A public swimming pool used by thousands of local residents is to close until next year.

Barr Beacon School is spending almost £800,000 on renovating its pool facilities which includes replacing tiles, windows, doors, lighting and heating.

The improvements will also make the pool fully accessible for the first time, with disabled access throughout the building.

Barr Beacon headteacher Lynsey Draycott said: “As well as members of our community, many local schools use our pool.

“It’s never been more important for schools to promote healthy lifestyles with their pupils and this will make sure we can keep doing this both for Beacon pupils and pupils from our local primaries.

The swimming pool at Barr Beacon School
The swimming pool at Barr Beacon School

“Each year, thousands of people enjoy our pool facilities and these works will guarantee thousands more will be able to do so in future.”

Barr Beacon School, which is on the Walsall - Great Barr border, has been awarded £791,292 to completely overhaul its pool facilities.

Funding has been awarded by the Conditions Improvement Fund, using money obtained from the ‘sugar tax’.

The pool is used by members of the public as well as pupils from many of the local primary schools.

The improvements will increase the life expectancy of the swimming pool by a further 30 years, securing its use for generations to come.

In a recent report, Ofsted cited research which revealed parents want their children to take part in a wide range of activities, including swimming, but schools often lack the facilities.

Barr Beacon School’s pool will close for refurbishment on July 31 and reopen in January 2019.

More than a quarter of a million pounds will be pumped into renovating swimming pool facilities at Barr Beacon School
More than a quarter of a million pounds will be pumped into renovating swimming pool facilities at Barr Beacon School

Elsewhere, thousands of children will be making a huge splash thanks to free swimming sessions throughout the six-week summer holidays.

More than 11,000 youngsters have signed up to free swimming at leisure centres in Halesowen, Dudley and Stourbridge.

The initiative was announced by Dudley Council last week to encourage children to stay active, keep fit and help beat the boredom.

Free swimming will start on Saturday, July 21 and finish on Sunday, September 2, the day before most children return to school.