Earlier this year we were thrilled to announce the launch of our newly affiliated St George’s Ascot Swimming Club, alongside our Performance Swimming Scholarship for 2025. As an all-girls school with a Performance Swimming Programme, this exciting initiative offers girls aged 11–18, who are swimming competitively at County level or higher, a unique opportunity to combine elite-level swimming with an exceptional education.
At the helm of the expert coaching programme will be Nicky Matthews, an experienced coach who joins St George’s from Guildford City Swimming Club. Nicky brings a strong track record in developing and progressing younger swimmers to National standards and will focus on refining technique, building endurance and increasing speed to help swimmers reach their full potential in and out of the pool.
I am excited to be joining the team at St George’s and contributing to the success of the Performance Swimming Programme. Supporting and empowering the girls to achieve and enjoy the sport is something I care deeply about. I am looking forward to sharing my knowledge, passion and experience to help each of our performance swimmers grow in confidence and skills.
Nicky Matthews
Swimmers will train in our six-lane 25-metre pool, with sessions scheduled throughout the day including before school, lunchtime and evenings to suit individual needs. Each session develops core skills such as endurance, sprinting, race technique, starts and turns.
Strength and conditioning will also take place in our Technogym Fitness Suite, where athletes will follow structured programmes to improve power, mobility and coordination under the guidance of a dedicated coach. Tailored academic progress is carefully supported with personalised timetables, structured study periods and a strong emphasis on time management and discipline.
Our new affiliation with Swim England allows pupils to compete at club and national level through St George’s Ascot Swimming Club, alongside all of the school competitions. With full, weekly and flexi-boarding options available, the girls can balance their training with the benefits of a vibrant and nurturing boarding community.
The Head, Liz Hewer emphasises, “This programme is about so much more than swimming. It is about nurturing talent and developing excellence in and out of the water”.
For more information on our Performance Swimming Programme visit www.stgeorges-ascot.org.uk/performance-swimming.