Learn to Swim - Our Levels

We have 8 Levels that children progress through, Levels 1 – 4 take place in the teaching pool and Levels 5 – 8 in the Main Pool.

Initially children are introduced to the pool rules, how to get in and out of the water safely and how to blow bubbles, float and regain a standing position.  By the time children reach Level 4 they will have an understanding of the 4 strokes.

All teaching pool classes are 30 minutes long.

Level 1

This will be for children who have never been swimming before. It is a perfect introduction to the swimming pool. It will establish the basic safety rules, movement exercises and breathing practices. If the swimmer successfully achieves the learning outcomes they will start working on Level 2 skills allowing them to ’fast-track’.

Level 2

Building on the skills learnt in Level 1, swimmers are introduced to submerging and moving through the water with increased confidence.

Level 3

Early stoke technique on frontcrawl and backcrawl is introduced to the swimmer at this level. Floatation skills, submersion and movement skills area all reinforced. At this stage the focus is on frontcrawl and backcrawl although breast stroke and butterfly are gradually introduced.

Level 4

Basic breast stroke skills and frontcrawl breathing skills are introduced along with exercises to build on the swimmers' spatial awareness by doing skills upside down and underwater. Where possible, children will be introduced to deep water practices such as treading water and basic diving.

 

Levels 5 – 8 take place in the main pool and are 30 minutes long. These classes build on previous skills but also introduce deep water practices both to keep children safe and to develop skills required for the Swimming Disciplines of water polo, synchro and diving.

Throughout these classes children are introduced  to deep water safety and more emphasis is placed on technique over longer distances. More advanced practices are introduced such as diving, basic lifesaving and water polo skills.

Level 5

Classes now move to the main pool at the shallow end. Children are now encouraged to build on their kicking and swimming techniques over longer set distances. Level 5 will also help children feel more confident in deep water.

Level 6

Increasing difficulty and increased distances in Level 6. Emphasis is on stroke technique being ‘held’ for the longer distances and motor skills development through skills such as sculling, diving and movement in the water.

Level 7

This class introduces endurance swimming practices again concentrating on the swimmer being able to hold their technique. Personal safety is also developed and swimmers must now be able to demonstrate all 4 competitive strokes and attempt proper turns.

Level 8

The final level builds on all the skills of streamlining, kicking, diving, sculling and swimming enough to equip swimmers to pursue activities in any of the aquatic disciplines. Occasionally we have representatives from local swim clubs attending our Level 8 classes to advise you and your child of the next steps.

Aqua Active

This class is 60 minutes long and introduces aquatic disciplines and activities as well as developing your child's swim skills further. The class is split into 2 sections, one concentrating on technique development and every 2 weeks we introduce a new activity such as Synchronised Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Lifesaving and Survival Swimming, Finning and Aqua Boot Camp. This is an excellent way for children to explore the variety of aquatic activities available to them.