Stanton Community Primary School near Bury St Edmunds makes plea for help to cover transport for pupils’ swimming lessons

A village school is appealing for help with transport to get pupils to swimming lessons.

Stanton Community Primary School, in Stanton, near Bury St Edmunds, has an unexpected shortfall in its budget due to coach hire to take students to and from swimming at Bury Leisure Centre from September.

Headteacher Liz Bonnelykke, who took over the headship in January, is asking if anybody can offer funding towards the transport or if anyone has a bus they can use from the 2024/25 academic year.

She said: “We have got to do swimming lessons and we will do them. It’s just what we will have to take away from the children due to the shortfall – it’s not just a couple of exercise books.”

Swimming is part of the National Curriculum and must be provided in either in Key Stage 1 or 2.

With the cost of the coach hire over two terms coming in at nearly £5000, Mrs Bonnelykke said it would take them into a deficit budget for the forthcoming year.

The school has already been reaching out to see if anyone can help with providing coaches, grants or funding including swimming organisations and local councillors.

“We are doing what we can really,” added Mrs Bonnelykke.

To help the school with transport to swimming lessons email admin@stanton.suffolk.sch.uk