About the programme
Four apparatus.
One programme.
General Gymnastics is the heart of recreational gymnastics at BGC. Every week, children aged 4 to 17 learn the fundamentals of artistic gymnastics across floor, vault, bars, and beam, the same four pieces of apparatus used at competition level.
Classes are grouped by age and ability, with structured progressions taken from the British Gymnastics Core Proficiency framework. Whether your child is a complete beginner or already confident on their feet, we'll place them in the right class with the right coach.
Classes run for one hour, once or twice a week depending on the level. Most start with a warm-up and shape work, then rotate through stations on each apparatus.
The British Gymnastics framework
What your child will learn
Every General Gymnastics class is built around the British Gymnastics Core Proficiency Awards, a structured eight-level framework that takes a gymnast from complete beginner through to competition-ready.
Children are assessed regularly and rewarded with badges and certificates as they progress. It's a clear, recognisable framework that parents and gymnasts can follow.
Recreational classes are non-competitive, so the badge scheme is how progress is measured. Gymnasts move up a level when they have shown the skills for it, judged by their coach rather than by how long they have been attending; some children move every term and others take longer on a level, and neither is a problem.
Badges are presented in Award Week, which runs at the end of every term. Families are invited into the gym to watch their gymnast perform the skills for their badge in their normal class, which is usually the first time parents see a full session up close.
Find out more about BG awardsFloor
Rolls, handstands, cartwheels, round-offs, handsprings, somersaults. Sequence work and routines on the sprung floor.
Vault
Run-up technique, springboard entries, squat-ons, straddle-overs, handspring vaults. Progressing through height and complexity.
Bars
Hangs, swings, circles, pullovers, and basket swings. Building grip strength and bar awareness from the ground up.
Beam
Walks, balances, turns, leaps, and dismounts. Beam builds focus, body control, and quiet confidence.
What to bring
Getting ready for class
No special equipment needed beyond comfortable clothes. We provide everything else.
Clothing
Leotard, leggings, shorts, or fitted sports clothes. Nothing loose or with zips. Hair tied back away from the face.
Footwear
Bare feet are best for grip. Gymnastics slippers welcome. No trainers in the gym.
Other essentials
Water bottle, small towel if they sweat easily. That's it. Drop-off and collect at reception.
The first week
What happens in a first session
Arrive a couple of minutes before the class starts rather than early; the gym is usually still running the session before yours. Your child's lead coach will introduce themselves at that first session and will be your main contact for anything class-level from then on.
Children under 11 are handed directly to a coach inside the gym at the start, and collected from inside the gym at the end. Gymnasts aged 11 and over can walk in and out on their own.
Nobody is expected to arrive able to do anything. A first class is mostly about your child learning where things are, meeting their coach, and finding out that the gym is a friendly place. Skills come later.
Read the welcome packCan I watch?
Yes. There is a parent and carer viewing gallery with clear sightlines across the main gym floor, and you are welcome to stay for the hour or to drop off and come back.
Which class will they be in?
Placement is by age and ability and is decided by the coaching team, not at booking. If a class turns out to be the wrong fit, your coach will move them.
What if they are nervous?
Tell the coach before the session starts. It is a common thing to say and they will keep an eye out. Most children settle within two or three weeks.
Fees
What it costs
General Gymnastics is £56.36 / month, charged monthly by direct debit rather than per term, so the amount stays the same whether a month holds four sessions or five.
Your first payment is a top-up covering the remaining sessions in the month you join, so nobody pays for weeks before they started. Fees also cover British Gymnastics membership requirements, badge assessments, and Award Week certificates.
The Refund and Cancellation Policy applies to all bookings. If you need to change or stop a class, give as much notice as you can and speak to the club office.
See classes and pricesPaid monthly
By direct debit, on the same date each month. Not per term and not per session, so the cost is predictable across a year.
Joining part way
The first payment is pro-rated to the sessions left in your joining month. After that it settles into the standard monthly amount.
Included
Coaching, apparatus, badge assessment, and the certificate presented at Award Week. Kit and competition entries are separate, and recreational classes do not compete.