S4S FAQs

Skerries for Schools (S4S) is a charitable organisation that introduces Year 6 primary school students and secondary school students to rowing, in a specially designed type of boat called a skerry rowed by up to eight people. It also helps them to appreciate their environment in a totally new way.

Yes. We welcome students of all needs and of all abilities to S4S. We will do risk assessments if there are particular needs, but this is a sport that can accommodate practically everyone.

Fixed seat rowing is a great sport, which is growing faster than any other water sport in the UK. Slightly more girls than boys take part. In our programme, eight students can make up a crew, rowing side by side as pairs on four thwarts. In addition there is a cox and room for a passenger.

It is an unusual sport in that girls and boys can participate as part of the same team. The skerry is perfect for school groups.

A skerry is a modern design of boat, perfect for introducing new rowers to the river. The boat is designed to:

• allow up to 8 persons to row together with a cox and passenger

• have sufficient additional space for up to 3 passengers (including a coach)

• be a safe boat for as wide a range of conditions as anyone would want to go rowing in

• be as fast and responsive as possible, accepting the need to be safe

• be easy to row and steer

• be robust and easy to maintain

• help continue the ancient tradition of wooden clinker boat construction

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Unlike "fine boat rowing" (that you might see in the Olympics) the skerry enables social interaction between coaches and rowers and between rowers and enables a coach to move between rowers to assist in times of difficulty or when needing to demonstrate techniques.

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There is little doubt that there are few better boats to introduce new rowers to any water environment.

Yes, a student taking part in a few sessions can achieve a British Rowing ‘Learn To Row’ qualification and will receive a certificate to show their achievement.

Yes. Skerries are very stable boats and have been specifically chosen as they are perfect for the River Thames.

We take health and safety very seriously, it is our No.1 priority.

The precautions in place include:

•    The school will have policies already in place and these must be complied with. S4S will comply with these policies. Pupils and staff should be reminded of these prior to a S4S session.

•   In addition pupils, staff and coaches will all wear buoyancy aids provided by S4S when on or near the water.

•    It should be noted that the river can reflect UV rays and that protection from the sun is an important consideration. A hat may not be sufficient as the rays come from below as well as above.

No, being able to swim is obviously a benefit, however it is not essential to S4S. The coach will ask who can swim ahead of the session, so he/she is able to complete the required dynamic risk assessment ahead of each session.

All our coaches are British Rowing qualified, and any coaching assistants will have been assessed as competent by a British Rowing qualified coach against an agreed set of requirements. In addition they have undergone Disclosure and Barring checks, have current first aid certification and have had their references checked by S4S. They have also been trained in Safeguarding and Protecting Children.

No, the school continues to have responsibility for the children, under the school policies for groups off school premises. Once on the boat, we are responsible for safety. 

We strongly encourage staff members to come on the boat as it provides a shared experience with your students which can form the basis of further lessons/interactions.

S4S will be responsible for ensuring that the rowing activity has been properly risk assessed and the correct insurances are in place. Each session will start with a safety briefing which will include water safety and handling of equipment.

S4S is not looking to make a profit, however we have some basic costs to cover to ensure the boats are safe and the right equipment is in place.

A session in a skerry lasts an hour, taking up to nine students, one member of staff from your school and our S4S coach onto the river. We can often arrange for two skerries to be available, making an informal race possible. The price is £45 per boat for a single/first boat session and £30 per boat for further sessions with the same group in a linked booking. 

We operate from Richmond, Thames Ditton and Reading. Click on the town you want to operate from and you'll be taken to the relevant page with details about the centre. The school should arrange transport to and from the session.

Please send us an email in line with the guidance on this page, providing a few simple details and indicating the preferred time slots for when you would like to train (if it is available). S4S will then contact our volunteer coaches, check tides (at Richmond), and reserve the boats. Once this is in place we will confirm the session with you and request further details about the participants via a confirmation form.

S4S is able to take 9 students in each boat, plus their teacher and the S4S coach (11 in all). At present we have 1 boat at each of Reading and Thames Ditton and can arrange for upto 4 boats at Richmond-upon-Thames. The minimum number of students for a skerry is 4 (6 for primary school age).

Of course! The River Thames is steeped in history, links to the arts and is the natural environment for a wide range of wildlife and wildfowl. We have brought together some suggested related learning ideas on our Learning Resources page.

You can use the Enquiry form here.