South Charnwood

Aquasplash Festival

The South Charnwood School Sport Partnership (SCSSP) and the Competition Manager programme hosted its second annual Aquasplash festival at Loughborough Leisure Centre last week. 

The Aquasplash festival is a series of fun relays designed to improve pupils’ confidence and coordination in water.  The multi-skill activities have been created by the Amateur Swimming Association to cater for both non-swimmers and swimmers to ensure its inclusivity. 

Primary schools that are part of the SCSSP in Syston, Birstall, Anstey, Thurmaston, Thurcaston, Glenfield and the surrounding villages, were invited to bring teams of 30 pupils from years 3 and 4 to take part in the one hour festival sessions, with a total of 250 pupils attending across the day. 

The SCSSP, which is based at Longslade Community College, also brought twelve year 10 and 12 students to support the delivery of the activities in the water.  They were outstanding, keen and supportive and contributed to the events success. The young volunteers from Longslade Community College worked effectively with all pupils and encouraged them to take part in the fun exciting swimming activities. Many teachers from the variety of Primary Schools that attended commented on how “wonderful, and helpful” the CORE leaders and Step into Sport volunteers were.

 Fiona Dewick the SCSSP Primary Link Teacher at Gaddesby Primary school said “I have a very reluctant non-swimmer in year 3 who I have to coax into the water every week. They enjoyed every game, took part in everything and for probably the first time ever worked hard as part of a team.  I, and the rest of our staff, were amazed. I have never, in a year and a half of taking them swimming seen them so relaxed and confident in the water…The whole of our year 3 and 4 children swam, from those who can swim 20 lengths to a non swimmer all enjoyed and pushed themselves.  We really hope that this event will continue!”

 The Aquasplash event was a real success story with fantastic volunteers working with our Competition Manager, SSCO’s to deliver a really exciting and fun swimming opportunity for our Year 3 and 4 pupils. Well done to all that took part, it was, as Fiona said “amazing”.