It has been a fantastic start to the swimming season, with Sutton Valence swimmers making a strong impact at both county level and our first home gala of the year.

On Sunday 18th January, seven pupils competed at the Kent Schools Swimming Championships in Thanet, our largest entry to date and a clear sign of the growing strength of swimming across the School. There were several standout performances. Oliver R (Fourth Form) excelled, winning his age group in the 100m Butterfly and placing 2nd in the 100m Backstroke. Strong swims also came from Lyra G (First Form), who finished 3rd in the 100m Butterfly and 10th in the 200m Individual Medley, and from Willow G (Fourth Form), who secured 3rd in the 100m Butterfly and 6th in the 100m Backstroke.

Solid results were also earned by Louis J‑T (First Form), Abigail M (Second Form) and Elizabeth H (First Form), all of whom gained valuable experience at this level of competition.

The momentum continued on Thursday 22nd January when we hosted Bethany School for our annual gala. With 30 Sutton Valence swimmers and a packed gallery of supporters, the atmosphere was superb. The team secured numerous individual wins and achieved a clean sweep in all relay events, finishing with a decisive victory of more than 50 points.

Overall, it has been an extremely positive start to the season. The dedication, teamwork and competitive spirit shown by our swimmers bode very well for the months ahead.