© Total Swimming Limited 2010 www.totalswimming.co.uk

British Gas Pools 4 Schools

Information Pack

© Total Swimming Limited 2010 www.totalswimming.co.uk

Information Pack: Pools 4 Schools

There is a national shortage of swimming pools and to meet that problem head on Total swimming has created its Temporary Pool Solution.

This innovative process enables a temporary pool structure to be built in any school meeting the schools curriculum needs and also provides the community with swimming, water polo, synchronized swimming, life saving facilities and learning opportunities.

Total Swimming works closely with partners to deliver swimming pools and swimming programmes across the whole of the UK bringing swimming into the hearts of schools andenabling the wider community to access all the benefits of aquatics.

� Total Swimming Limited 2010 www.totalswimming.co.uk

National Partners

Total Swimming works with the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF), the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) and British Gas.

Can Pools 4 Schools work for you?

British Gas Pools 4 Schools is aimed at schools in areas which have poor access to swimming facilities or poor aquatic attainment rates.

Our pools accommodate one class of up to 30 children at a time, so when a pool is placed in your school you will be able to run lessons across the school and surrounding schools. Your school pool can be used as an external facility, for after school clubs, community groups, and to tackle different agendas by bringing in specific groups e.g. MEND, Youth Inclusion Schemes and Muslim Women’s groups.

Our research shows that your biggest challenge in tackling low swimming attainment figures –i.e. the swimming of 25 metres at the end of Key Stage 2 – is the direct cost of transport to and from a pool and pool hire, plus the amount of time that pupils have to take away from the school in order to successfully achieve these curriculum goals.

This pool is not an alternative to any current national curriculum programmes that may be running in the area. Instead this kind of facility provides a highly significant ‘kick-start’ to combat low attainment through a high profile and high impact 6-week programme.

This pool, by bringing swimming to the very heart of the schools and community this is a more cost effective and time efficient approach to swimming. The programme also has a significant impact on improvement with every swimmer (please see our ‘Case Study’ document).

What exactly is a Pools 4 Schools pool and programme?

The British Gas Pools 4 Schools programme includes a number of key provisions with the first being the construction of a temporary swimming pool within the school (or in a secure outdoor part of the school).

© Total Swimming Limited 2010 www.totalswimming.co.uk

The pool is a fully functioning swimming pool with a bespoke chemical dosing, heating and filtration system. It is of optimal teaching depth and features perimeter staging for teachers and designed such that any splash is returned into the pool.

Total Swimming provides a complete support package with the pool by providing

Scheduling and programming support

Support personnel / recruitment

Equipment and training

Monitoring and evaluation

Funding

Optional inset

On site Health and Safety advice

Decommissioning the pool

Warranties from suppliers and installers

Support insurance

Who can use your pool?

The Total Swimming programme works over 6 full teaching weeks. You schedule your lessons and work with nearby schools that can walk or arrange transport to your new temporary facility. Total Swimming will work with you to assist timetable usage, enabling you and other schools to maximise use of the pool.

We know that up to 720 children can receive 5 hours of quality Learn-to-Swim time over the 6-week period.

In addition to this are 190 hours of community time available for the local partnership to timetable whatever requirements or goals they may want to achieve.

� Total Swimming Limited 2010 www.totalswimming.co.uk

Why does The Total Swimming Temporary Pools Solution work for you?

The programme allows for intensive lessons that have been shown to result in higher attainmentand provides three fully qualified level-2 teachers per lesson, allowing the class to be divided into smaller groups to cater for varying abilities.

The pool is designed for one class of 30 pupils at one time. The pool is the same depth and with no external users creates an environment ideal for growing confidence in the water.

Can we have a pool in our school?

We can put one of our temporary pools in most venues from the smallest of school gyms or canteens to large international stadiums…

Left, Pools 4 Schools in Aston (Birmingham) 2008 using Astral Pool technology. Right, World Short Course Championships, Manchester 2008 using the same technology.

There are a number of considerations to factor, all of which Total Swimming will help you manage through regular communication and site visits.

Structural suitability: Once filled the pool weights approximately 76 tonnes (dependent on the size of the pool) and a level surface with adequate load bearing is required, wooden floors are not necessarily suitable NOTE what does this mean? If I only have a wooden floor gym does that count me out? An optimum space is 18m x 9m.

Power: 3-phase power supply is necessary and charges to run the pool for the 6 week period vary between �1000-1600 dependent on the time of year. Alterations to the electricity supply may be needed before the pool can be installed.

Changing facilities: If changing facilities near the pool do not exist we can build temporary structures inside the proposed site.

Site access: we work to cause minimal disruption, so a site manager or caretaker on hand is very useful. We will also need to get an articulated lorry close to the proposed site for the days when we build the pool.

Health and Safety: We work with local partners to provide a comprehensive Health and Safety file.

© Total Swimming Limited 2010 www.totalswimming.co.uk

Other reasons to be part of the programme?

Total Swimming arranges for Olympic athletes to visit your school. The Olympian will come to your school and present to the whole school, explaining the importance of swimming, as part of an inspirational and educational message around sport and adopting healthy active lifestyle.

Having a fully functioning pool in the school allows you to engage with the wider community to run after-schoolsprogrammes covering all the aquatic disciplines, adult learn to swim classes, breakfast clubs, parent and childclasses and more. We work with you to make this happen.

How much is it?

The programme costs £55,000 of which £50,000 is funded by our partners and us. This leaves£5,000 to be found by the partnership and schools and through our network we can provide assistance on funding opportunities.

In addition you will be required to provide teaching staff for the programme. This is based on 3 swimming teachers to cover the in school hours and 2 swimming teachers for the community programme. One of the teachers must be lifeguard-trained to provide adequate safety cover on poolside.

© Total Swimming Limited 2010 www.totalswimming.co.uk

Get in touch…

0844 800 4323

alex.scotcher@totalswimming.co.uk

House of Sport

1-2 Frecheville Court

Off Knowsley Street

Bury

BL9 0UF

Testimonials

Colchester 2010

“Now we have finished our lessons, this is just a message to thank you and all the swimming teachers for all the hard work and organisation that has made the swimming such a success.

The Pools4Schools swimming lessons have been a huge help to us as a new school to begin to develop swimming provision and provide a baseline of assessment information on all KS2 children.

The lessons have been particularly beneficial to less able swimmers and going everyday has really brought their skills and confidence on, especially for one of our Y3 children. He had never been in a swimming pool before and after two days of trying he was in and enjoying the lessons.

I know that the swimming teachers will be sending the achievements of the children to us so we can keep this as a record. Most importantly though, the children have thoroughly enjoyed themselves and many will be safer in the water as a result.”

Manchester 2008

Grange School“Not only has this been fantastic for the children as far as their confidence in the water, I have noticed a huge improvement in their attitude. Thank you. Some of the children had never been in a swimming pool so to see them swim after only a few sessions is great (2nd day week 2) Thanks again.”

St Francis RC School Chorlton“Its fantastic how the children who were really nervous of the water are now really relaxed and enjoying themselves. The confidence every child has now is amazing. Thanks”

Chorlton CE Primary School“Fantastic – high staffing ratio and daily swimming has had a massive impact – especially on the children who had never been swimming before. The best part is the confidence and the pleasure shown by all children. Excellent Positive Feedback from students at all times. The pool is great – I want one!”

Lancasterian School (Special School)“Thank you from Lancasterian School for letting us take part in the fantastic Pool4School project.All of our pupils had a fabulous time and all made progress with their swimming – watching our KS1 pupils jumping into the water with such confidence was just amazing!”