St Anne's Catholic Primary School

Dear Parents/Carers,

From Monday 9^th June – Friday 20^th June, we have a swimming pool on site for the school. This is a heated swimming pool (33 degrees) on the playground, underneath a marquee. It is a core requirement of the National Curriculum that all children can confidently swim at least 25m by the time they leave Primary School and learn lifesaving skills. Therefore, all children from Reception to Year 6 will be given the opportunity to improve their water confidence and swimming ability over these two weeks.

There will be two qualified swimming instructors on site at all times to ensure the children’s safety and to deliver high quality swimming lessons. Regardless of swimming ability, all children will be given the opportunity to go into the pool over the two weeks.

To maximise the swimming time for the children, there will be an extremely busy swimming timetable across the two weeks. The priority for swimming lessons will be given to non-swimmers and developing swimmers in KS2 especially in Years 5 and 6.

Please can all children from Year 5 & 6 have a dry swimming kit in school every day across these two weeks. For these children the swimming timetable will be adapted across the two weeks dependent on swimming progress, therefore, a KS2 swimming timetable will not be handed out. If your child does not have their swimming kit in school and they are collected to go and swim, unfortunately, they will miss their swimming session and it will not be re-arranged due to the logistics of organising swimming lessons for 200+ children.

For children in KS1 (Reception – Year 2), they will be having a swimming experience to build their water confidence and for some developing swimmers their swimming technique. All children in KS1 will have swimming experiences. A timetable will be distributed closer to the time to let you know exactly when your children will need their swimming kit in school. If they do not have their swimming kit in school on that day, they will miss their swimming opportunity.

In your child’s swimming bag they will all need:

• A swimming costume/shorts (only one-piece costumes and boys’ shorts need to be above their knees)
• A towel
• Flip flops or slippers (which are easy to slide on and off)
• A dressing gown
• Long hair must be tied up and swimming hats will be welcomed.

All children need every item on this list as the children will be getting changed in different rooms across the school, therefore, they need to be suitably dressed to walk across the school to the pool (any rooms with windows will be completely blackened out for children’s privacy and safety).

This is an amazing opportunity for all children to develop their swimming confidence and skills and we are thoroughly looking forward to this opportunity. If you have any questions please come and speak to a member of staff.

Thank you in advance for your continued support.

Yours sincerely

Mrs Batson

Headteacher