Pupils are making a splash, learning about water safety and enjoying swimming lessons in a pop-up pool at a Derby primary school.
Children in Year 4 and Year 5 at St John Fisher Catholic Voluntary Academy, in Alvaston, are having 30-minute swimming lessons every day over a two-week period in the pool.
Usually, pupils would travel on a coach to Moorways Sports Village and Water Park in Derby for their swimming lessons, once a week over the period of a school year.
Now children get changed in private tents in school and walk 5 minutes to their very own heated pop-up pool for lessons in groups of seven or eight.
Headteacher, Mr Graham Lobb, used a pop-up pool, which is housed in a large marquee on the playground, at his previous school and saw how beneficial it was to pupils.
He said: “It really enriches the pupils’ swimming experience, and it doesn’t eat into any learning time as it’s a 30-minute lesson plus the time it takes to change clothes. Before it would take a whole afternoon to take children to Moorways. The group sizes at school are also smaller, so 7 to 8 children, meaning that the lessons are more personalised.
“The children were quite excited about having a pool at school and doing their swimming lessons here. They have loved it. Children of all abilities have been able to take part. The company that provides the pool provide the teacher and a lifeguard; children have also been learning about water safety and there’s been an after-school water polo club as well.”
Pupil Jack said: “I was really excited when I heard about the pool coming to school. I’d never heard of anything like this before.”
Amanda said: “It’s like having lessons in a proper swimming pool, I’ve really enjoyed it.”
Graicie-Mae: “I felt so excited when I heard about it but I was a bit confused. I didn’t know that the pool would be on the school playground. It’s really big. It’s good because we don’t have to travel as far for lessons, when they finish, we are back in our classrooms after a couple of minutes.”
Roman said: “I have been swimming before, but it’s been so good to be able to practice at school.”
The pool has been such a big hit with pupils that Mr Lobb said it would be returning to school next year.
