The Hargreaves Foundation supports Beacon High School

The trustees of the Hargreaves Foundation are pleased to announce that funding has been awarded to Beacon High School, a mixed comprehensive community school in Islington, North London. The school’s PE department aims to deliver an inclusive, challenging and engaging curriculum that develops physical competence while nurturing personal, social and emotional wellbeing, igniting a lifelong love of physical activity in every student.

Beacon High is a school where 70% of its 424 students fall under Pupil Premium. Most students arrive with little or no experience of swimming, and the school’s financial constraints have made it difficult to offer lessons, as the local council charges for both the pool and the instructors. Swimming is a vital life skill that every child should have the chance to learn, regardless of their family circumstances.

With funding from the Hargreaves Foundation, Beacon High School will provide a six-week block of weekly swimming lessons for all Year 7 and Year 8 students, taught by a qualified swimming instructor. Each lesson lasts 75 minutes, giving students time to build their confidence in the water and progress from swimming 25 metres to the three main strokes of front crawl, back crawl and breaststroke. Students will also learn essential water safety skills, such as floating and treading water, and a portion of the funding will purchase swimming kit including costumes, trunks and goggles so that every child can take part.