School hails pop-up pool's benefits for pupils

A school in Peterborough says a temporary heated swimming pool installed in its playground has been a success.

Ravensthorpe Primary Academy set up the pool in November for a six-week programme and said it had seen impressive results, with 64% of Year 6 pupils now able to swim 25m compared with only 24% last year.

Head teacher Emma Ward said a lack of accessible public pools in the city meant it was "the only solution" to give children access to swimming and "achieve the milestone" distance of 25m by the time they left the school.

"Having the pool on site removed barriers such as travel costs, staffing pressures and lost learning time," she said.

"Swimming is not just about sport – it's about confidence, safety and equity, and this programme has delivered real impact for our children."

The temporary facility was installed after the pool on Bishop's Road was demolished following the discovery of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).

As a replacement, a new £36m eight-lane, 25m swimming pool is expected to be built by 2028, Peterborough City Council said.

Swimming and water safety are statutory requirements of the National Curriculum, and schools are expected to demonstrate this during Ofsted inspections.

According to Swim England, about one in three children leaves primary school unable to swim 25m.

Dr Ian Young, chief executive at Keys Academies Trust, which runs Ravensthorpe Primary, said: "It has taken an innovative, practical action to overcome a systemic challenge. Swimming is a compulsory life skill, yet access remains unequal for many families.

"This project ensures pupils receive high-quality provision regardless of background, and the improvement in outcomes speaks for itself."

A similar pool will be installed at Hampton Vale Primary Academy in the city by the Easter term, giving 400 pupils access to swimming lessons.

The school said it was launching its swimming project in memory of teenager Jack Lloyd, who died after getting into difficulty at a lake in Farcet, near Peterborough, last April.

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