ACCRINGTON Academy’s state-of-the-art swimming pool has been finished ahead of schedule.

The pool at the Queen’s Road West school is set to be handed over from the construction firm on Friday.

It is the first state high school in East Lancashire to have its own swimming pool.

The 25 metre pool has six lanes with a minimum depth of a metre and a maximum depth of two metres.

It has already been filled with water while the finishing touches are made.

In line with the school’s sports specialism, bosses agreed that an on site swimming pool would allow it to give the ‘best’ facilities for students.

They said the new pool would help the school meet one of its aims to provide ‘outstanding’ educational and community facilities.

It was developed after a survey of public swimming pools in Hyndburn had revealed that there was a shortage of a four lane 25metre pool.

Andrew O’Brien, principal of Accrington Academy, said: “We are delighted that the swimming pool is nearing completion.

“It will be an excellent addition to our existing facilities and we also look forward to welcoming people from the local community to the academy for a swim.

"This provision will allow us to both deliver the curriculum in an exciting and interesting way, enhance the already excellent extra-curricular opportunities, allow us to work with primary schools and community groups on establishing competitive sport and involve a whole series of people in active lifestyle who may not have been engaged before.”

Hyndburn Council has said it does expect the new swimming pool to have an impact on pools in its leisure centres, with clubs choosing to swim at the academy instead.

The school said it will continue to work with clubs and other schools as well as the community to ensure the pool is well used.

A formal opening ceremony of the new Academy pool will take place on July 18.