Fife School
Aquatics Group

FIFE SCHOOL AQUATIC GROUP (FSAG) is a dynamic partnership between East Fife Sports Council, Fife Sports and Leisure Trust/Cupar Sports Centre, Bell Baxter High School (BBHS), Active Schools and Cupar and District Swimming Club.

BACKGROUND

Swimming is the second-most participated in activity after walking and it can save lives, but swimming was dropped from the school curriculum over 15 years ago and pre-covid estimates were 40% of pupils leave primary school unable to swim. FSAG ensures children and young people in the Cupar area have a link to swimming and our local pool at Cupar Sports Centre. The centre suffered cuts to opening hours in 2019 and during covid, but gained opening hours back in 2023 at a time when in other areas pools are under threat. In bringing training courses to our rural area, we are also helping to improve opportunities and employability for our young people.

The project won a Sustainability Award in 2022 for improving delivery of a sport and encouraging community participation.

PROJECT AIMS

The project’s aims are to deliver increased training and employability, to boost provision of water safety/swimming lessons locally while also supporting the local leisure industry and our community pool and leisure centre.

The work has set-up Cupar Sports Centre as a training hub in partnership with the swimming club, which has a clubhouse behind the centre that acts as a dry-side classroom.

2021-22

During the academic year of 2021-22, we funded a pilot that successfully introduced and qualified local high school pupils in aquatics and lifeguarding. The Sports Leaders course included 8 weeks aquatics training; they then went on to deliver water safety lessons to pupils at primary schools in the BBHS catchment area. In partnership with Active Schools we helped deliver swimming as part of a summer holiday camp to primary pupils. We then offered pupils (16+) the opportunity to take the national lifeguarding (NPLQ) and swim teaching (SSTQ) qualifications.

2022-23

With BBHS PE department, we evolved the project to deliver swimming back into PE for all S1 pupils, which was a huge success and allowed us to offer swimming to a significant number of pupils. Following on from the previous year, we also continued our work with the Sports Leaders and primary schools as well as offering the NPLQ and SSTQ courses.

2023-24

In partnership with the swimming club, our work with the NPLQ training broadened to include swimming support for pupils who were interested in employment opportunities in the leisure industry but who lack the necessary swimming ability. The work with the Sports Leaders and primary schools continued, but sadly we were not able to deliver S1 PE swimming due to timetabling and funding challenges.

2024-25

In the coming year, we plan to continue our work with 2 classes of Sports Leaders and delivery of primary school sessions, while we will also support pupils studying swimming as part of a course called Excellence in Sport, who will also deliver water safety lessons to BBHS S1 pupils and pupils from the Department for Additional Needs. Pupils will then be selected to go forward to take the lifeguarding NPLQ qualification, with sessions provided for those needing swim support.

PROJECT OUTCOMES

Over 3 academic years, with £25500, we have delivered swimming to 525 children/young people = 445 ­(199 girls and 246 boys) + 80 children (Active Schools summer camp).

Qualified – 41 (18 girls and 23 boys; see below)

Employment (confirmed 2021-23) – 16 (9 girls and 7 boys; see below)

S1 PE swims, 281 (132 girls and 149 boys)

Sports Leaders, 74 (27 girls and 47 boys)

Primary School water safety with Sports Leaders, 49 (22 girls and 27 boys)

Summer camp 4 x groups of 20 in pool for 1 hr, 80 girls and boys

Qualified lifeguards, 32 (10 girls and 22 boys)

Qualified swim teachers, 9 (8 girls and 1 boy)

Employment achieved (confirmed as of July 2024)

Total 16 (9 girls and 7 boys)

NPLQ Lifeguards: 11 (5 girls and 6 boys)

SSTQ Swim Teachers: 5 (4 girls and 1 boy)

WITH GREAT THANKS TO OUR SUPPORTERS

2023-24

The Bruce Charitable Trust

Howe of Fife Rotary Club

Cupar Rotary Club

Kingdom Housing Community Initiative

2022-23

The Scottish Government’s Rural and Island Communities Idea into Action Fund, delivered by Inspiring Scotland

The Bruce Charitable Trust

Fife Properties

Essentia, administered by Foundation Scotland

2021-22

The Scottish Government’s Rural and Island Communities Idea into Action Fund, delivered by Inspiring Scotland