Water Quality Guidance For Paddlesports - Parents and Pupils

Dear Parents and Pupils,

We would like to take this opportunity to address the recent and ongoing media coverage regarding the water quality of the River Thames and other UK rivers.

Our pupils' health and safety is a priority in all school activities and we would like to reassure you that we take these concerns seriously. We have sought guidance from the National Governing Body for paddlesports (Paddle UK) and looked at other guidance for other water-based activities. Following this, we are pleased to say that we already follow the guidance and have added further control measures to ensure we operate above good practice levels. 

Below is the advice we give to pupils who attend our sessions:

Pupils' and parents' responsibilities 

• Bring clothing and footwear as advised in our paddlesports clothing guidance
• Ensure all minor scratches or cuts are securely covered with a waterproof plaster and inform coaches of any scratches or cuts before changing for watersports
• Sanitise hands after removing equipment but before changing

As a precaution, in addition to the above we are also asking all pupils or parents to inform the school and/or Outdoor Education department immediately upon confirmation through a GP or Hospital of any illness caused by water quality.

We will also be placing the following precautionary procedures in place as a way of monitoring the situation

• Monitoring absences from school to identify any potential trends with pupils who attend paddlesport activities 
• Liaising with the school nursing team to monitor any reported illnesses by pupils who attend paddlesport activities
• Monitoring the river conditions on a regular basis, particularly in times of heavy rainfall

Again, we would like to assure you that the safety of our pupils and staff is our highest priority and we will immediately notify you of any changes which impact the delivery of our paddlesports sessions.

James Wragg                                               Suzie Skehill
Deputy Head of Outdoor Education           Head of Paddlesports