Donagh National School

Donagh National School is a small, rural, two teacher school in the Inishowen area, who participate in the Active School Programme. Every year, the Senior Classes participate in swimming lessons in a local hotel. Due to the first lockdown last year, the pupils missed their lessons in 2020. With hotels remaining closed for lessons in 2021, the school had to think outside the box. Due to the school’s proximity to many beaches which the pupils visit regularly, a creative solution was for the pupils to participate in open water swimming at Bunagee Pier, Culdaff. The school’s Principal, Caroline Carey, set the wheels in motion to organise this.

Through the lessons, the staff envisaged the pupils’ knowledge of water safety in an open water context would be enhanced, their confidence would increase, they would be encouraged to participate in open water swimming during the holidays and crucially, a skill for life would be gained.

The Open Water Swimming lessons were aimed at the Senior Room pupils, from 3rd to 5th Class (aged 9-11 years old), 15 pupils in total. Many of these pupils, who live in close proximity to local beaches, had never engaged in sea swimming previous to the school lessons commencing. The Open Water Swimming lessons have encouraged the pupils involved to become more involved in sea swimming. Many of the pupils who participated in the lessons (and in some cases, their younger siblings also) have since signed up for extra lessons, so they can further develop the knowledge and skills that they had gained. It has also given the children involved a greater sense of water safety and increased their knowledge of the dangers of the sea in comparison to a swimming pool.