Once children reach school age they will be able to join our Junior Swim Lessons. These lessons take place between 3:45pm and 7:15pm Monday to Friday evenings and Saturday Mornings 7:45am-11:45pm.
If your child is younger than 4 or is not attending school yet they can still join our swim school. Please click here for information on our Parent and Toddler and Dolphin lessons.
Our swim school follows the Swim England pathway. The children move through Stages 1 - 7, and continual asessment means the children will move up a class as soon as they pass the criteria required to achieve their stage. More information on the Swim England pathway can be found here or at the bottom of this page.
Lessons follow the school term structure and currently do not take place during school holidays. During the holidays if you would like to keep your child swimming we run crash courses. They can be booked at the centre or over the phone. They are an excellent opportunity to really cement the children's learning and more information can be found here. You are also welcome to speak to the teacher and arrange 1 2 1 lessons for your child. 1 2 1's are a great way to boost your childs confidence in the water and really hone in on the skills they need to pass the next stage. More information on 1 2 1's can be found here.
Stage 1
By completing this Award, with or without floatation equipment or support, you will be able to:
1. Enter the water safely.
2. Move forward for a distance of 5 metres, feet may be on or off the floor.
3. Move backwards for a distance of 5 metres, feet may be on or off the floor.
4. Move sideways for a distance of 5 metres, feet may be on or off the floor.
5. Scoop the water and wash the face.
6. Be comfortable with water showered from overhead.
7. Move from a flat floating position on the back and return to standing.
8. Move from a flat floating position on the front and return to standing.
9. Push and glide in a flat position on the front from a wall.
10. Push and glide in a flat position on the back from a wall.
11. Give examples of two pool rules.
12. Exit the water safely.
Stage 2
By completing this Award, with or without floatation equipment or support, you will be able to:
1. Jump in from poolside safely to a minimum depth of 1.0 metre.
2. Blow bubbles a minimum of three times rhythmically, with nose and mouth submerged.
3. Move from a flat floating position on the back and return to standing without support.
4. Move from a flat floating position on the front and return to standing without support.
5. Push from a wall and glide on the back – arms can be by the side or above the head.
6. Push from a wall and glide on the front with arms extended.
7. Travel using a recognised leg action with feet off the pool floor on the back for 5 metres.
8. Travel using a recognised leg action with feet off the pool floor on the front for 5 metres.
9. Perform a tuck to rotate from a flat floating position on the front, to a back floating position, then return to standing.
10. Perform a tuck to rotate from a flat floating position on the back, to a front floating position, then return to standing.
11. Perform a log roll from the back to the front.
12. Perform a log roll from the front to the back.
13. Exit the water without support.
Stage 3
By completing this Award, without floatation equipment or support, you will be able to:
1. Jump in from poolside and submerge to a minimum depth of 1.0 metre.
2. Sink, push away from wall and maintain a streamlined position.
3. Push and glide on the front with arms extended and log roll onto the back.
4. Push and glide on the back with arms extended and log roll onto the front.
5. Travel 5 metres on the front, perform a tuck to rotate onto the back and return on the back.
6. Fully submerge to pick up an object.
7. Answer correctly three questions on the Water Safety Code.
8. Push and glide and travel 10 metres on the back.
9. Push and glide and travel 10 metres on the front.
10. Perform a tuck float and hold for three seconds.
11. Exit the water without using steps.
Stage 4
By completing this Award, without floatation equipment or support, you will be able to:
1. Perform a sequence of changing shapes (minimum of three) whilst floating on the surface and demonstrate an understanding of floating.
2. Push and glide from the wall towards the pool floor.
3. Kick 10 metres backstroke (one item of equipment optional).
4. Kick 10 metres front crawl (one item of equipment optional).
5. Kick 10 metres butterfly on the front or on the back.
6. Kick 10 metres breaststroke on the front (one item of equipment optional).
7. Perform a head first sculling action for 5 metres in a flat position on the back.
8. Travel on back and log roll in one continuous movement onto front.
9. Travel on front and log roll in one continuous movement onto back.
10. Push and glide and swim 10 metres, choice of stroke is optional.
Stage 5
By completing this Award you will be able to:
1. Perform a flat stationary scull on the back.
2. Perform a feet first sculling action for 5 metres in a flat position on the back.
3. Perform a sculling sequence with a partner for 30-45 seconds to include a rotation.
4. Tread water for 30 seconds.
5. Perform three different shaped jumps into deep water.
6. Push and glide and swim 10 metres backstroke (performed to Swim England expected standards).
7. Push and glide and swim 10 metres front crawl (performed to Swim England expected standards).
8. Push and glide and swim 10 metres breaststroke (performed to Swim England expected standards).
9. Push and glide and swim 10 metres butterfly (performed to Swim England expected standards).
10. Perform a handstand and hold for a minimum of three seconds.
11. Perform a forward somersault.
12. Demonstrate an action for getting help.
Stage 6
By completing this Award you will be able to:
1. Give two examples of how to prepare for exercise and understand why it is important.
2. Sink, push off on side from the wall, glide, kick and rotate into backstroke.
3. Sink, push off on side from the wall, glide, kick and rotate into front crawl.
4. Swim 10 metres wearing clothes.
5. Push and glide and swim front crawl to include at least six rhythmical breaths.
6. Push and glide and swim breaststroke to include at least six rhythmical breaths.
7. Push and glide and swim butterfly to include at least three rhythmical breaths.
8. Push and glide and swim backstroke to include at least six regular breaths.
9. Push and glide and swim 25 metres, choice of stroke is optional (performed to Swim England expected standards).
10. Perform a ‘shout and signal’ rescue.
11. Perform a surface dive.
Sometimes progress can be rapid with children moving swiftly through the stages, but our system also allows for those who are a little less confident to stay in the right place until they are physically and mentally ready to move up. Assessment is continual and teachers will regularly check for different skills. Your child will need to be able to demonstrate these skills consistently in order to pass. As well as their stage badges the teacher will also check to see if your child has achieved their distance badge. Again, this needs to be demonstrated consistently for your child to achieve their badge.
It is recommended that children do not stop swimming lessons until they have completed the Swim England pathway, which will take them all the way through to achieving Stage 7. We understand that sometimes it can seem like your child has reached a plateau, or you believe them to have reached a place where they are "drown-proof". Although we make sure we teach water safety skills such as treading water and self rescue from a young age in our swim school, this does not necessarily make them safe in the water and if the lessons are stopped too early the child's swimming ability will regress. Although they may be able to swim a width, or even a length, but what if they fell into a river or the sea? Would they really be a competent and strong enough swimmer to get themselves out of trouble? Please read this excellent article written by an australian swim school which has some brilliant advice on not only when is the right time to stop lessons, but also how to break through the inevitable plateau your child is almost guaranteed to hit at some point during their swimming pathway.
If you are still not sure which stage would be best for your child, please call us on 01489 787 128 and speak to one of our experienced staff members who will be able to give you some advice. Or even better, why not book in for a 1 2 1 session with one of our instructors who will be able to not only give your child a private lesson, but also tell you which Stage lesson to put your child into. For more information on 1 2 1 sessions please click here.