We are excited to announce that Taunton School has been designated as a Development Hub for Modern Pentathlon by Pentathlon GB, bringing exciting opportunities for students and the local community. This initiative aims to increase participation in the sport. Students will benefit from elite training facilities and coaching, while the community can engage in club sessions. This hub will support athletes at all levels, from beginners to elite competitors, fostering our vibrant sporting culture in Taunton and potentially nurturing future Olympians.

We are aiming to run specialist sessions to cover the four events of Pentathlon and we are fortunate that many of these already exist within our school’s co-curricular programme. In the new year, there will be a Thursday night club open to all, where students can access fencing coaching, laser run, and OCR training. The Saturday morning enrichment program will also continue for students in Years 3-6. Over time, these activities will become part of the school’s curriculum as an option for students as they progress through the school’s sports pathway. We will also be hosting competitions, events and training camps at the school. Some of these will be over the holiday periods.


We are fortunate to have several pupils in the school who have already competed at local, national and international level. They have shared their thoughts on Pentathlon:

JJ W – Year 8
“Having competed in Modern Pentathlon events for a number of years, I am so excited to see Taunton School selected as a Pentathlon Hub in the South West. It’s a brilliant sport and I can’t wait to see more people from the local area get involved.”

Eva D – Year 9
“It’s a really exciting sport that enables me to compete in multiple things that I enjoy. I love all the opportunities it has given me so far and all the people and places I get to see. it is an honour to have competed for Team GB at national, European and World Championship level. I have competed in the Quays at Salford to the Beaches of Bali and lots in between.”


Bella W – Year 7
“I love pentathlon because the disciplines are so varied which means there’s something for everyone. It has opened up exciting opportunities for me but more importantly it’s fun and I’ve made friends for life along the way.“

What is Modern Pentathlon?

Modern pentathlon is made up of four events combining five sports, many of which we already offer at school. Due to the diverse nature of the sports involved, modern pentathlon is an extremely demanding sport that pushes athletes to their mental and physical limits and requires an exceptional variety of skills. It is an Olympic sport combining fencing, swimming, OCR, and laser run, a combined event of running and laser pistol shooting. Obstacle course racing (OCR) is an exciting new challenging concept in modern pentathlon (replacing riding). Competitors must overcome various physical obstacles while running. These obstacles can include climbing walls, ropes, beams, crawling under and over barriers, swinging on monkey bars, and ending with a warp wall.