Swim School

Our Swim School programme is designed to provide first class swimming tuition at value for money prices.  It provides swimmers with the opportunity to learn and experience the fun and security of an excellent swimming development programme.

Our programmes follow the guidance of the ASA (Amateur Swimming Association) National Teaching Plan.

The swimmer’s journey, following the National Plan for teaching swimming, results in their development of a wide range of skills and techniques.  They will become competent, confident and safe swimmers with the ability to build on these skills further developing a wide range of water-based sports.

Children should be taking part in activities that build their fundamental movement skills, with the emphasis being ‘Learning through FUN’.

As an introduction to water confidence for very young children we offer swimming instruction as follows:

Adult and Child - Ducklings

This level is designed for both Parent / adults with their babies / young children (age 1-4) to give them a safe and enjoyable first experience of the swimming pool. Parent / adults are expected to play a full part in the lessons, helping their child develop water skills and confidence through play / nursery rhymes with the child working towards our Duckling certificate and badge.

Frogs

Children who have attended the adult / child course or who are 4 years old can attend this session.  This class is designed for pre-school children of 4-5 years to learn more skills independently through play and gain confidence within a group.

Listed below are the main areas of skills which are developed as a swimmer takes their aquatic journey through Stages 1-7:

Entry:  Safe entry into water; use of steps; jumps and eventually dives.

Exits:  Safe exit from the water; use of steps and side.

Buoyancy and Balance:  Developing and understanding of buoyancy and balance and the effects is has; and how to become buoyant in the water.

Rotation and Orientation:  Developing skills such as how to turn around; how to lie back; how to lie forward and how to regain an upright position.

Streamlining:  Understanding streamlining (body position - pushing and gliding) and why it is important.

Aquatic Breathing:  Developing confidence in the water and a feeling of being at ease with the water around the face; learning how to breathe correctly.

Travel and Co-ordination:  Developing movement forwards, backwards, sideways and how to travel effectively through different stroke techniques.

Water Safety  Development of a basic understanding of how to keep safe around water.

Swimmers can then progress and develop more skills in the competitive stages 8, 9 and 10 (hour-long sessions).  At this stage swimmers may wish to develop further into club status.

We also offer Adult Swim Lessons for non-swimmers and for those people who wish to gain more confidence in the water and improve their skills.

Rookie Lifeguard Programme

We offer Rookie Lifeguards at the Nene Centre and Splash Leisure Pool as part of our Swim School programme.  The Rookie Lifeguard Programme is the junior award scheme of the Royal Lifesaving Society UK (RLSS UK).  For most children Rookie Lifeguards will be their first opportunity to explore water safety and alternative safe aquatic play.  The skills taught will prepare Rookies to take better care of themselves, their family and friends, and give them the information they need to promote water safety in their day-to-day activities.