Learn to Swim Stages

We follow the learn to swim principles of water familiarisation, breath control, submersion (never forced), floating, gliding, propulsion and breathing.

Water safety should underpin all the learn to swim principles.

A child’s readiness will determine the introduction of the next progressive teaching skill.

Beginner swimmers cannot progress if they are wearing arm discs or are using a noodle to lean on for the whole lesson but floats/kick boards are used to help swimmers achieve the correct body position, assist with buoyancy and breathing techniques.

Children  work towards the following:

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Aqua Aims Stages

Parent Support 1 

All outcomes for this award are performed with parent support:

1. Make a supervised & assisted safe entry into the pool
2. Educate parents and children about water safety and how to support their own swimmer in the water
3. Hold onto and move along the wall whilst holding onto the side
4. Pour water over face, ensuring eyes, nose and mouth are covered, in a continuous pour working up to five seconds
5. Lie on back in a relaxed floating position (ears in the water)
6. Kick legs holding the wall
7. Move around the water independently using floatation equipment
8. Assisted leg kicking action across the pool on both Front & Back
9. Exist water safely using poolside with minimal support

Parent Support 2

All outcomes for this  award are performed with parent support and “soft hands”, to allow children to start to feel their own buoyancy:

1. Make a supervised safe entry into the pool with minimal support
2. Rotate from front to back using a float with adult support
3. Submerge head and face completely under the water, without force
4. Hold breath with face in the water working up to five seconds
5. Float on front with adult support – face in the water
6. Float on back with minimal support (ears must be in water)
7. Hold float in correct position kicking on front – face in the water holding breath lift chin to take a breath when needed
8. Hold float and kick on the back
9. Jump into the water and submerge fully with adult support
10. Exist water safely using poolside with minimal support

Parent Support 3

All outcomes for this  award are performed with minimal parental support where possible:

1. Unassisted safe entry into the water
2. Float on front or back without adult support for five seconds
3. Push off parents knees back to the wall in a streamlined position with arms outstretched
4. Rotate from front to back using float with minimal adult support
5. Rotate from back to front using float with minimal adult support
6. Assisted paddle and kicks with face in water holding breath lifting chin to breath when needed
7. Kick on back with minimal adult support
8. Pick up an object whilst submerged under water – with adult support
9. Jump into pool, turn, face in and kick back to wall
10. Exist water safely using poolside with minimal support

Parent Support 4

All outcomes for this award should be performed unassisted.

1. Unasisted Safe entry into the water
2. Hold the wall and kick legs unaided with face in the water holding breath for up to 10 seconds
3. Rotate 360 degrees
4. Perform a Star and Pencil float on front and back holding for 5 seconds
5. Push and glide slowly in a streamlined position on front and back from holding the wall
6. Rotate from front to back using a float then back to the side
7. Rotate from back to front using float then back to the side
8. Kick in a streamline position on front holding breath
9. Attempting to kick blowing bubbles and take a breath every 3 seconds for 5 meters
10. Jump into pool, turn, face in and kick back to wall
11. Pick up an object fully submerged
12. Exist water safely using poolside with no support

Independent Stages:

Stage 1:

1. Safe entry into the water
2. Hold the wall and kick with face in for 10 seconds holding breath
3. Be able to float in a star and pencil float on back and front for 5+ seconds
4. Push and Glide slowly on Front with arms extended from the wall in a streamlined position
5. Push and Glide slowly on Back with arms by the side from the wall in a streamlined position
6. Rotate from front to back and then back to the side without float
7. Rotate from back to front then back to the side without float
8. Kick with face in whilst blowing bubbles and take a breath every 3 seconds for 5 meters holding a float
9. Kick on the back without float for 5 metres
10. Fully submerge to pick up an object
11. Exit pool safely

Stage 2:

1. Hold the wall and kick with face in, breathing every 3 seconds by turning the head to the side
2. Log roll from front to back
3. Log roll from back to front
4. Push and glide on front for 3 seconds with arms extended and then kick in a streamlined position
5. Push and glide on back for 3 seconds with arms extended and then kick in a streamlined position
6. Kick for 5 metres using a float on front breathing every 3 seconds
7. Kick for 5 meters on back with arms above head in a streamlined position
8. Give examples of 3 pool rules
9. Jump into the pool without the use of goggles and swim back to the side

Stage 3:

1. Push and Glide and Swim 10m Front Crawl with breathing to the side
2. Push and glide and Swim 10m Backstroke
3. Push and glide on front and back with arms extended and log roll onto the back
4. Perform a mushroom float
5. Push off from the wall under water and glide in a streamlined position
6. Understand 3 water safety rules
7. Swim underwater through hoops
8. Perform 3 types of float positions for 3 seconds each consecutively
9. Jump into the pool without goggles, float for 5 seconds on back then swim back to the side

Stage 4:

1. Push and Glide and swim 10m Front Crawl ( To Aqua Aims Standards)
2. Push and Glide and swim 10m Backstroke ( To Aqua Aims Standards)
3. Kick 10m Butterfly on front and back ( To Aqua Aims Standards)
4. Kick 10m Breastroke on front and back ( To Aqua Aims Standards)
5. Perform head first sculling for 10m
6. Complete a forward roll
7. Tread water for 10 seconds
8. Jump into the water performing different actions ( Star jump, Pencil jump, Tuck jump etc)
9. Swim 15m choice of stroke

Stage 5: (All Swim Strokes should include correct breathing techniques)

1. Push and Glide and swim 15m Front Crawl (to Aqua Aims Standards)
2. Push and Glide and swim 15m Backstroke (to Aqua Aims Standards)
3. Push and Glide and swim 15m Breaststroke (to Aqua Aims Standards)
4. Push and Glide and swim 15m butterfly (to Aqua Aims Standards)
5. Perform Sculling in a head and feet first position for 10m
6. Tread water for 30 seconds and show how to signal for help
7. Perform a handstand
8. Jump in, tread water for 30 seconds, float on the back calling for help and scull back to the poolside
9. Swim 25m choice of stroke

Stage 6: (All Swim Strokes should include correct breathing techniques)

1. Push and Glide and swim 25m Front Crawl (to Aqua Aims Standards)
2. Push and Glide and swim 25m Backstroke (to Aqua Aims Standards)
3. Push and Glide and swim 25m Breaststroke (to Aqua Aims Standards)
4. Push and Glide and swim 25m butterfly (to Aqua Aims Standards)
5. Swim in clothes for 15m
6. Perform a shout and signal rescue
7. Perform a surface dive
8. Front Crawl start
9. Explain the purpose of a warm up and cool down
10. Swim 50m Front crawl and Backstroke

Stage 7: (All Swim Strokes should include correct breathing techniques)

1. Push and Glide and swim 50m Front Crawl (to Aqua Aims Standards)
2. Push and Glide and swim 50m Backstroke (to Aqua Aims Standards)
3. Push and Glide and swim 25m Breaststroke (to Aqua Aims Standards)
4. Push and Glide and swim 25m butterfly (to Aqua Aims Standards)
5. Front Crawl Tumble Turn
6. Perform a teamwork sequence including 4 or more swimming skills for 1 minute (Treading water, Sculling, floating, summersault, hand stand etc)
7. Understand the role of a Lifeguard and how to help rescue a swimmer using a reach and throw rescue
8. Perform a obstacle course
9. Swim 100m Front Crawl and Backstroke

Advanced Classes:

Aqua Challenge and Life Saving skills.

See Aqua Challenge page for full details.

Call to Book: 07930 139 634