At Anima Gymnastics Club in Barnet, London, we’re proud to deliver high-quality gymnastics classes for children every week. Over the past few months, we’ve been trialling different class structures to give our gymnasts the best possible training environment.
After closely monitoring progress, we’re making a few important changes to our timetable and training approach from 1st September 2025. These changes will help every gymnast — whether training for fun or preparing for gymnastics competitions — to get the right level of challenge and support.
Why We’re Making These Gymnastics Class Changes
Earlier this year, we increased our Advanced gymnastics class from 1.5 hours to 3 hours. Our aim was:
- To give gymnasts more time to develop skills and fitness.
- To show the benefits of training more than once a week and prepare them for competitions.
While the longer class has helped many gymnasts improve, we found that:
- Many struggled to maintain energy and focus for the full 3 hours — especially those only training once a week.
- A 3-hour session is most effective when gymnasts train twice a week or more.
- Only a small number of our Advanced group currently train twice a week, meaning the original goal of preparing the whole group for external gymnastics competitions wasn’t being met.
- Some gymnasts are beginning to fall behind because they can’t sustain the required energy and focus throughout the longer sessions.
New Gymnastics Timetable Changes from 1st September
1. Advanced Class Duration Reduced to 2 Hours
From 1st September, Advanced classes will be reduced from 3 hours to 2 hours, matching our Intermediate group.
New times:
- Monday–Friday: 6:00–7:55pm
- Saturday: 11:00am–12:55pm
2. Combined Year 4+ Gymnastics Group
We will now combine Novice, Intermediate and Advanced gymnasts in Year 4 and above into the same training sessions.
This change will:
- Allow us to tailor training to each gymnast’s ability.
- Make it easier to adjust skills without moving a gymnast to a different class.
- Create a flexible pathway for progression and development.
Schedule for this combined group:
- Monday–Friday: 6:00–7:55pm
- Saturday: 11:00am–12:55pm
3. Novice Classes – New Age Group
Our Novice gymnastics classes will continue to run as normal with the same timetable:
- Monday–Friday: 5:00–6:25pm
- Wednesday: 4:00–5:25pm
- Saturday: 1:30–2:55pm
- Sunday: 12:00–1:25pm
From 1st September, the Novice class age group will change from Years 1–5 to Years 1–4.
How this change affects current Novice gymnasts:
- Those in Year 5 will move to the Novice, Intermediate, Advanced (School Year 4+) group.
- Those in Year 4 will have the choice to remain in the Novice class or move to the Year 4+ group, depending on what’s best for their progress.
4. Launch of the Floor and Vault Gymnastics Squad
We’re excited to announce our new Floor and Vault Squad for competition-focused gymnasts.
This group is for gymnasts who:
- Want to compete in Floor and Vault gymnastics competitions.
- Must be able to commit to both squad training days:
- Monday and Friday: 6:00–7:55pm
The Floor and Vault Squad will:
- Focus on competition routines, performance quality, and consistency.
- Build the strength, skills, and mindset needed to perform well in competitions.
- Be open to selected gymnasts from our Novice, Intermediate and Advanced (School Years 4+) group.
Benefits of These Changes for Gymnasts
These updates will:
- Improve energy and focus during training sessions.
- Provide a more personalised approach to skill development.
- Give competition-focused gymnasts a clearer pathway to success.
- Ensure that training time matches each gymnast’s commitment and goals.
Next Steps for Parents
From here, it’s over to you:
- If you have questions or concerns about these changes, please contact us by email: bookings@animagymnastics.co.uk
- If your child would like to start training twice a week or more — whether or not they are interested in competitions — please complete our Additional Training Request Form so we can apply your 50% discount on extra sessions and set up your account.
We will be contacting gymnasts over the next week who we feel show interest and potential for the Floor and Vault Squad and who we believe would do well in this group.
We believe these changes will make Anima Gymnastics Club stronger, more adaptable, and better for every gymnast — whether they’re here for fun or to compete. Thank you for your continued support as we take this exciting next step together.
