How the IDTA Framework Shapes Gymnastics Training at Aspire

Why Parents Are Asking More Questions Than Ever

Choosing the right gymnastics class for your child involves more than finding a convenient time slot. Today's parents want to understand what their child is actually learning, how progress is measured, and whether the school they're trusting has a credible, structured approach behind it. These are exactly the right questions to ask.

At Aspire, our gymnastics programme is built on the framework of the International Dance Teachers' Association - more commonly known as the IDTA. In this article, we want to explain what that means in practice, why it matters for your child's development, and how we've also added our own layer of reward and recognition on top of it.

What Is the IDTA?

The International Dance Teachers' Association is one of the world's largest dance and movement examination boards. Founded in 1903, the IDTA has members in over 55 countries and provides structured syllabi across a wide range of disciplines from ballet and tap through to acrobatic dance and gymnastics.

Its syllabi are carefully designed to develop skills, knowledge, and physical ability in a safe, consistent, and progressive way, ensuring that children are never pushed beyond what is appropriate for their age and stage of development. For schools like Aspire, holding an IDTA membership means committing to that standard.

How Aspire Uses the IDTA Framework

Aspire has held an IDTA membership since the school was established in 2011. All of our graded gymnastics classes are structured around the IDTA's Acrobatic Dance syllabus, which draws on the foundations of gymnastic floor work to build strength, flexibility, coordination, and technique in a developmentally appropriate way.

Our gymnastics programme is entirely floor-focused. In our experience, floor-based tumbling is where children develop the most transferable skills - and it is the area where we consistently see the greatest enthusiasm and progress. This focus is intentional, not incidental.

The IDTA framework gives our teaching structure and accountability. Rather than working from a loosely defined curriculum, our teachers are following a nationally recognised syllabus, which means your child's progress is measured against a consistent, external standard, not just an internal one.

Tiny Tumble: The Early Steps Syllabus (Ages 2–4)

Our youngest gymnasts - children aged two to four - join us in Tiny Tumble, our introductory gymnastics class. At this stage, we follow the Acrobatics Early Steps section of the IDTA syllabus, which is specifically designed for very young children who are just beginning to explore movement.

The focus at this age is on fundamental skills: body awareness, balance, coordination, and the joy of moving. Children are not pushed to perform at this stage - the goal is to lay the groundwork in a nurturing, playful environment, so that when they move into our main gymnastics classes, they have the confidence and the physical literacy to progress.

The Early Steps syllabus ensures that even our youngest students are working within a recognised framework from day one - something that sets Aspire apart from classes that take a purely informal approach to pre-school movement.

Acrobatic Medal Tests: A Clear Path of Progression

For all other gymnasts at Aspire - those who have progressed beyond Tiny Tumble - our classes work towards the IDTA Acrobatic Medal Tests. These tests provide a clear, structured pathway of achievement that children and their families can follow and celebrate together.

The medal test system progresses through the following levels:

• Bronze - the entry point, focusing on foundational acrobatic skills and building confidence in performance

• Silver - a progression in technical demand, with a greater emphasis on quality of movement and presentation

• Gold - a more advanced level where students demonstrate greater skill, control, and performance ability

• Gold Bars, Stars, and beyond - higher levels for students who wish to continue progressing through the full IDTA awards pathway

Each medal test is assessed by a qualified IDTA examiner, which means your child receives an independent, professional evaluation of their work - not just feedback from their class teacher. Students receive a detailed report alongside their award, giving them clear targets and recognition for their achievement.

Crucially, children progress through these levels at a pace that is right for them. There is no pressure to rush, and no child is entered for a medal test before their teacher is confident they are ready. This steady, encouraging approach is central to how we work at Aspire.

The Aspire Acro Awards: Our Own Layer of Recognition

Alongside the IDTA medal test pathway, Aspire has developed its own bespoke reward system - the Aspire Acro Awards. This is something unique to our school, designed to recognise achievement and effort in a way that sits alongside the formal IDTA framework rather than replacing it.

The Aspire Acro Awards acknowledge the milestones that matter within our own classes - the first time a child nails a skill they have been working on, the consistency they show week after week, and the progress that doesn't always show up in a formal examination but is no less meaningful for it.

Together, the IDTA medal tests and the Aspire Acro Awards mean that every gymnast at our school has something to work towards - whether that's a formal externally assessed award or a recognition of their individual journey within our community.

What This Means for Your Child

When you enrol your child at Aspire, you're not just signing them up for a gymnastics class; you're placing them within a structured, credible, and caring framework built specifically to support their development at every stage.

In practical terms, that means:

• A syllabus that is nationally recognised and externally assessed

• Age-appropriate content from the very first class, right through to advanced levels

• A clear, progressive pathway so your child always has something to aim for

• Floor-focused tumbling that builds real, transferable physical skills

• The added warmth of our own in-house Aspire Acro Awards alongside formal IDTA recognition

Whether your child is two years old and taking their very first tumble, or a more experienced gymnast working towards their Gold medal test, Aspire has a class designed with their stage of development and their confidence firmly in mind.

Ready to Find Out More?

If you'd like to see how our gymnastics programme works in practice, the best place to start is a trial session. It gives your child the chance to experience the class, meet the teachers, and get a real feel for how we work before any commitment is made.

Get in touch with the Aspire team to find out about class availability and how to book your child's free trial because every child deserves the chance to move, grow, and shine.

Aspire | Dance and Gymnastics Classes in Bolton, Westhoughton, and Greater Manchester