'Flat-pack' pool helps pupils learn to swim

A "flat pack" pool has been put up at a primary school so every pupil will have learnt to swim by the time they leave.

Hayley Foster, assistant head at Race Leys Primary School in Bedworth, Warwickshire, said swimming skills were "really important" for all of her pupils.

Students previously did not get much swimming time due to the time it took to travel back and forth from a leisure centre, Ms Foster said.

Pupils will have lessons over the next four weeks, with the goal of all being able to swim 25m (82ft) by the time they leave aged 11.

The temporary pool, built by specialists Elite Sports, was put on a basketball court. It carries about 62,000 litres (13,600 gallons) of water and takes three days to fill.

"Our aim is that within the curriculum, by the time they leave at the end of Year Six, they can swim 25 meters.

"Unfortunately we only had just over 50% of children achieving that which to us was quite shocking and very disappointing," she said.

"The cost implications is also really important because the pool will actually cost us thousands of pounds less a year through saving money through transport that we now don't need."

Elite Sports director Aaron Daniel said the pool took about a week to build, including time to heat the water up.

The installation is part of the company's Pools to School initiative which aims to give schools that can only hold lessons at a leisure centre, the option of a temporary onsite pool, he said.

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