Which school in Germany can truly claim to have its own swimming pool? At British boarding schools, however, this is far from unusual. In fact, most of the schools we have visited over the past few years feature their own 25-metre pool, used for lessons, training sessions and competitions alike.
Swimming in the UK is far more than just an extracurricular activity. At many boarding schools, it is firmly embedded in everyday school life and supported by qualified coaching as well as a structured training environment. This brings several clear advantages:
- Training directly on campus
- Integration into the school timetable
- Additional training opportunities in the afternoons and at weekends
- Access to qualified coaches and often performance-focused training squads
- Competitions and swimming galas against other schools
- Transport to regional and national competitions
The result is a wide spectrum of programmes, ranging from strong school-level swimming to genuine high-performance centres. Ultimately, it is not the size of the pool that matters most, but rather the quality of coaching, the training structure and how seamlessly swimming fits into daily life.
With this in mind, we are delighted to present our Top 5 boarding schools that combine excellent swimming programmes with a supportive and inspiring academic environment.
Mount Kelly
Mount Kelly in Devon is, without question, one of Europe’s leading boarding schools for swimming. The school boasts no fewer than three pools, including an eight-lane 50-metre Olympic pool, and over the years has produced an impressive number of internationally successful swimmers.
Its performance programme has a distinctly international outlook and is led by an experienced coaching team under Director of Swimming Emma Collings-Barnes, formerly of Team GB. Training takes place at elite level, with multiple daily sessions complemented by strength and conditioning work, technical development and physiotherapy support. Altogether, the programme includes around 170 swimmers aged between 9 and 18, training across eight performance groups.
Athletes regularly compete at both national and international level, and Mount Kelly has produced more than 100 internationally successful swimmers over the past decades. Particularly noteworthy is the highly individualised approach: every performance swimmer works closely with their own dedicated coach.
Millfield
Millfield is widely regarded as one of the UK’s most famous sports boarding schools and is, unsurprisingly, also one of the country’s leading schools for swimming. The school features a 50-metre Olympic pool and has produced an extraordinary number of Olympians over the years, with more than 30 swimmers progressing to the Olympic Games.
Training is highly structured and organised across different performance levels, ranging from Development and Performance squads through to Elite level. Depending on ability, pupils train at high frequency, in some cases several times a day, supported by a six-member full-time coaching team. Training takes place six days a week and is further enhanced by development programmes and training camps during the school holidays.
What stands out most is Millfield’s ability to support both ambitious beginners and elite athletes alike, giving all swimmers access to a professional training environment of the highest standard.
Plymouth College
Plymouth College operates a strong hybrid model, combining its own 25-metre pool on campus with regular training sessions at the nearby Plymouth Life Centre and its 50-metre Olympic pool. Together, these facilities form the foundation of one of the UK’s leading swimming programmes.
The programme is clearly performance-focused and internationally recognised. Swimmers train at a high level for up to 30 hours per week across approximately 12 sessions, scheduled before, during and after the school day. Training is complemented by strength and conditioning programmes, athletic development and comprehensive sports science support.
Plymouth College is particularly well suited to ambitious swimmers seeking a highly professional, internationally minded training environment, while still benefiting from the structure and balance of everyday school life.
Repton School
In recent years, Repton School has established itself as one of the most exciting destinations for swimming in the UK. Launched in 2019, the programme is distinguished by its close integration of school and club swimming. Through strong links with the local community, pupils benefit from additional competition opportunities and an overall higher standard of performance at school, regional and national level.
Training takes place in the school’s own six-lane 25-metre pool, complemented by a second pool within the Prep School. Swimming is embedded both within the regular timetable and within a clearly structured high-performance programme. Performance swimmers train up to six days a week under the guidance of an experienced coaching team.
The programme’s achievements speak for themselves. Former pupil Eva Okaro was selected for the 2024 British Olympic swimming team at just 17 years old, while current swimmer Jacob Mills won four silver medals at the 2025 World Junior Championships. Olympic champion Adam Peaty has also trained regularly at Repton.
Strathallan School
Strathallan School offers one of Scotland’s strongest swimming programmes, combining a broad sporting culture with targeted high-performance development. Swimming is firmly embedded in daily school life and elevated through the Strathallan Swim Academy, which provides ambitious athletes with a professional training environment designed to support long-term development.
Training takes place up to six days a week in the school’s own 25-metre indoor pool, which is available year-round.
One particularly impressive example of the programme’s success is former pupil Duncan Scott. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, he made history by winning four medals — more than any other British athlete at those Games — and is now regarded as one of the most successful British swimmers in Olympic history.