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It has been a very busy and highly successful year for the swimming department.
The year began with a gala against Godstowe and the girls got off to a strong start, producing some impressive results despite a slightly different race structure to normal. Later on in the term, we took part in the Division 10 heats and, although we were very happy with our performance, we knew we would have a nail- biting wait to find out if we had qualified for the finals. The term was rounded off with, what was for many girls, the highlight of the Autumn term: the Christmas gala. The girls dressed for the occasion in festive hats and there was festive music to lend some more Christmas atmosphere.
In the Spring term, we were delighted to learn that we had qualified for the Division 10 finals later on in the year. We had a series of galas during this term against a number of schools, for example Westbrook Hay and Haberdasher’s Aske’s, and our squads really did go from strength to strength, producing some fantastic swimming.
The pace stepped up a notch in the summer term with the keenly anticipated Division 10 Finals. The girls were determined to do well and they certainly produced stellar performances. Our Year 4 and 5 girls won the league overall and we came away with an impressive nineteen medals. The IAPS finals for which four of our Year 5 girls had qualified, namely Astrid A, Annabel S, Cara S and Elizabeth P, were later on in the term. Qualifying for the finals was in itself a huge achievement and the girls could not wait to get going. All the girls produced exceptional swims with High March finishing 11th in the medley relay and 13th in the freestyle.
The summer term was rounded off with a fun but highly competitive gala against Davenies. The atmosphere was highly charged, the background noise was loud and the races were very close indeed. A number of girls stood out for their strong performances, but each and every girl contributed to a richly deserved triumph for High March. It was Ms Norman’s swan song and she couldn’t have been more delighted with the results, saying, “Girls, you were magnificent, you are super talented and it has been an honour coaching you. What a superb final gala and win for 2023. Thank you, all!”
We have been absolutely delighted to see the High March pool in great demand yet again over the past year. In addition to all year-round curriculum swimming for all year groups from Reception to Year 6, competitive yet friendly galas against other local prep schools and regular swimming sessions for staff and parents, we have continued to offer a full programme of extra- curricular swimming lessons in small groups after school on Mondays and Tuesdays and on Saturday mornings. Children between the ages of 3 and 11 have benefited from our fabulous facility, and several of our pupils are now swimming three times a week in the pool. The results of this extra pool time are clear whenever we compete in galas with peer schools.
We are particularly proud to be the first local prep school to run a weekly Triathlon Club for our pupils, enabling them to compete in a range of local competitive biathlons and triathlons. The High March Triathlon Club has, in turn, spawned the Beaconsfield Triathlon Club enabling our pupils to train, as well as compete, with children from peer schools in the locality. We are also very proud that our biathletes have been placed in the medal rankings in two or three age groups in the National Biathlon Championships for the past three years.
Mrs Avery
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SWIMMING