Rebecca Adlington Opens New Swimming Pool

On Friday 3 May, our brand-new Swimming Pool was officially opened by Olympic Gold Medallist, Rebecca Adlington OBE.

Rebecca gave an inspiring talk to the pupils and answered questions, before cutting the ribbon. Then the pool records were set with some exciting races! Impressed with the facility, Rebecca commented “the new pool at Godstowe is an incredible facility, and it was my absolute pleasure to spend time speaking to the pupils. It is my vision to see all children leave primary education able to swim. I am keen to share what swimming has given me in terms of confidence, teamwork and communication skills, as well as it being an important life skill in terms of safety and fitness.”

Headmistress, Sophie Green said “We are absolutely delighted with the completed pool. Our pupils have enjoyed filling a time capsule to place in the under-croft and we are all very excited to see the pool in full use”

Director of Sport, Rachel Hearnshaw and Pool Manager Phil Scriven are working to develop best use of the facility. In terms of pool use and partnerships, the school aims to see the pool utilised in September from 5:30am - 8:30pm each weekday. They are in the process of forging links with a local swimming club, whose expertise will be fed into the school squad development programme. A local swimming school will offer priority to Godstowe girls who wish to further develop their swimming ability with weekly lessons after school and at the weekend, as well as crash courses for girls who have fallen below the expected swimming ability for their age group, or who join the school in that position. Dedicated time will be available at the weekends for boarders to enjoy a free swim. Other potential ideas for development include hiring out the facility for birthday parties and events, and potentially using the facility for activities such as SCUBA diving, kayaking, triathlon and water polo.

The competition-sized pool development replaces the school’s outdated 1970s facility. It was designed by MorseWebb Architects to meet Sport England’s design specifications. It has integrated showers and changing rooms, as well energy-efficient photovoltaic solar panels on the roof and LED lighting.

We were overwhelmed by the generosity of those who donated to the Glass Fish Appeal. The fish have been displayed on the building and look fantastic.