8 top schools for swimming

World renowned for numerous sports, including swimming, Millfield has a famous 50-metre Olympic swimming pool at the heart of its swimming centre which, as our reviewer puts it, ‘has produced quite the roll-call of Olympic medallists’. Indeed, more than 30 Olympian swimmers have passed through Millfield’s calm waters in its relatively short history, including Duncan Goodhew, Mark Foster and, most recently, Paris 2024 Olympic gold medallists, James Guy and Kieran Bird. Its current crop of elite talent includes World Aquatic Juniors double gold medallist, Filip Nowacki. The six-strong full-time coaching team offer training six days a week, with various pathways, plus swim camps in the school holidays. Scholarships in year 9 and year 12.

This school delivers an internationally acclaimed high performance swimming programme under the leadership of ex-Olympian, Roberto Pavoni, with wraparound pastoral care and all the strength and conditioning, nutritionists, physiotherapists and mentors you could shake a stick at. Not to mention access to their recently refurbished 25m on-site pool and 50m pool at Plymouth’s Life Centre. Parents told us of the ‘unrivalled warm and personal support from peers, teachers, trainers and boarding house staff’ which had enabled their children to find the rigorous training manageable. 11 aquatic alumni represented GB and other nations in swimming, diving and modern pentathlon at the 2024 Paris Olympics, including silver medallists Ben Proud and Tom Daley. Swimming scholarships available from 13+.

Our reviewer describes GHS as one of the ‘premier girls’ schools in the country for sports.’ This reputation is certainly justified when it comes to swimming; pupils routinely compete in district, county and national competitions. The school achieved four podium finishes in 2024 and two gold medals in 2025 at the ESSA team championships. They continued this success by winning the maximum 10 titles available at the county swimming championships. Their swim squad of 75 athletes see that the on-site 25-metre pool gets plenty of use, and they benefit from weekly coaching sessions with British Olympian Ed Sinclair. The school has a head of sport performance to call on for advice on nutrition and sports psychology. 

Repton’s swim programme, launched in 2019 and affiliated by Swim England, is notable in that it integrates the local community, allowing for raised competitive standards, team collaboration and maximising opportunities within the county, region and nationally both at school and club level. Facilities include a six-lane, 25m pool (plus, there’s another in the prep), with swimmers on the performance pathway training up to six days a week under the guidance of experienced coaches (five plus director of swimming). Aside from former pupil Eva Okaro’s inclusion in the 2024 Olympic swimming team at the age of just 17, recent achievements include 4 silver medals for current pupil Jacob Mills at the 2025 World Junior Championships and eight podium finishes at the English Schools Team Championships. Scholarships at 13+ and 16+.

In 2019, this independent girls’ boarding school opened an elite swimming academy and was granted official Swim England club status in 2025. The school’s swimming programme operates four training squads enabling pupils from across the UK and beyond to train at the highest level while getting a great education. The school appears to be well on the way to producing champions at national and international level – 2025 saw the school’s eight competitors pick up 17 podium finishes at the English Schools Individual Championships. And they were crowned champions in two swimming events at the 2024 World School Games. Heated 25m pool has starting blocks and anti-wave lane ropes. Overseen by head coach (international experience and duties for GB and England) plus strength and conditioning coach (with dedicated gym). Swimming scholarships from year 7.

One of the country’s leading schools for sport, Whitgift runs a swimming programme (affiliated to Swim England since 2022) offering training at the school’s eight lane, 25m pool, with variable depth and overlapping side system (to prevent bounce-back of backwash). Every boy swims, from first timers to those competing at club, regional and national level. The latter have 14 hours of training available per week. Students participate in ESSA Team Championships, World Schools Games Swimming Championships, ESSA Individual Championships and the National Arena League. In 2025, the school’s swimmers won nine gold medals at the swimming World School Games. Swimming ex-pupils include two time Olympic pentathlete (and Tokyo games gold medallist) Joe Choong.

Our reviewer hails the school as ‘the number one co-ed state school for sport’ and it was the country’s top sporting state school of 2025, as ranked by School Sports Magazine. Coopers Coborn, as it is commonly known, runs weekly advanced swimming training sessions before school at its own 25m pool, and swimmers take part in an annual tour to Malta. The school routinely out-performs better-resourced independent schools in regional and national swimming competitions. A powerhouse in schools biathlon (half running, half swimming), Coopers Coborn’s athletes brought home seven medals, including four golds, in 2025’s national schools Biathlon Finals.

Ardingly College, Ashford School, Brighton College, Harrow School, St George’s Ascot and Sevenoaks School