St Wystan’s pupils benefit from participating in a wide range of sports through both the curriculum and extra-curricular activities. We understand at St Wystan’s that sport has a powerful impact on children’s all-round development and wellbeing, playing an integral part in boosting physical skills, leadership, communication and contributing to healthy lifestyles.
As the country comes out of lockdown, it has been reported by Swim England that five million swimming lessons were lost during the pandemic, resulting in the prediction that by 2025 most primary children will be unable to swim the length of a pool. Olympian Duncan Goodhew has urged parents to make swimming lessons a priority to avoid a national crisis in children’s swimming abilities.
It is therefore fantastic to see our pupils embracing their time swimming in Repton’s pool, an inspirational facility that was once the training venue to Olympic world-record holder Adam Peaty MBE. From Kindergarten to Year 6, all pupils participate in swimming during PE lessons with an emphasis on confidence in the water, teaching the four fundamental strokes, and most importantly of all, having fun and enjoyment in the water to aid learning.
Head of PE, Mrs Pearce, was thrilled to see the children back in the swimming pool after such a long time away: “Our first lessons back were all about water confidence, particularly with our Kindergarten children, who have never experienced school swimming lessons before. Our priority is that children feel confident, safe and enjoy being back in the water.
After just three weeks’ worth of lessons, our Year 1 children are now swimming lengths and our Kindergarten children are becoming more independent swimmers each week! The older pupils have settled back into lessons and are enjoying having their swimming abilities developed and challenged in a range of styles through life saving skills as well as stroke work. We are very proud of our pupils for approaching their return to swimming lessons with such courage and excitement.”