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On Saturday 7th June, ºìÐÓÊÓƵ proudly took a team of 13 pupils to compete in the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS) National Swimming Finals at the prestigious London Aquatic Centre. Competing in the U10 Girls', U12 Boys' and U13 Girls' categories, our swimmers delivered an exceptional performance on the national stage, demonstrating dedication to their sport, team spirit, and remarkable talent.

During the spring term, our Hammerhead Swim Squad competed among over 5,000 simmers to gain a place in the finals, with the fastest 1,500 swimmers invited to participate. An incredible 13 ºìÐÓÊÓƵ pupils qualified to swim, competing on finals day against swimmers from 220 other schools. 

The U13 Girls' team qualified for both the Medley and Freestyle relays, finishing 15th and 11th in the country, respectively. They improved their placings and recorded significantly faster times, breaking the one-minute barrier in the Freestyle relay. For our four Year 8 girls, this event marked their final appearance at the IAPS National Finals. With a superb track record over the past four years, they will be greatly missed.

Our U10 girls enjoyed their first experience of a national competition at the Olympic pool and made a spectacular debut. They claimed silver in the Freestyle relay, having entered the event seeded seventh. Morgan also qualified for the individual 50m Butterfly, finishing with a bronze medal – a tremendous achievement.

In the afternoon, our U12 Boys' team continued to raise the bar. Seeded second in both relay events, they delivered outstanding performances to win gold in both. Alex achieved a personal best in Backstroke, finishing 14th nationally, while Oscar and Harry claimed individual gold medals in the Butterfly and Freestyle respectively – both setting new IAPS championship record times.

This same team of boys were joint winners of the national age group cup last year. This year, they secured the title outright.

Karen Leed, Head of Swimming, commented, "It is important to recognise that such success reflects not only talent but also the commitment and time invested in training beyond the school day. The dedication shown by all the children involved has been exemplary."

Adrian Floyd, Headmaster, reflected, "We are immensely proud of all 13 pupils who represented The ºìÐÓÊÓƵ with such distinction. It was a memorable day and an inspiring achievement for the entire school community. Whilst they have been competing at a national level for numerous years, this is the biggest success our Hammerhead Swim Squad has had to date. To bring home so many medals and break two IAPS record times is truly outstanding. We couldn't be prouder of the team and all they have achieved and would like to extend our thanks to the unwavering support and dedication of Karen Leed, Head of Swimming, Hazel Skilton, Swimming Teacher and Tina Cornelius, our Hammerheads Coach."

Congratulations to our swim team on a truly exceptional performance!