Stamford School Head of Swimming appointed Head Coach of Deepings Swimming Club

Stamford School is pleased to announce that Jamie Irvine, Head of Swimming at Stamford School, has also been appointed Head Coach of Deepings Swimming Club, strengthening the connection between the school and the local swimming community while creating new opportunities for swimmers across the region.

Jamie brings a strong background in both elite competition and high-performance coaching. As a swimmer, he competed at national level with City of St Albans and Hatfield Swimming Clubs. He began coaching at the age of 17 and returned to full-time coaching in his mid-twenties, quickly establishing himself as a highly respected performance coach.

Prior to joining Stamford School, Jamie served as Head Coach at Potters Bar Swimming Club from 2018 to 2023, before moving to Watford Swimming Club as Head Coach from 2023 to 2024. Across these roles he developed swimmers competing at the highest levels of the sport, regularly coaching national qualifiers, county champions and regional medallists. In 2024 alone he coached 13 national finalists and 19 regional medallists, while swimmers under his guidance achieved a national silver medal in 2024 and a national bronze medal in 2023. His impact at Watford was also evident in the club being crowned Top Team at the Hertfordshire County Championships in 2024.

Jamie recently made the significant decision to relocate to Stamford, drawn by both the character of the area and the opportunity to help develop a strong competitive swimming programme within the school and the local community. His dual role at Stamford School and Deepings Swimming Club will allow for closer collaboration and a clearer pathway for young swimmers developing in the region.

The facilities at Stamford School provide an excellent environment for the Club. Stamford Junior School offers a four-lane 20-metre pool, which provides an ideal setting for learn-to-swim provision and early technical development. The six-lane 25-metre pool at the senior school offers a fantastic training environment for more advanced swimmers and allows the school to host competitive fixtures and performance sessions.

Deepings Swimming Club has already established Stamford School as its home pool since September 2025, with the club currently running nine training sessions per week at the school. The new structure allows for a stronger link between the school’s swimming programme and the club, creating opportunities for Stamford pupils to progress into competitive swimming while also allowing the club to benefit from a wider pool of developing swimmers.

At Stamford Junior School, the learn-to-swim programme and junior squads provide an early introduction to the sport and the fundamentals of competitive swimming. Through the strengthened relationship with Deepings Swimming Club, swimmers now have a clear progression route where they can be supported and recommended into club swimming within the same training environment.

Jamie Irvine said the opportunity to lead both programmes would bring significant benefits to swimmers.

"I was excited to relocate to Stamford and become part of such a welcoming community. The facilities at Stamford School are excellent and provide a fantastic environment to develop swimmers. Being able to lead both the school programme and Deepings Swimming Club means we can create a clear pathway for swimmers, from learning the sport through to competing at regional and national level."

The collaboration will also help Deepings Swimming Club grow its training programme, with ambitions to attract more regional and national-level swimmers to the area while expanding opportunities for young swimmers entering the sport.

Currently five Stamford School students swim with Deepings Swimming Club, with the expectation that this number will grow as the pathway becomes more established.

With early-morning and evening training sessions available, Stamford School’s boarding community also provides a supportive environment for swimmers managing the demands of competitive sport alongside their academic studies.

This relationship marks an exciting step in the development of swimming in the Stamford area, bringing together school and club expertise to create a stronger, more connected pathway for swimmers at every stage of their journey.