus on core academic studies and develop their talent in tandem.
Inevitably some subjects have to be sacrificed, but many of these schools achieve excellent academic results. In 2007, 84 per cent of pupils at The Purcell School for Young Musicians in Hertfordshire achieved grades A or B at A-level and the overall pass rate was 100 per cent.