Young people in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, can now apply for specialist sports training and education as Gateshead College prepares to host its main enrolment event on 16 February 2026. The event is a chance for teenagers to secure places in the College’s Academy for Sport for the 2026/27 academic year.
Students who sign up will have access to professional-grade facilities, including an 83m athletics track, sports science and medicine facilities, and a strength and conditioning gym. The college runs specialist coaching in areas such as football, basketball and athletics and offers Level 1–3 vocational sports courses that allow students to study for qualifications while training as academy athletes.
The enrolment event also underlines that the College remains a key anchor occupant of Gateshead International Stadium after Gateshead Council moved stadium management to an external operator. The council has appointed GLL (operating as Better) to run the venue as part of a wider package of long-term arrangements intended to keep the site available to local clubs and major teams, with related 10‑year agreements put in place for key tenants.
In addition to the main enrolment date on 16 February, the college website lists other events on 22 January and 17 February 2026. The 22 January entry is ‘Say Hello to A Levels’ (a general taster/open session); the 17 February entry on the college events page is listed as a ‘Rail Track Maintenance Information Session’ and is not described on the site as a Sports Academy open session. Prospective students and families are advised to check the college events page for full details and to contact the college if they want to arrange a visit specifically to see the Academy for Sport facilities or to speak with coaches.
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