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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if your child’s secondary school has a pool?

204 replies

Mickmick123 · 30/06/2023 10:37

My local private school has an indoor swimming pool. Other than that no local secondaries do. One nearby used to but it was shut down due to heating being unaffordable. Recently, I was visiting my sister who lives miles away and her DS15 is currently doing a swimming unit in PE as his (state) school has a pool. I would assume most primary’s would be too small to have one. Aibu to ask if 1) your child’s school has a pool and 2) do you think your dc benefit from their school having one

OP posts:
Weatherwax134 · 30/06/2023 10:38

I'm in a town in Greater Manchester and there is a pool in the special school, but other than that there are no pools in our town or the surrounding towns. It would be an amazing addition but I can't imagine they could afford the expense.

Lancelottie · 30/06/2023 10:39

Over the years, mine were at three different secondary schools. One had an indoor pool, one an outdoor pool and one didn’t have a pool (though the local primary school did).

No idea how common it is, though.

redskytwonight · 30/06/2023 10:39

Doesn't have a pool and I'm not sure that swimming at school is that great anyway - there's a lot of time spent getting changed and unchanged and not much actual swimming time, and it can be hard to support a wide range of abilities (how do you teach complete non-swimmers alongside those who are club swimmers?)

Sartre · 30/06/2023 10:40

Nope it doesn’t. Only state school close by that does is Catholic and as Atheists we didn’t feel comfortable sending DC there.

ChessieFL · 30/06/2023 10:42

No state schools near here with a pool that I’m aware of. Two in my town (one primary, one secondary) used to have them in the 80s/90s but they disappeared years ago.

FunnysInLaJardin · 30/06/2023 10:42

None of my DC's schools have had a pool, however in the 70's and 80's all three of my schools had their own pool, including my primary

Whinge · 30/06/2023 10:42

The only schools locally who have a pool are a SEND school and a private school. No others have a pool, and both the schools who have one rent them out to help with the upkeep and costs.

FunnysInLaJardin · 30/06/2023 10:42

and all state!

Badbudgeter · 30/06/2023 10:44

Our secondary school has a pool. They have a term of swimming for PE every year. They also do lessons at reasonable rates. It’s £24 a month for a weekly lesson and unlimited swimming when it’s open to the public. Weekends, evenings and holidays.

I think it is a benefit to have a pool. It’s probably more beneficial when they are primary school age and learning to swim though.

Ethelswith · 30/06/2023 10:44

My DC went to a school with one.

They didn't do much swimming though. It was on the PE carousel, so came up for a half of a term (twice, IIC, plus one of water polo, which they would never have tried otherwise)

Also, in year 7, all DC were assessed for swimming ability and those who couldn't swim were told to do a lunchtime swimming club so that they learned (mine didn't need that, so although I know it existed, I don't know how it worked in practice)

There were also a number of swimming clubs available - usually early morning. Some for squad swimmers some days open to anyone. My DC weren't interested, though one of mine did go to one for a while as their friend did.

MojoMoon · 30/06/2023 10:45

A state primary near me (London, not very posh area) has one.
It was built in the 1950s, I think.
It is used by other state primary schools in the area for their mandatory swimming lessons and is also hired out for baby swimming classes one day a week and private kids swimming classes at the weekend. In holidays, swim camps/intensive swim courses take place
So it is pretty heavily used which has helped it survive - not sure any one state school could afford to run a pool on its own given it would then be fairly poorly utilised.

PuttingDownRoots · 30/06/2023 10:45

My child's school doesn't.
The local private school does. Would be nice if they shared...

In s nearby village, its obvious the public pool used to belong to the school but its council run now.

monicagellerbing · 30/06/2023 10:45

Mine does yes, small town and only two secondary schools. Only the one my son goes to has a pool

Ethelswith · 30/06/2023 10:46

Oh, and yes, the pool was open for other swim schools some evenings and on Saturday mornings. No general swimming - all clubs/tuition.

No idea if they made enough in selling the OOH sessions to make any real inroads into the running costs

BamBamBambi · 30/06/2023 10:46

My sons special needs school has a pool.
My daughters School does not.

Theunamedcat · 30/06/2023 10:46

Our primary school did but the children don't benefit as much because they hire it out ds still can't swim

Secondary used to have a pool but a cow fell in that was an expensive bill so they filled it in

ATeamsvan · 30/06/2023 10:46

Yes, several state schools here have pools. But those who don't go to the nearest leisure centre instead, so they still swim, though probably not so often

Mumtothreegirlies · 30/06/2023 10:47

my local primary school has an outdoor one.
but other then that only the special needs schools have them. Don’t really see the benefit

CurlewKate · 30/06/2023 10:48

One of the primary schools in our town has small outdoor pool-nobody quite knows why! The PTA spend a lot of time raising money for it-it costs a fortune- but it's a fantastic asset. The school is in an area of significant social deprivation, and apart from anything else, it's fantastic for the kids to have something a bit special.

LordGribeau · 30/06/2023 10:48

I live in Edinburgh. My oldest DC is at (state) secondary school and his school has a swimming pool. It's definitely of benefit. He has swimming units in PE and also attends weekly free lessons/swimming club run by the staff. The local primary schools also use it for lesson blocks one term per year.

NEmama · 30/06/2023 10:49

None in town I live in have one but 3/8 in the town I work in do.

Starlightstarbright2 · 30/06/2023 10:50

Theunamedcat · 30/06/2023 10:46

Our primary school did but the children don't benefit as much because they hire it out ds still can't swim

Secondary used to have a pool but a cow fell in that was an expensive bill so they filled it in

Our school
is connected to Jesuit’s centre so has use of pool for pe and other facilities . No idea about funding

PuttingDownRoots · 30/06/2023 10:50

Theunamedcat · 30/06/2023 10:46

Our primary school did but the children don't benefit as much because they hire it out ds still can't swim

Secondary used to have a pool but a cow fell in that was an expensive bill so they filled it in

I really want it to be an indoor pool that the cow fell into...

But even so.. how did the cow get into the school grounds in th first place...

luckylavender · 30/06/2023 10:51

Never a pool in my schools growing up - 60s & 70s S Wales.

moggle · 30/06/2023 10:52

Our 3 form entry state primary has a pool and a dedicated swimming teacher. Each year, each class gets 3 weeks of 4 lessons. it’s used by local swimming classes after school and at weekends. Another local primary and a local junior school have pools (local as in adjacent catchment, under 30 mins walk). None of the state secondaries do. We have 2 leisure centres with 25m and teaching pools which the rest of the schools in the town use (med-large Home Counties town).
Swimming is on the national curriculum for primaries but I assume it’s difficult to justify the huge cost of running a pool at secondary level. I actually don’t know how our school is managing it at the moment with heating costs.