| 1 |
When does the new look Swimming Academy start? |
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On the morning of Monday 28th April 2025. |
| 2 |
Which squad will my daughter be in? |
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Barry is currently assessing swimmers’ abilities. Squad invites, a parents’ and pupils’ guide and a swimming uniform order form will be sent to parents and pupils towards the end of March. |
| 3 |
Are there any plans to change the bus departure times or could the girls leave a little early in order to catch the 5pm bus if needed? |
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There are no plans to change the bus schedule but we can hold on for girls if they change quickly. In addition, if parents are interested, we can collect details of parents who would be prepared to organise lift shares. From April 28th, the session finishing times will be 6 pm on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for some squads and 5.15 pm on Tuesday and Thursday (Strength and Conditioning). If parents are willing, we can collate details to support lift sharing and collaboration. |
| 4 |
Is there any scope within the new plan for girls to adopt the hybrid approach that she may currently have i.e. 2/3 sessions per week with TH and others with another Swimming Club? |
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We anticipate that students will attend all the sessions for their squad unless they are unwell or have a prior agreement with the coaching team for exceptional circumstances. The sessions are now more conveniently built around the school day for easy attendance. With the programme in place, it is unlikely that any student will need additional training but if they wish to, and it is outside TH hours, then there is no reason why they cannot do so. |
| 5 |
My daughter is keen on developing as a Biathlete combining swimming and running. Will opportunities for this start within the next school year? |
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Yes, we will consider supporting school competitions next year and arranging talks from pathway coaches in Biathlon and / or Pentathlon. |
| 6 |
Will there be opportunities for Long Course (50m Pool) training: |
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Yes – it is anticipated that there will be regular training opportunities. |
| 7 |
Which events / galas will TH go to? |
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We will publish the plan of meets. The majority of meets will be local, but for key target meets (3 per year) we may travel to some of the best venues to make this a special event to train for. |
| 8 |
Will the training include monthly dropout sets? |
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Periodically, yes, but they may not be monthly. |
| 9 |
Will the training include distance training and hard sets? |
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Yes, the plan is to vary the training prescription and encourage development in the events that suit swimmers as they become older. Training will then change from general to more specific. |
| 10 |
How do you plan to support pupils who participate in other activities other than swimming? |
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We are a school Swimming Club and as such, will maintain a holistic approach. Please keep Barry informed when your daughter is involved in something that requires considerable commitment e.g. a production. We can then ensure flexibility when required to support all aspects of her education at Talbot Heath. |
| 11 |
What are the minimum number of sessions that students are required to attend with both the Performance and Competition squads? |
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Our expectation is that students attend every session. |
| 12 |
What plans are in place to provide cover in the event of staff absence? |
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We already have a bank of cover coaches in place to ensure that two coaches are always present at training sessions. |
| 13 |
What will be the procedure for contacting the coaches to advise of absence? |
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We are looking at a preferred software option to improve communications and will advise in due course. |
| 14 |
With the morning sessions being an additional 35 minutes longer due to the movement session, will there be an opportunity for the girls to get some breakfast afterwards? |
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Our advice is to eat breakfast before training and have a snack after training. This will give the girls the energy for training and allow them to get to lessons on time. A good resource on female nutrition for swimmers has just been published by Swim England and can be found here |
| 15 |
The focus on females in sport is really positive. However, what female support will there be for the girls within the academy set up? While male coaches may be able to sympathise with hormonal / menstrual issues, they obviously do not have any true idea of the impact that these issues can have on the girls both physically and mentally. There may be occasions when the girls are well enough to be in school but may not feel the inclination to train on those days purely due to lack of energy / pain which some may experience. |
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At all times, we will adopt a holistic and personalised approach to training. We aspire to have female support in the coaching and administrative support. In addition we have school nurses and a breadth of knowledge in our PE Team. |
| 16 |
Will there be swim fitness sessions for the girls not wishing to compete, but who are capable swimmers? |
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We aspire to offer this in due course. |
| 17 |
Will the prices be similar to the current prices? |
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We will publish the fee structure as soon as possible. We currently have outstanding queries with our tax advisor but it is anticipated that the fees will not be higher than current fees. |
| 18 |
On which days would these sessions occur? |
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Please see the published timetable available on this page of the website. |
| 19 |
Will VAT be applied on the swim fees? |
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See (17) above. We await some outstanding information. |
| 20 |
When the girls attend competitions (such as Counties, Regionals or Nationals) will the meet entry fees attract VAT on top of these fees? |
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We believe not. |
| 21 |
Will swimmers be encouraged to wear the knee length all in one swimming costume which is more streamlined in the water and also prevents the possibility of swimming period pants showing when the girls dive in? |
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It is a personal choice what the girls choose to train in and there is no set training costume. They should wear whatever they feel comfortable to train in. As a girls only Swim Club, this is a crucial area and something we will take very seriously. We will provide talks on training while menstruating and demonstrate the kit that they might choose to use. Part of our research will consider the specific needs of female athletes to inform our provision. |
