aqua~plus swim school

PARENT AND TODDLER CLASS

This class is an ideal class for young swimmers 8 months - 4.5yrs beginning their swimming journey with the comfort of a parent/carer nearby. These classes are fun and focus on basic swimming skills such as balance and co-ordination as the swimmer moves through the water. The aim of the class is to work with parents to help parents teach their child to swim. During our lessons parents will learn how to best hold and support their child in the water and how best to help and encourage their child to kick on their front and their back. Parents are shown how to introduce their child to floating unaided on their back, and how to encourage and support independent floating and safety skills. Children learn how to enter the water safely and travel to the side. Children in this class are aiming to swim 1-2m independently without aids. Once this is achieved and a swimmer is confident to be in the water without their parent/carer they are ready to move on to our Starfish Class or one of our Duckling Classes.

STARFISH CLASS (non swimmers)

For our younger swimmers aged 3.5 - 5yrs who are confident in the water without a parent we have our STARFISH class. Our STARFISH class takes place on a Friday at 5:35pm. This class is a small class of 6-7 children who are supported by the teacher and two water helpers. The aim of the class is to build confidence, balance, and coordination. Children will be working towards travelling through the water 2-3m independently, be confident to submerge their face, jump into deeper water confidently and float on their back with minimal support. From our Starfish Class our Swimmers will move on to our Duckling classes.

DUCKLING 1 CLASSES (non swimmers – 5m)

For swimmers who are confident in the water without a parent/carer. Learning to travel through the water independently without aids, but with the support of the teacher or assistant. Children in this class will develop their balance and coordination on both front and back, learn how to push and glide and learn with confidence to swim independently through the water on their fronts up to 5m.

DUCKLING 2 CLASSES (swim 5-10m front and 5m back)

For swimmers who can float, and swim independently unaided, on both front and back, and who are confident jumping into the water This class develops front crawl and back stroke technique and introduces a variety of simple water skills which will form the basis of their swimming journey. Children in this class are aiming for 5-10m front Crawl and 5m back stroke and will be learning essential water skills for the next class move.

BEGINNER CLASSES 1 (swim 10m front 5-10m backstroke)

Our beginner 1 classes are for children able to swim 10m front crawl and 5m-10m backstroke. These classes develop our swimmer’s confidence and independent skills. Children learn about back stroke and front crawl technique, rotation and streamlining and are introduced to a variety of more advanced water and safety skills. Our Beginner 1 class introduce swimmers to the deep end of the pool and helps build their confidence in deep water.

BEGINNER CLASSES 2 (swim 10m front 10m backstroke)

Our beginner 2 classes are for children able to swim 10m front crawl and 10m backstroke. Children in this class will have good rotational and streamlining skills and will begin to work on the correct breathing technique (breathing to the side) on front crawl. Swimmers will be taught sitting dives and underwater swimming through a hoop. Our beginner 2 classes will be aiming to swim 15- 20m backstroke and front crawl. Swimmers will often swim at the deep end of the pool, to increase their confidence swimming in deep water, stamina and distance. Our pool helpers are on hand to assist if needed. Water skills, and Water Safety Skills will continue to be developed at the shallow end, and these will be put into practice in deeper water before our swimmers move on to our Junior 1 classes. which take place at the deep end of the pool.

JUNIOR 1

Our Junior 1 classes take place at the deep end of the pool. These classes introduce our swimmers to simultaneous strokes, breaststroke and butterfly. Swimmers learn the correct leg kick for breaststroke and butterfly and continue work on developing their alternating strokes, front crawl and backstroke. Children in these classes swim 25m or more on front crawl and back stroke and are aiming for 10m kick on breaststroke and butterfly. These classes help to develop stamina and distance by improving breathing, coordination and swimming technique, enabling our Junior 1 swimmers to confidently, to move up to our Improver classes, having a good knowledge of all four strokes. Our Junior 1 Classes also work towards achieving the BS Water Skills and Water Safety Awards.

IMPROVER 1 CLASSES

Our Improver classes take place at the deep end of the pool. These classes work on stroke development, of all four strokes, and more advanced water skills. Children in these classes are aiming to improve their technique over a longer distance swim; 50m-100m or more with good breathing technique on front crawl and back stroke. They will also develop the breathing and co-ordination skills required for simultaneous strokes; breaststroke and butterfly. Learning different dives and underwater skills provides them with a solid understanding of the skills needed to join our Improver 2 classes. Swimmers in our Improver 1 class will have the opportunity to learn about and develop their personal survival skills, and may wish to join one of our ad hoc Personal Survival Classes that we offer throughout the year.

IMPROVER 2 CLASSES

Our Improver classes work from the deep end of the pool, and swim in lanes. Lane swimming enables swimmers in these classes to develop their stamina and speed as well as perfecting stroke technique, breathing and rotational skills over a longer distance. Swimmer will have the opportunity to put their diving skills into practice and undertake the ore advanced Water Skills and Safety Skills Awards. Swimmers will be aiming to swim 100 -500m or more.

ADVANCED CLASS (1 hour). Club Coaching Group – Club standard swimming

Our Advanced class runs for 1 hour on a Saturday, 6:35pm-7:35pm and is for those swimmers who enjoy swimming and want to take their swimming up a notch to club level without the commitment of competitive swimming. Swimmers in this group take part in lane swimming, diving starts and turns, stamina development and advanced water skills. This group swim length for 3omins and then take part in 30mins of swimming drills to develop their strength, stamina and co-ordination. The second part of this session is fun and builds on swimmer’s core muscles and develops their cardiovascular system and is a good session for supporting/complimenting other physical sports. This class work on Stages 8 and 9 and swimmer will have the opportunity to achieve their Bronze, Silver and Gold Challenge Awards. Children in this class range in age from 11-16yrs. Children join this class based on ability. Some children use this class to achieve the physical part of their DOE Award. We are always happy to support this challenge. Regular swimmers in this class could go on to achieve their 2,000m distance award.

The Swimming Journey – Parent & Toddler to Advanced Swimmer.

Many of our swimmers stay with us all the way through to our Advanced Class. When they reach their full potential, we like to offer them the role of Pool Helper so they can put their own learned skills into practice for the benefit of our younger swimmers. We are also happy to support our Advanced swimmers to achieve the physical or volunteering aspect of their DoE Award.

Pool Helpers

Many of our pool helpers have undertaken their own swimming journey with us from a very young age and as such, with some additional training go on to become very experienced Pool Helpers.

DofE Awards

As a swim school we are committed to supporting our swimmer achieve their DoE Award, Bronze. Silver and Gold DoE Award, either as a physical activity over 6 months or as a volunteer, in training with us over a 3-month period.

Over the past 16 years many of our swimmers have gone on to achieve their lifeguard qualification (NPLQ) or become swimming teachers. We are very proud of their achievements.