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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:
lemonjam · 01/07/2023 19:17

Central Scotland, every secondary school in the local area and indeed every high school I’ve ever heard of has a swimming pool.

MerryMarigold · 01/07/2023 19:18

My state secondary (comp) had a pool in the 80s (assume it still does!). My DS state school has a pool, but my other DC secondary does not. In terms of benefits, DS had always enjoyed swimming and is doing a lifeguarding course as his Y12 enrichment. However, I really hated swimming (and even more, changing afterwards) with a passion. I guess it depends if your kids like it. It's also a potential source of income to school (hired out for lessons after school).

tsmainsqueeze · 01/07/2023 19:22

Our secondary does , not really much swimming on the curriculum but is used as a swim school business ,lovely well maintained pool.

DontMakeMeShushYou · 01/07/2023 19:30

State comprehensive. Yes, it has a swimming pool and sports centre. Open to the public outside school hours and run by the school as a profit making business.
Yes, my kids have benefited from it. Swimming lessons there from Y2. Now DD is in 6th form she gets discounted gym membership there so goes swimming and uses the gym regularly.
Yes, as a PP has said this is in a small town.

RoseMartha · 01/07/2023 19:34

No secondaries other than the private schools.

One non private junior sch has a pool.

wonderstuff · 01/07/2023 19:40

DC secondary has a school pool (outdoor) has been closed since covid, school can no longer afford to run it so local group are trying to take it over as a community run pool.

The primary DC went to had an (outdoor) pool, which was fantastic, all years went swimming every summer term and a community group ran it at weekends, after school and during summer holidays, every child in our village had opportunity to learn to swim, great place for kids to hang out in the summer. A few years ago following staff change the school head decided she wanted to close the pool, the community group spent a just over a year negotiating with the council and school to keep it open. Had to change entrance to it so users weren't on school grounds and agree to provide swimming lessons to a year group at the school for free and get separate electricity meter etc. and obviously huge fundraising effort and tapping into lots of grants. Pool is now back open, but as a village resource, year 6 get half a term of swimming lessons. It's fantastic but requires a lot of voluteers to keep it going in such a way that it is affordable for village children to use.

Secondary I teach in had an indoor pool, but it was filled in about 8 years ago, there is a leisure centre within walking distance of our school but we don't offer swimming. I can't imagine any state schools can afford to keep a pool open these days without 100% of cost being met by fundraising. It's a huge commitment.

Manthide · 01/07/2023 20:07

2 of the primary schools in my small town have small outdoor ones but generally it's too cold to swim in or the children take so long to get undressed etc they don't have long. Also the middle school had an outdoor pool but the school has closed. Dd3's school didn't so they used to get a coach to a leisure centre. We had to pay £3 each lesson but I don't think dd3 learned anything. Both my dc's private schools have indoor swimming pools and each child was assessed for ability and those who were not strong swimmers had to go to extra sessions. Ds's school made better use of their swimming pool and all boys had to carry on for at least one session a week for half of each term. Ds is now a confident swimmer and they did personal survival, life saving and water polo. Dds' school though allowed them to drop swimming at the end of year 9 and most girls including mine did though they are all competent swimmers due to the school.

In conclusion outdoor swimming pools at state school are a waste of time but indoor pools might have some value. My old state school ( in the 70s) had a lovely indoor swimming pool and it was well used.

wonkylegs · 01/07/2023 20:33

3 of the 8 secondary schools in our local town have pools - all state schools

Pheasantpluckerswife · 02/07/2023 00:24

So our DDs primary has a pool, but it's broken and £20k to repair.. they've held fundraisers but nowhere near enough to fix it, so have diverted funds for other things for the children, new play equipment for example...

Until my DD started school I had no idea how much money they had to raise for things themselves... I think it's disgusting tbh... I know £20k to fix a swimming pool in a village primary isn't a priority, I understand that, but then having to use that money to improve play equipment!? Isn't that part of school no? What do we actually pay for towards education with our taxes? Can someone please educate me without being a know-it-all?

yojojomomo · 02/07/2023 00:50

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?)

You put them into different ability classes. The same you would if they had lessons at the local leisure centre.

emmylou24 · 02/07/2023 09:02

My sons sen school does, it's been amazing as it's a hydrofoil. He does one swimming session a week and 1-2 hydro which has done wonders for his arthritis.we are so lucky to have this.

emmylou24 · 02/07/2023 09:03

Hydropool not hydrofoil. Silly autocorrect

EhrlicheFrau · 02/07/2023 15:36

Primary nor Secondary have a pool but there is one literally 5 mins away so they use that for PE swimming. Most of the children have swimming lessons and can swim well before they do school swimming and there's a swimming club for the really keen ones. The school in the neighbouring town did have a pool but when they built the new school they also built a new pool onto an existing sports complex in the town, it's not that far away but further than the pool-school distance where we actually live.

ThisIsNotThePostYourLookingFor · 02/07/2023 15:38

Yes my DD’s high school does but it’s an additional needs high school and it’s used for therapy and lessons.

BCCoach · 02/07/2023 15:39

Ours does. It's been closed for 6 years as the school can't afford to run or maintain it.

Tinytigertail · 02/07/2023 15:42

DD is at a state secondary that has an indoor, heated pool. It's really not utilised anywhere near as much as I'd assumed it would be.

Chucklecheeks01 · 26/08/2023 18:19

I'm in a greater Manchester Town and there are at least three high schools with pools.

ichundich · 26/08/2023 18:21

DD's has a pool, private secondary
DS's doesn't, but he has free swimming lessons at the local pool in Y5 and Y6 (half a term), state.

Emeraldrings · 26/08/2023 18:28

None of the schools round here have a swimming pool. I wish they did because it's the only sport DD1 enjoys (but she is at college now and that does have a pool).
I'm guessing they're too expensive. One of the local primary and secondary schools did have them but they disappeared in early 80s.

DrinkFeckArseBrick · 26/08/2023 18:34

I think some schools have a third of teaching posts vacant or filled by unqualified teachers. Behaviour is deteriorating with loads of schools having issues with sexual harassment. Ive seen reports of students being taught in classes of 100. I'm not sure if a pool is the thing to focus on.

I had a pool in my struggling secondary school. We had a term of 1 hour swimming every year including getting changed either end. No one that couldn't swim at the beginning, could swim at the end.

BlueBluebellCheese · 26/08/2023 18:37

The secondary school nearest me (catchment) technically has a pool, it's in the school building but it's run by the council and is open to the public. The school and the local primaries have exclusive access during the school day though, it only opens to the public at about 4pm until 7pm - there's also a small gym with it.

Another local secondary school used to have a pool but closed it a few years ago due to costs.

longestlurkerever · 26/08/2023 18:40

Secondary: No. Primary: Also no but another one within walking distance does and they hire it out for lessons. Primary head said she's very glad they don't have one as it costs a fortune to maintain and is a drain on school budgets.

ellesbellesxxx · 26/08/2023 18:43

One state secondary locally does!
my children’s state primary does but currently it’s out of action :( when it’s in use it’s amazing!

Summerishere123 · 26/08/2023 18:47

The high school DS will go to does. It is mainly used as a rental to local primary schools.

17CherryTreeLane · 26/08/2023 19:08

I'm also central Scotland, and yes all the secondary schools have pools. I'm really surprised so many don't, I'm clearly taking them for granted too much