St John’s Church of England Primary School, established in 1835, is located in the heart of Danbury and serves the parish of Little Baddow, Essex. The school offers an exceptional opportunity for children from the local area and surrounding villages to learn, thrive, and develop as individuals, all guided by our ethos: “Let your Light Shine” (Matthew 5:16).
Since St John’s moved to its present site in 1961, the schools has had the advantage of its own self- contained swimming pool offering weekly swimming lessons to all its pupils and the wider community through private swim schools with over 450 swimmers per week from babies to teenagers.
The swimming pool is a valuable asset to the school and wider community and has long standing memories for many local families who learnt to swim in our pool. Many still enjoying this form of exercise both competitively and pleasure for many years to come.
The average child that has swimming lessons throughout their time at St John’s school will leave being able to swim between 800 metres and 1 kilometre, far exceeding the National Curriculum requirement of 25 metres for Year 6 students.
At St John’s we feel passionate about safeguarding an activity that not only teaches the pupils an important life skill but enhances their self-confidence, mental health and wellbeing.
We recognise the privilege of having our own swimming pool and are committed to its upkeep. As a result, we work closely with all stakeholders to sustain this wonderful resource. Our Parent Teachers Association work hard to raise funds for various school projects and maintenance of our swimming pool.
The school also holds an annual triathlon event where up to 130 children aged between 5 – 11 years old challenge themselves at various distances. The pupils raise money for the upkeep of the pool. This year our children raised an impressive £2944 which will contribute to the pool's future.
However, to secure the pool’s long-term future, we now face a significant financial challenge, within an already tight school’s budget and projected future funding. After a major and unexpected fault with the heating equipment this academic year we have been forced into a decision to invest sooner and without forward planning for funding.
Based on expert advice, we are partnering with AW Heat Pumps, a local independent company, to carry out these essential works. Additionally, we hope to improve the energy efficiency of the pool building, which will incur further costs. We need to invest £51,200 to upgrade both the water and air heating systems. The school has already raised £31,200 towards this project and are now looking to fundraise for the remaining £20,000.
This upgrade will not only ensure the pool remains operational but also contribute to environmental sustainability, aligning with Essex County Council’s goal of achieving net zero emissions across its estates and the Church of England’s target for carbon-neutral schools by 2030.
Any donations to help support this important project would be greatly appreciated.