Assessment FAQs

Children are assessed during their regular classes 3 times a year. Each assessment session will run over 2 weeks of the term (week 4 and 5) so please make sure your child is present during that period. If your child misses the dedicated assessment weeks, he/she will need to wait for the next occasion as due to our busy schedule we are unable to accommodate individual requests. All assessment results and further requirements are visible on IClassPro under your child’s profile. Coaches are continually developing   a centralised lesson plan that is aimed to further progress your child. Lesson plans are also designed to work towards long term goals and skills specified in our assessments. Our coaches aim for our gymnasts to achieve the required skills by the next assessment period, however parents should be aware that not all children progress at the same speed and that as the gymnasts progress through the levels, they do become more difficult and can result in it taking longer to achieve some skills.

The Yard’s Skills Matrix is the framework to our curriculum and fundamental to our strategy for athlete development across all ages and level of ability. Our Skills Matrix is a scheme that assists in the progressive development of core gymnastics elements such as rolls, handstands, cartwheels including whilst preparing the body for these elements through working on balance, strength and flexibility elements.

NEW & IMPROVED SKILLS MATRIX
As we continue to upgrade our facilities and the evolving needs of our developing athletes, we are excited to introduce our upgraded skills matrix to be implemented in Jan 2022!

From FUNdamentals, onto Warriors, progressing to Heroes and finally onto Legends. We are now working towards a pathway with more development milestones within the levels, making the rewards more frequent and a clearer view on development goals.

KINDERTOTS
From 3 to 4 years olds children work through a syllabus of elements focus on motor movement and the development of movement patterns across all the traditional gymnastics apparatus– at this age the children are not tested. Children at this age progress at different rates, our syllabus is a guideline for coach to ensure children have a full movement experience, modified where needed to meet the needs of our individual students. The objective being to teach confidence and diversity in movement at a young age.

FUNDAMENTALS
From 5 years old onward our gymnasts work with a syllabus which includes periodic milestones in the year for assessment and feedback on their progress. The skills matrix is a way for parents and gymnasts to see progression – and a structured syllabus to ensure all elements are taught and learned.

Children can work their way through the various levels of the syllabus at their own pace. Each stage has a bronze, silver and gold tier to indicate their progress along that skill. Achieve the gold tier and your child has mastered that skill!

Our coaches use a variety of activities and techniques for children to learn and develop these skills. We believe strongly in keeping children on task for as much of the clause with short pauses for instructions and feedback. Coaches can then set up circuits of elements each session ensuring the core skills are going through the process of mastery.

These core skills identified in our Skills Matrix are the ‘springboard’ to gymnastic progression whether in the recreational program or leading into competitive gymnastics.
Each level has twenty elements – 8 on Floor, 4 on Bars, 4 on Vault/Trampoline and 4 on Beam. For boys the 4 Beam elements are replaced with elements on boys apparatus. Progressing on to the next level will require gymnasts to fulfill 18 out of 20 skills per stage.

That all depends at what point your child joins our programme, and every child will progress at different speeds. Some children will move up to the next level quicker than others and it is hard to predict when your child will complete the required skills for each level. Parents should recognise that no one child is the same and they should not be compared to each other. Please also remember, as the stages progress, the skills and criteria become more difficult. It is not uncommon that it can take several terms for these assessments to be completed. All skills need to be executed at a high and consistent standard.

All assessment results and further requirements are visible on IClassPro, under your child’s profile. We allow participants to move up to the next level once they complete 90% of the requirements (68/75 scores). When a child reaches this standard, parents will be notified on an individual basis offering availability and timings of the newt level.

Assessments are completed every second term, Term 1, 3 and 5. In each term, assessments will be held on week 4 and 5. Assessment results will be uploaded to IClassPro, on our online home portal within 2 weeks for parents to view the results. Customers who are ready to move will be contacted directly offering them availability in the higher level classes. Movement will be completed by the end of the term and the child can start in the new level from the following term. E.g. assessment is held in Term 5 on week 4 and 5. Children able to move up a level will start in the higher level class from Term 6 week 1.

Movements are only recommendations and not mandatory. Your child will be added to our waiting list and we shall notify you once the space becomes available. In the meantime, you are welcome to stay in your current class where coaches will make sure your child is still progressing and fully challenged.

Only selected senior coaches complete the assessments making sure consistent and high standards are applied. The assessor carries out the assessments within the regular gymnastics session on week 4 and 5 without affecting the planned rotations. Gymnasts may be given multiple attempts. Assessments are carried out over 2 weeks allowing a sufficient amount of time for completion. Once assessments are done, the results are uploaded to our online home portal IClassPro under your child’s profile. Gymnasts not attending the designated assessment weeks must wait for the next period, as assessments can not be completed individually.  

Our gymnasts are initially placed into their groups by age and are assessed during their regular class. Assessment results and further requirements are visible online in Iclass on your child’s profile. Children need to achieve 90% (68/75 scores) to be able to move up to the next level. Assessments are carried out by our Recreational Manager and Senior Recreation Coaches  providing accuracy both in quality and consistency. Their recommendations should be taken on board and their feedback is the deciding factor on whether your child should move classes. Reassessment and reconsideration will not be authorised therefore your child will need to wait until the next assessment period. 

Assessments are completed every second term, Term 1, 3 and 5. In each term, assessments will be held on week 4 and 5. Assessment results will be uploaded to IClassPro, the online home portal within 2 weeks to enable parents to view the results. If your child’s assessment sheet was not updated, it may be because your child was absent during the assessment period. Unfortunately due to the high number of participants we can only allocate 2 weeks for assessments. We also aim  to cause the least disruption during the classes as we carry out the assessments during regular classes. Assessment dates are communicated in advance and if your child misses this period, unfortunately he/she will be required to wait until the next occasion as, we are unable to accommodate individual requests.

We understand the frustration caused and are aware it is not easy to accept that an assessment has not been passed yet. We do however require the parent’s support in these circumstances and help your child to recognise good performance, not just results. Help them to enjoy their sport and encourage them to work harder during the classes so the next assessment can be successful. We do not hold any child back from progression and we offer equal opportunities for development. Success depends on many factors, e.g. at what point your child joins our program, attendance, attention to detail, understanding the technical elements, interest, discipline to follow instruction, talent and much much more. Additional to that, every child progresses at different speeds. Some children will move up a level quicker than others and it is hard to predict when your child will complete the required skills for each level. Parents should recognise that no one child is the same and they should not be compared to each other.

In any case, we allow children to continue in the previous class where moving up to a higher level class is not possible. This allows the children to continue within the same class.

No. We believe children should not be assessed under the age of 5. Assessments will commence from the age of 5 and above. However we still build our under 5 sessions on solid and structured lesson plans where safety, fun and progressive development are in focus.

Yes, all disciplines and specialised classes are included into our assessment process over the age of 5.

Freestyle classes: Assessments are carried out at the same time as the recreational gymnastics classes: completed every second term (term 1, 3 and 5). In each term, assessments are held on week 4 and 5. Assessment results are uploaded to IClassPro, our online home portal within 2 weeks for parents to view the results. Junior 7 - 10 years have 2 levels: Junior (1 hour) and Junior Intermediate - invite only (1.5 hours). Senior classes run with 1 level (1.5 hours).

Ninja classes: Assessments are carried out at the same time as the recreational gymnastics classes: completed every second term, (Term 1, 3 and 5). In each term, assessments are held during week 4 and 5. Assessment results are uploaded to IClassPro, our online home portal within 2 weeks where parents can view the results. Ninja classes are built around colours: White,Yellow, Green and Blue - with White as the first level.

Login to iClassPro Parent Portal, click on Evaluations on the navigation panel on the left.