Swimming School Games event in Bognor helps children develop skills and water confidence

Since the late 18th century, the attraction of the beach and sunny seaside has drawn tourists from all over the world to Bognor Regis. 

And today still, given the slightest glimpse of sun, you will find families flocking to the seafront full of joy as they wade into the water. 

However, the swimming ability of local children has plummeted in recent years, with schools in the area raising concerns about the development of swimming skills and water confidence levels among students. 

Vicky Fuller, PE lead at Felpham Community College, noted a worrying trend.

“There’s a huge range in swimming abilities when the children arrive in year 7,” Vicky said. 

“In the last few years, we’ve seen a massive decline in ability, but also confidence.

“We’re a coastal town, so this is really, really important. We see local kids jumping off of the pier and into rivers. 

“It’s a natural attraction for kids, so they need the basic skills and to understand the risks, so they can make the right decisions.”

The decline can be pinned on many contributory factors.

National restrictions through COVID-19 meant many primary-age children missed out on pool time and, crucially, swimming lessons.

The Arena Sports Centre’s swimming pool, which so many schools and residents have used in years gone by was forced to close due to sky-rocketing costs.

Plus challenges facing parents, particularly those on lower incomes, in supporting their children to swim safely have also had an impact.

School Games Organiser, Sean O’Connor, raised concerns at a PE Association meeting, with other local secondary schools agreeing. 

He quickly set about putting a plan into action to raise confidence levels among children.

Targeting non-swimmers and children in receipt of Primary School Premium funding, Sean worked with feeder primary schools to get a better understanding of individuals’ previous swimming experiences.

He also worked directly with the children attending to hear their concerns and anxieties around water and to get their input into what a fun morning in the water may look like.

74 children from three local secondary schools took part in an aqua aerobics-style warm-up, ball games, and some entertaining races, which slowly encouraged them to take their feet off the floor and begin to paddle.

Ella Wilmouth, a teacher at The Regis School, was very complimentary about the day.

“It’s great. We have kids from The Regis School who can’t swim at all, and this is pitched perfectly,” she said. 

“Every single child has been able to join in, they’ve all had smiles on their faces all day. It’s been lovely.

“There currently aren’t any swimming opportunities at our own school. 

“We used to have the pool onsite, but that’s been closed due to money issues, so now the kids don’t really have anything to get involved with. 

“So it’s lovely that we can come away to an event with someone like Sean, who organises all of this, and gives our kids opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have.”

Following up with children in the weeks following the event, feedback was overwhelmingly positive and the impact quickly became apparent.

One Felpham Community College pupil said: “It was so much fun! The best part was the aqua aerobics,” while another noted they “felt more confident with sports leaders in the water that were close by”.

Since the School Games event, children have taken the opportunity to get back into the pool, with Sean considering the legacy of the event from the outset and using School Games funding to invest in swimming vouchers for the children attending. 

A third Felpham pupil added: “I couldn’t wait to use my voucher and I’ve been back two times since.”

It was nice feedback for Sean to receive, given the work he put into making the Roadshow a success.

Sean said: “The closure of the Arena Sports Centre swimming pool has had a huge knock-on effect on children in the community, who now don’t have as much opportunity to learn to swim. 

“This has been more than two years now, and many primary schools have been unable to provide swimming for the year 6’s.

“The idea was proposed to the secondary PE association, and once everyone got their heads around it not being a gala for competitive swimmers, they quickly saw the value, and have been very supportive.

“There have been challenges, for example knowing who the non-swimmers really are. 

“This is where my local relationships with primary schools have been beneficial, to connect the dots and making sure no child falls between the cracks.

“The Roadshow was a stepping stone to provide water confidence, and I hope that we’ve sparked the enthusiasm to get back into the water, safely, and remain active.”

Ed Bartram, Regional Project and Events Officer at Active Sussex, praised Sean’s approach. 

“This project is another shining example of the huge positive impact School Games Organisers are having across Sussex. 

“This wasn’t a swimming gala for the schools to show off their best swimmers, but a highly targeted, well-considered intervention, to promote physical activity and ultimately save lives. 

“This Roadshow goes well beyond the event day, with Sean taking the time to understand the issues, put an exciting and inspiring event on, and provide the opportunity for children to keep swimming. 

“He should be applauded for his adaptability, innovation, and drive in making this all happen.”