Swimming Prospectus 2023-2024

MOUNT KELLY
PERFORMANCE
SWIMMING

EXTENSIVE
COACHING
EXPERIENCE
EMMA
COLLINGS-BARNES
Director of Swimming
PERFORMANCE ENVIRONMENT
“MOUNT KELLY SWIMMING COMBINES EXCELLENCE IN THE
POOL WITH EXCELLENCE IN THE CLASSROOM. IT IS THE
COMPLETE INTEGRATION OF THE TWO THAT MAKES MOUNT
KELLY SUCH A SPECIAL ENVIRONMENT.”
Mount Kelly Swimming began in 1978 with a 4-lane 25m pool
and one local girl, Sharron Davies, who had already competed at
the 1976 Olympics. Fast forward four decades to 2016 and the
opening of our 8-lane 50m pool which has allowed the programme
to expand, attracting top level athletes to the School.
The fierce determination and ambition of our swimmers reaches
beyond the pool and into the classroom, where many of our
top swimmers work towards places at some of the UK’s best
universities or gain full scholarships to universities elsewhere in the
world.
The coaching team, led by Director of Swimming, Emma Collings-
Barnes, is made up of highly qualified and enthusiastic individuals
offering a range of coaching skills to suit athletes at every level.
In recent years Mount Kelly has won the National Arena League
twice, finished as Top Club at the British Summer Championships
and placed a number of swimmers on international teams.
We believe that pupils in the swimming squads at Mount Kelly
truly embrace our ethos and regularly demonstrate our core values
of Courage, Commitment, Compassion, Humility, Respect and
Integrity.

SWIMMING
COMMITMENT
“I MADE THE DECISION TO MOVE TO MOUNT KELLY IN YEAR
9 WHICH WAS A BIG STEP BUT I QUICKLY KNEW IT WAS THE
RIGHT ENVIRONMENT FOR ME. THE COACHES ARE INCREDIBLY
SUPPORTIVE AND I AM ABLE TO MANAGE MY SWIMMING AND
ACADEMIC COMMITMENTS MUCH BETTER THAN I COULD BEFORE.
IN MY SECOND SEASON WITH MOUNT KELLY I WAS SELECTED
TO REPRESENT GREAT BRITAIN AT THE EUROPEAN YOUTH
OLYMPIC FESTIVAL WHERE I WON A BRONZE MEDAL IN THE 100M
BACKSTROKE AND I AM HOPING FOR MORE INTERNATIONAL
SUCCESS THIS SEASON AND BEYOND.”
SCHOLARSHIPS
BLYTHE
Year 11 Pupil
_________
European Youth Olympic Festival
Medalist 2022
Junior & Senior Medalist at
Swim England National Winter
Championships 2022
Swim England National Youth
Development Programme
Event
50m
Backstroke
100m
Backstroke
200m
Backstroke
Best Time
Long
Course
Percentage
improvement
since joining
Mount Kelly
29.12 7.22%
1.03.24 6.16%
2.20.53 10.30%
ACHIEVEMENTS

PREP
The 50m and 25m pools are within a short walk of all the
boarding accommodation and classrooms at both the
Prep and College. Our academic, pastoral and swimming
staff meet weekly to ensure our swimmers are effectively
managing the demands of both their academic studies and
swimming training.
We are passionate about producing the next generation of
swimming talent. Prep School swimming is a huge focus
within our five-year strategy and we are committed to
becoming the leading junior programme in the country. A
consistent environment at this age is crucial in developing
greater potential and we believe our Prep School provides
swimmers with the very best foundation for future success.
HERMANCE
Year 8 Pupil

TRAINING & COACHING
The Mount Kelly Swimming programme is fully aligned with the
British Swimming Optimal Athlete Development Framework (OADF)
within which we aim to develop the person, the athlete and the
performer to ensure long term success in the sport. Each squad
is managed by a designated Performance Swim Coach and follow
effective and personalised training plans; at Mount Kelly we prioritise
the development of the person above all else. Fostering excellent
coach-athlete relationships is an integral aspect of this element of
performance and allows us to support our swimmers in all areas of
their life at Mount Kelly.
Appropriate plans which are relevant to training age, stroke and stage
of development are delivered to all squads. Within these we aim to
improve swimmers technical and tactical ability in an environment
focused on developing capacity, efficiency and arena skills.

At least
20 HRS/WEEK
of strength and conditioning training
is delivered across all the squads
according to age, squad and stage of
development.
STRENGTH
& CONDITIONING
It is our mission to maximise each
swimmer’s athletic potential and minimise
the risk of injury. The programme is
underpinned by proven scientific principles
of strength and conditioning and creates
a positive, high-energy and encouraging
environment; all of which align with the
holistic development of our swimmers at
Mount Kelly.

EDUCATION
ACHIEVEMENT
86%
of 2022 leavers secured
places at their first choice
of university: 43% of
which are Russell Group
institutions including
Oxford, Durham, Exeter
and Nottingham
We are extremely proud of the consistently
strong public examination results all Mount
Kelleians achieve.
In 2022 our swimmers were awarded
places at the best sports universities in
the UK (Loughborough, Stirling and Bath)
and in colleges in the USA including San
José, Louisiana State and the University of
Wisconsin-Madison.
They study courses ranging from Criminology
with Sociology, Marine Biology, History,
Geography and Applied Sports Science.
EXAMINATION RESULTS 2022
GCSE
9 - 7 53%, 9 - 5 90%, Pass 97%
A LEVEL & BTEC
A* - A 51%, A* - C 85%, Pass 100%

20+ Hours
training per week
for top squads
50m 8-lane Olympic
pool & 25m 4-lane
pool on campus
7 Full-time
coaches
Strength &
Conditioning
19 Olympic swimmers
8 Olympic medals
16 Commonwealth
Games medals
28 Paralympic medals
180 Swimmers aged
9-18 across 8 different
squads
100
International
swimmers
£
Generous
Scholarships from
Year 7 (meanstested)
2022 National
Arena League
champions
Top Club at
the 2022
British Summer
Championships
MOUNT KELLY
SWIMMING
10% of swimmers
awarded full
scholarships to USA
Colleges
Sports
Physiotherapy
Established in 1978
Mount Kelly Swimming
provides the very best
solution for combining
excellence in swimming
performance and
academic achievement

ESTHER
FOX
Chartered Physiotherapist
The Physiotherapy Centre is located within the School
grounds and, in addition to treatment of injuries,
the centre offers sports massage and one-to-one
pilates sessions. Our registered Sport and Exercise
Psychologist offers one-to-one sessions on-site as
required.
MELISSA
COYLE
Registered Sport and
Exercise Psychologist

MATTHEW
WARD
Class of 2023
Mount Kelly has offered me a life-changing experience that has allowed me to follow my passions and become the best version of myself.
I have made so many amazing memories, that will stick with me for the rest of my life; not just in the pool but also in boarding and across
all areas of my school life. My swimming journey saw a huge breakthrough in 2021, when I dropped 3 seconds in my 100m backstroke
at the British Swimming Glasgow Meet. The following season I went on to make my first GB team selection for the European Junior
Championships where I won a gold medal.
In my final year at Mount Kelly I have successfully managed studying for three A Levels, swimming at an international level and the honour
of being selected as Head Boy. The School works really hard to make all these things possible. The environment has always encouraged
me to excel in all aspects of my life. I am hoping to progress to the Bath Performance Centre next season and study Mechanical
Engineering at the University of Bath.
“JOINING MOUNT KELLY WAS A BIG
CHANGE FOR ME. I MOVED TO THE UK
FROM TEXAS AND BECAME A BOARDER
FOR THE FIRST TIME. DESPITE ALL THIS
THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A SINGLE
MOMENT OF DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT
JOINING MOUNT KELLY WAS THE RIGHT
DECISION FOR ME.”

BE PART OF THE
MOUNT KELLY SWIMMING
FAMILY

Mount Kelly
Parkwood Road, Tavistock, Devon, PL19 0HZ
01822 813193
admissions@mountkelly.com
www.mountkelly.com