Peterborough school’s water safety scheme in memory of Jack Lloyd – BBC

Report on the Hampton Vale Primary Academy Water Safety Initiative

Executive Summary

Hampton Vale Primary Academy in Peterborough is launching a swimming education project in response to the drowning death of a local teenager. This initiative aims to provide essential water safety skills to approximately 400 pupils by installing a temporary swimming pool on school grounds. The project is a direct local response to a community tragedy and aligns with several key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those concerning health, education, and inequality.

Background and Incident Analysis

The initiative was prompted by the death of 16-year-old Jack Lloyd, who drowned at Crown Lakes Country Park on April 3rd. This event highlighted a critical safety issue within the Peterborough community, which is characterized by a significant number of open water lakes. The incident underscores the urgent need for accessible water safety education for children and young people in the region.

Project Initiative: The Jack Lloyd Memorial Swimming Program

Program Objectives

In consultation with the family of Jack Lloyd, the school has established a program with the following objectives:

• To provide comprehensive swimming and water safety lessons to pupils, addressing a critical gap in the local curriculum.
• To honour the memory of Jack Lloyd, a former pupil of the academy.
• To mitigate the risks associated with the numerous lakes and open water areas in the local environment.
• To reduce logistical and financial barriers for families, making safety education more accessible.

Implementation Details

1. Facility: A portable, pop-up swimming pool will be installed in the school playground.
2. Duration: The facility will be on-site for a period of 12 weeks, commencing by the Easter term.
3. Cost: The total estimated cost for the temporary pool and associated instruction is £26,000.
4. Beneficiaries: Approximately 400 pupils at the academy will receive lessons.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

This community-led project directly contributes to the achievement of several SDGs:

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The program’s primary goal is to prevent future drowning incidents. By equipping children with life-saving skills, it directly addresses the SDG target of reducing the number of deaths from preventable accidents.
• SDG 4: Quality Education: The initiative integrates essential life skills into the formal education system. It ensures that learners acquire knowledge and skills needed to promote a culture of safety, which is a key component of a holistic and quality education.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: By providing on-site lessons, the school removes economic and logistical barriers. Many families cannot afford voluntary payments for off-site lessons or transportation costs. This model ensures more equitable access to vital safety education for all children, regardless of their family’s financial situation.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The project is a response to a deficit in safe and accessible community infrastructure. It highlights the need for permanent facilities and represents a step towards creating a safer, more resilient community for all residents.

Challenges and Recommendations

Identified Challenges

The implementation of water safety education in Peterborough faces several challenges:

• Funding Deficits: Schools require additional funding beyond their core budget to run such programs, as stated by the Department for Education (DfE).
• Infrastructure Gaps: A city-wide lack of sufficient swimming facilities necessitates costly and inefficient solutions like temporary pools or extensive travel.
• High Transportation Costs: The cost and staffing required to transport pupils to off-site pools, such as the one in Whittlesey, often exceed the cost of the lessons themselves.

Stakeholder Recommendations

Based on statements from school officials and community advocates, the following recommendations are proposed:

1. The government should provide dedicated funding to schools for water safety programs, particularly in areas with high-risk environments.
2. Support should be offered to schools to cover transportation costs associated with accessing existing swimming facilities.
3. Physical education curricula should be formally tailored to address specific local environmental risks, ensuring education is relevant and effective.

Conclusion

The Hampton Vale Primary Academy initiative serves as a proactive model for how educational institutions can address critical community safety issues while advancing global sustainability goals. It transforms a local tragedy into a positive force for change, promoting well-being (SDG 3), delivering equitable and quality education (SDG 4), and building a safer, more inclusive community (SDG 10 & 11). The ongoing advocacy by Jack Lloyd’s family further reinforces the importance of sustained public awareness and systemic support to prevent future incidents.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article’s primary motivation is the tragic drowning of a teenager. The entire swimming project is a preventative health measure designed to reduce the risk of future drowning incidents, thereby promoting the well-being and safety of children in the community. The family’s campaign to “help save lives” directly aligns with the goal of ensuring healthy lives.
• SDG 4: Quality Education: The initiative is fundamentally an educational one. The Hampton Vale Primary Academy is providing “swimming lessons” to “about 400 pupils” as part of its Physical Education (PE) curriculum. The focus is on teaching a critical life skill—water safety—which is essential for children living in an area with numerous lakes. This addresses the need for a relevant and effective education that equips students with practical skills for life.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: The article points to a systemic issue within the city of Peterborough: a “lack of swimming facilities.” This highlights a gap in public infrastructure for recreation and safety. The school’s use of a “portable pop-up pool” and the government’s funding for a new “sports quarter, including a 25m swimming pool,” are both efforts to make the community safer and more inclusive by improving access to essential public facilities.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Under SDG 3: While there is no specific target for drowning, the initiative strongly supports the overall goal of reducing preventable deaths. The effort aligns with the spirit of targets aimed at reducing mortality, such as:
  • Target 3.9: By 2030, substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination. Drowning in local lakes can be seen as a water-related environmental health risk that the project aims to mitigate through education.
• Under SDG 4:
  • Target 4.7: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including… sustainable lifestyles… and promotion of a culture of [safety]. The article emphasizes teaching children “to be water safe and knowing what to do when someone is in danger,” which are crucial skills for a sustainable and safe lifestyle in their local environment.
  • Target 4.a: Build and upgrade education facilities that are child… sensitive and provide safe… and effective learning environments for all. The installation of a “portable pop-up pool” is a direct action to upgrade the school’s facilities to create a safe and effective learning environment for swimming education where one was previously lacking due to cost and accessibility issues.
• Under SDG 11:
  • Target 11.7: By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces… The article’s discussion of the “lack of swimming facilities” and the new funding for a city pool directly relates to the goal of providing access to public recreational and safety facilities for the community.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For SDG 3: The implied indicator is the drowning mortality rate among children and teenagers in the Peterborough area. The entire project is a response to a death, and its success would be measured by the prevention of future incidents and a reduction in this rate.
• For SDG 4: The article provides a direct, quantifiable indicator: the number of pupils receiving swimming and water safety lessons. The plan is for “about 400 pupils” to have lessons, which is a clear metric for measuring the project’s educational reach and progress toward Target 4.7.
• For SDG 11: An indicator is the availability of and access to public swimming facilities. The article implicitly measures this by noting the “lack of swimming facilities” as a problem and the installation of both a temporary “pop-up pool” and a permanent “25m swimming pool” as progress.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: bbc.co.uk