Swimming in Shoreditch Schools since closure of Haggerston Baths

On closure

8 local schools removed swimming from the curriculum. Reasons included:

• Cost of arranging transport to other pools as too far to walk
• No space at other pools as absorbing Haggesrton work.

Current position

5 schools no longer have any swimming at all (a further one could not be contacted to check current status), one has half the sessions they had when Haggerstion Baths open, 2 have only just got sessions available to re-introduce, and one has considerable additional cost to travel to Leyton.

1. Haggerston Girls’ Secondary School with 900 pupils: no swimming since the closure. Annual swimming gala no longer held.
2. London Fields Primary School: no swimming
3. St Monica’s Primary: re-introduced swimming in September 2001 – at Britannia.
4. William Patten Primary: no swimming.
5. St Mary’s Primary School: no swimming
6. Randal Cremer Primary: use the Britannia, 25 minutes walk away which presents problems.
7. Holmleigh Primary School: no swimming
8. Laburnum Primary School: use Britannia.
9. St John: have to go by bus to Leyton (about 4 miles away).
10. Whitmore Primary School: recently introduced swimming, but half the sessions and have to rotate classes who get the facility term by term.
11. Burbage Primary School: could not be contacted in time for this note.

Laburnum Boat Club now incurring additional cost of £2000 p.a. it can ill afford to bus children for water safety training in Kings Hall Pool.