A Southampton school has installed a pop-up swimming pool so children can learn to swim without having to leave campus.
Shirley Warren Primary School has installed a £12,000 swimming pool in its car park, just a short walk away from pupils’ classrooms.
The temporary swimming pool is situated at the school for six weeks.
In that time students have one 45-minute lesson each day for a week, as each year group has the opportunity to learn how to swim and learn vital information on water safety.
Speaking to the Echo, Shirley Warren Primary School headteacher Zoe Newton said: “A large majority of our children hadn’t stepped foot in a swimming pool before, so this has been amazing for them.
“Initially we had some pupils who were anxious about getting into the pool and wanted to hang onto the side, but they’ve come on leaps and bounds since then.”
Mrs Newton added: “It’s important for children to learn about water safety and to know how to be water confident.
“Where we live, we’re surrounded by water and it’s crucial that children are comfortable and without this pop-up facility it would be a lot harder and more time consuming to be able to do that.”
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The temporary swimming pool is supplied by Eastleigh business, Active Me 360.
The goal of the company is to improve children’s “health and wellbeing using the power of physical activity”.
Director and founder of Active Me 360, Will Atterbury said: “We’re in talks with a lot of schools in the area about similar projects as the provision either isn’t there or they can’t access it.
“Swimming is a life skill and it’s so important for children - 84 per cent of UK drownings occur in inland waters, so it’s a problem whether you’re in a coastal region or inland.
“The data is getting worse; it’s estimated by 2025 there will be five children who will leave school without being able to swim 25 metres constantly and efficiently.”
He added: “It’s a huge life skill and I’ve just been on holiday with my three-and-a-half-year-old daughter and my five-month-old son.
“It really brings it home to you, seeing them in the pool and how confidently they can swim.
“These pop-up pools allow children to become confident in the water.”
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