Swimming Prospectus 2024-2025

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 AND SINCE THEN HAVE BEEN SELECTED FOR THE AQUATICS
GB PATHWAYS. BECOMING EUROPEAN JUNIOR CHAMPION IN 2024
SHOWS WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED IN THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT”
SCHOLARSHIPS
BLYTHE
Year 13 Pupil
_________
European Junior Champion 2024
Aquatics GB World Class Funding
Podium Potential 2024
50m Backstroke 16 years British
Record Holder
Event
50m
Backstroke
100m
Backstroke
200m
Backstroke
Best Time
Long
Course
Percentage
improvement
since joining
Mount Kelly
28:29 9.82%
1:00.73 10.58%
2:16.27 12.44%
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.

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
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.
MELISSA COYLE
Registered Sport and
Exercise Psychologist
Our registered Sport and Exercise Psychologist
offers one-to-one sessions on-campus as required.
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.

88%
EDUCATION
ACHIEVEMENT
of 2024 leavers secured
places at their first choice
of university. These included
Russell Group institutions
such as Nottingham, Exeter
and Durham plus specialist
swimming programme
bases including Stirling,
Loughborough and Bath.
Others gained prestigious
scholarships to universities in
the USA.
Our passion is to provide an environment where swimmers can thrive in the
pool and reach their potential academically. Coaches work with academic staff
to ensure our athletes are given every possible support in order to succeed.
We are extremely proud of the consistently strong public examination results
all Mount Kelleians achieve.
In 2024 our swimmers were awarded places at the best sports universities in
the UK and internationally.
They study courses ranging from Criminology with Sociology, Marine Biology,
History, Geography and Applied Sports Science.

20+ Hours
training per
week for top
squads
50m 8-lane
Olympic pool &
25m 4-lane pool
on campus
8 Full-time
coaches
Strength &
Conditioning
21 Olympic swimmers
8 Olympic medals
32 Paralympic medals
16 Commonwealth
Games medals
120+ swimmers gained
international representation
80+ international swimmers
from 33 different countries
in our squad
180 Swimmers aged
4-18 across 7 different
squads
£
Generous
Scholarships
from Year 7
(means-tested)
7 Gold medals at
the Commonwealth
Youth Games in
2023
8 athletes
representing 7
countries at the
European Junior
Championships 2024
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

MANTAS
Year 12 Pupil
_________
Lithuanian Senior Record Holder
in 50m Backstroke SC & LC
50m Backstroke European Junior
Champion 2024
Represented Lithuania at 2024
World Swimming Championships
HOLLIE
_________
4 x 100m Mixed Medley Relay
European Junior Champion 2024
100m Butterly Bronze Medallist
from European Junior
Championships 2024
Broke 17 Years 50m Butterfly
British Record in May 2024

MATTHEW
WARD
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 have now gained a place in the Bath Performance Centre and aspire to make the 2028 Olympic
Team.
“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 November 2024