We have continued our Top Up Swimming programme this year. All schools that didn’t have an opportunity to participate in the scheme last year were invited to send their most needy year 5 and 6 children. The schools were offered a free course of 6 x 40 minute lessons at either the Beacon Community College pool or the Freedom leisure pool at Uckfield with transport provided to and from the lessons.

Top up swimming takes up a considerable amount of time and resources but the final results are very rewarding. 15 different schools took part in the programme during the summer of 2008, doubling the number of pupils going through the programme from the summer of 2007. 48 pupils managed to swim the statutory 25m by the end of the programme and all students showed a marked improvement on their distances from the start to the end of the 6 lessons. All children received a certificate on completion of the course.

Funding has been reduced next year therefore we will be looking at ways in which we can modify our current course to help more young swimmers achieve water confidence and the statutory 25metres of the National Curriculum.