Bootham Junior School Crowned Best Small School in England at National Swimming Finals

Published by Bootham School on Monday 23rd of June 2025

Bootham Junior School is making waves once again, celebrating a historic achievement at the English Schools’ National Swimming Finals held in Sheffield on Saturday 14 June.

Competing against the top small schools from across the country, Bootham’s talented swimmers delivered outstanding performances, culminating in a national title and a place in the record books.

The day began with the freestyle relay, where the team – Amber, Euan, Henry and Evie – qualified for the final in first place, dipping under the one-minute mark for the first time in Bootham history. In a thrilling final, a powerful start from Amber and Euan set the pace, and the team stormed to victory to become national Small Schools Freestyle Relay Champions.

Buoyed by their success, the quartet then took on the mixed stroke relay. After a remarkable heat swim that saw the team slash seven seconds off their qualifying time, Bootham entered the final ranked first. Euan, Amber and Evie once again led a strong charge, and the final came down to a dramatic finish. Despite a valiant effort, Bootham finished just 0.02 seconds behind the winners, securing a silver medal in an incredibly close race.

Their combined efforts across both events earned Bootham the ultimate accolade: Best Small School in England – across both state and independent sectors.

Jacob Butterfield, Head Coach of Bootham’s swimming team, reflected on the achievement:

“As Head Coach of Bootham Schools’ swimming team, I am immensely proud of the progress they have made in the three short seasons I have been coaching them. From the Junior School being bottom of the pile at HMC prior to me starting, to becoming the Best Small Independent School in the UK – and now the best school in the whole of England out of state and private schools – it has been a magnificent journey.”

The finals marked a triumphant end to the swimming season and added another proud chapter to Bootham’s growing sporting legacy.