Choosing the right lesson for your ability
Lessons
We keep our classes sizes small, therefore participants receive a high level of focus and attention, and of course plenty of opportunities to practise swimming!
Our fully qualified instructors follow the Swim England framework for teaching swimming, and stages aim to help develop confidence and technique no matter what the current ability. Please read on to determine which stage is suitable before booking.
Stage 1
At the end of the Learn to Swim Stage 1 your child should be able to:
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Enter the water safely.
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Move forward for a distance of 5 metres, feet off the floor.
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Move backwards for a distance of 5 metres, feet off the floor.
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Move sideways for a distance of 5 metres, feet off the floor.
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Scoop the water and wash the face.
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Be comfortable with water showered from overhead.
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Move from a flat floating position on the back and return to standing.
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Move from a flat floating position on the front and return to standing.
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Push and glide in a flat position on the front from a wall.
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Push and glide in a flat position on the back from a wall.
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Give examples of two pool rules.
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Exit the water safely.
Stage 2
To enter stage 2 swimmers must be able to paddle unaided 3-5metres on their front and back.
At the end of the Learn to Swim Stage 2 your child should be able to:
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Jump in from poolside safely to a minimum depth of 1.0 metre.
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Blow bubbles a minimum of three times rhythmically, with nose and mouth submerged.
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Move from a flat floating position on the back and return to standing without support.
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Move from a flat floating position on the front and return to standing without support.
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Push from a wall and glide on the back – arms can be by the side or above the head.
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Push from a wall and glide on the front with arms extended.
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Swim backstroke for 5 metres, without the use of floatation equipment.
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Swim Frontcrawl for 5 metres, without the use of floatation equipment.
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Perform a tuck to rotate from a flat floating position on the front, to a back floating position, then return to standing.
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Perform a tuck to rotate from a flat floating position on the back, to a front floating position, then return to standing.
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Perform a log roll from the back to the front.
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Perform a log roll from the front to the back.
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Exit the water without support.
Stage 3
To enter stage 3 your swimmer will be able to swim 5metres frontcrawl and backstroke
At the end of the Learn to Swim Stage 3 your child should be able to:
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Jump in from poolside and submerge to a minimum depth of 1.0 metre.
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Sink, push away from wall and maintain a streamlined position.
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Push and glide on the front with arms extended and log roll onto the back.
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Push and glide on the back with arms extended and log roll onto the front.
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Travel 5 metres on the front, perform a tuck to rotate onto the back and return on the back.
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Fully submerge to pick up an object.
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Correctly identify three of the four key water safety messages.
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Push and glide and travel 10 metres on the backstroke.
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Push and glide and travel 10 metres on the frontcrawl.
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Perform a tuck float and hold for three seconds.
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Exit the water without using steps.
Stage 4
*Deep Water*To enter stage 4 your swimmer will be able to swim 5-10 metres frontcrawl and backstroke. They will also have an understanding of Breastroke and be competent in water out of their depth.
At the end of the Learn to Swim Stage 4 your child should be able to:
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Perform a sequence of changing shapes (minimum of three) whilst floating on the surface and demonstrate an understanding of floating.
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Push and glide from the wall towards the pool floor.
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Swim 10 metres backstroke
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Swim 10 metres front crawl .
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Kick 10 metres butterfly on the front or on the back.
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Swim 10 metres breaststroke on the front
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Perform a head first sculling action for 5 metres in a flat position on the back.
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Travel on back and log roll in one continuous movement onto front.
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Travel on front and log roll in one continuous movement onto back.
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Push and glide and swim 10 metres, choice of stroke is optional
Stage 5
*Deep Water* To enter stage 5 your swimmer will be able to swim 10-15metres frontcrawl, Backstroke and Breastroke with an understanding of Butterfly.
At the end of the Learn to Swim Stage 5 your child should be able to:
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Perform a flat stationary scull on the back.
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Perform a feet first sculling action for 5 metres in a flat position on the back.
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Perform a sculling sequence with a partner for 30-45 seconds to include a rotation.
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Tread water for 30 seconds.
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Perform three different shaped jumps into deep water.
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Push and glide and swim 10 metres backstroke (performed to Swim England expected standards).
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Push and glide and swim 10 metres front crawl (performed to Swim England expected standards).
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Push and glide and swim 10 metres breaststroke (performed to Swim England expected standards).
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Push and glide and swim 10 metres butterfly (performed to Swim England expected standards).
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Perform a handstand and hold for a minimum of three seconds.
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Perform a forward somersault.
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Demonstrate an action for getting help.
Stage 6
*Deep Water*
At the end of the Learn to Swim Stage 6 your child should be able to:
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Demonstrate an understanding of preparation for exercise
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Sink, push off on side from the wall, glide, kick and rotate into backstroke
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Sink, push off on side from the wall, glide, kick and rotate into front crawl
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Swim 10 metres wearing clothes
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Swim front crawl to include at least six rhythmical breaths
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Swim breaststroke to include at least six rhythmical breaths
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Swim butterfly to include at least three rhythmical breaths
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Swim 25 metres, choice of stroke
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Perform a ‘shout and signal’ rescue
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Perform a surface dive
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Exit the water without using steps
Stage 7
*Deep Water*
At the end of the Learn to Swim Stage 7 your child should be able to:
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Push and glide and swim 25 metres backstroke (performed to Swim England expected standards).
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Push and glide and swim 25 metres front crawl (performed to Swim England expected standards).
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Push and glide and swim 25 metres breaststroke (performed to Swim England expected standards).
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Push and glide and swim 25 metres butterfly (performed to Swim England expected standards).
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Perform a movement sequence (linking skills with strokes and sculls) of one minute duration, in a group of three or more, incorporating a number of the following skills:Sculling: head first, feet first
Rotation: forward or backward somersault, log roll
Floating: star on the front or on the back, tuck float, create own
Eggbeater: Moving, lifting one or both arms out of the water -
Perform a sitting dive or dive.
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Push and glide and swim 50 metres continuously using one stroke (performed to Swim England expected standards).
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Push and glide and swim 100 metres, using a minimum of three different strokes (performed to Swim England expected standards).
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Tread water using eggbeater action for 30 seconds.
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Complete an obstacle course (using minimum of four objects) with feet off the pool floor throughout.
Stage 8-10
Will be focusing on a competitive element to the strokes. For example, developing knowledge and skills for the correct racing starts, turns and dives. Along with increasing distance and drills enabling the swimmer to improve on stamina and ability within each stroke set.
Adult Beginners
A course for the complete beginner. Our Beginner lessons aim to introduce swimmers to basic water skills, breathing and water confidence in order to develop a swimmer to start swimming independently over short distances without support or swimming aids.
Adult Intro To Intermediates
Start developing stroke technique and introduces further water skills including treading water and deep water confidence. Please note this class is solely in deep water
To book onto this course you must be able to comfortably travel ½ length of frontcrawl, backstroke, breastroke or kick.
Adult Intermediate
Our Intermediate lessons aim to develop further stroke technique, breathing and endurance over a distance of 25metres +.
This class is suitable for swimmers that would like to improve technique and build on stamina in order to take part in other pool activities, or have a go at their first swimming challenge event.
In order to book onto the Intermediate class you must be able to swim 1 length of Frontcrawl with appropriate breathing and comfortably tread water for 30 seconds or more.