Learn To Swim

Key Learning Points for Duckling 1

• Make a supervised safe entry with adult support if required
• Float on back with adult support behind the head without aids
• Blow bubbles at the water surface
• Wet the head without submersion
• Kick five metres on back with adult support
• Travel without assistance five metres to a floating object
• Enter the pool, rotate and return to the side with adult support
• Exit the water safely with minimal adult support

Key Learning Points for Duckling 2

• Make a sitting entry with adult support if required
• Using a buoyancy aid, rotate through 180 degrees without assistance
• Submerge the face with confidence under adult supervision and without force
• Blow an object for a distance of two metres
• Travel 3 metres using arms and/or legs without assistance
• Move five metres along the rail or wall without assistance
• Enter the pool, rotate and return to the side with minimal adult support
• Exit the water safely with minimal adult support

Key Learning Points for stage 3

• Jump in from poolside and submerge to a minimum depth of 1 metre
• Sink, push away from wall and maintain a streamlined position
• Push and glide on the front with arms extended and log roll onto the back
• Push and glide on the back with arms extended and log roll onto the front
• Travel 5 metres on the front, perform a tuck to rotate onto the back and return on the back
• Fully submerge to pick up an object
• Answer correctly 3 questions on the Water Safety Code*
• Push and glide and travel 10 metres on the back
• Push and glide and travel 10 metres on the front
• Perform a tuck float and hold for 3 seconds
• Exit the water without using steps

Water Safety Code

• Stop and Think – Always swim in a safe place
• Stay Together – Always swim with an adult
• Float – If you fall in, float on your back, breathe, relax
• Call 999 – If someone else in trouble
• Tell the person to float on their back
• Throw them something that floats

Key Learning Points for Duckling 4

• Jump in unaided but supervised into the water
• Show a mushroom or star float
• Rotate 360° either horizontally or vertically
• Push and glide achieving a streamlined position on the front or back
• Submerge completely
• Travel without assistance 10 metres on the front or back
• Show the sequence to jump in the water, turn around, swim back to the point of entry and hold on to the side or rail
• Climb out of the water with assistance if required

Key Learning Points for stage 1

• Enter the water safely
• Move forward for a distance of 5 metres, feet may be on or off the floor
• Move backwards for a distance of 5 metres, feet may be on or off the floor
• Move sideways for a distance of 5 metres, feet may be on or off the floor
• Scoop the water and wash the face
• Be comfortable with water showered from overhead
• Move from a flat floating position on the back and return to standing
• Push and glide in a flat position on the front from a wall
• Push and glide in a flat position on the back from a wall
• Give examples of two pool rules
• Demonstrate an understanding of pool rules
• Exit the water safely

Key Learning Points for stage 2

• Jump in from poolside safely to a minimum depth of 1 metre
• Blow bubbles a minimum of 3 times rhythmically with nose and mouth submerged
• Move from a flat floating position on the back and return to standing without support
• Move from a flat floating position on the front and return to standing without support
• Push from a wall and glide on the back – arms can be by the side or above the head
• Push from a wall and glide on the front with arms extended
• Travel using a recognised leg action with feet off the pool floor on the back for 5 metres
• Travel using a recognised leg action with feet off the pool floor on the front for 5 metres
• Perform a tuck to rotate from a flat floating position on the front, to a back floating position, then return to standing
• Perform a tuck to rotate from a flat floating position on the back, to a front floating position, then return to standing
• Perform a log roll from the back to the front
• Perform a log roll from the front to the back
• Exit the water without support

Key Learning Points for stage 3

• Jump in from poolside and submerge to a minimum depth of 1 metre
• Sink, push away from wall and maintain a streamlined position
• Push and glide on the front with arms extended and log roll onto the back
• Push and glide on the back with arms extended and log roll onto the front
• Travel 5 metres on the front, perform a tuck to rotate onto the back and return on the back
• Fully submerge to pick up an object
• Answer correctly 3 questions on the Water Safety Code*
• Push and glide and travel 10 metres on the back
• Push and glide and travel 10 metres on the front
• Perform a tuck float and hold for 3 seconds
• Exit the water without using steps

Water Safety Code

• Stop and Think – Always swim in a safe place
• Stay Together – Always swim with an adult
• Float – If you fall in, float on your back, breathe, relax
• Call 999 – If someone else in trouble
• Tell the person to float on their back
• Throw them something that floats

Key Learning Points for stage 4

• Perform a sequence of changing shapes (minimum of three) whilst floating on the surface and demonstrate an understanding of floating
• Push and glide from the wall towards the pool floor
• Kick 10 metres backstroke (one item of equipment optional)
• Kick 10 metres front crawl (one item of equipment optional)
• Kick 10 metres butterfly on the front or on the back
• Kick 10 metres breaststroke on the front (equipment optional)
• Perform a head first sculling action for 5 metres in a flat position on the back
• Travel on back and log roll in one continuous movement onto front
• Travel on front and log roll in one continuous movement onto back
• Push and glide and swim 10 metres, choice of stroke is optional
• Travel on the back and roll in one continuous movement onto front
• Travel on the front and roll in one continuous movement onto back
• Swim 10 metres, choice of stroke is optional

Key Learning Points for stage 5

• Perform a flat stationary scull on the back
• Perform a feet first sculling action for 5 metres in a flat position on the back
• Perform a sculling sequence with a partner for 30-45 seconds to include a rotation
• Tread water for 30 seconds
• Perform 3 different shaped jumps into deep water
• Push and glide and swim 10 metres backstroke (performed to Swim England expected standards)
• Push and glide and swim 10 metres front crawl (performed to Swim England expected standards)
• Push and glide and swim 10 metres breaststroke (performed to Swim England expected standards)
• Push and glide and swim 10 metres butterfly (performed to Swim England expected standards)
• Perform a handstand and hold for a minimum of 3 seconds
• Perform a forward somersault
• Demonstrate an action for getting help
• Minimum 200m swim

Key Learning Points for stage 6

• Give two examples of how to prepare for exercise and understand why it is important
• Sink, push off on side from the wall, glide, kick, and rotate into backstroke
• Sink, push off on side from the wall, glide, kick and rotate into front crawl
• Swim 10 metres wearing clothes
• Push and glide and swim front crawl to include at least six rhythmical breaths
• Push and glide and swim breaststroke to include at least six rhythmical breaths
• Push and glide and swim butterfly to include at least three rhythmical breaths
• Push and glide and swim backstroke to include at least six regular breaths
• Push and glide and swim 25 metres, choice of stroke is optional (performed to Swim England expected standards)
• Perform a “shout and signal” rescue
• Perform a surface dive
• Exit from the water without using steps
• Swim minimum 400m

Key Learning Points for stage 7

• Push and glide and swim 25 metres backstroke (performed to Swim England expected standards)
• Push and glide and swim 25 metres front crawl (performed to Swim England expected standards)
• Push and glide and swim 25 metres breaststroke (performed to Swim England expected standards)
• Push and glide and swim 25 metres butterfly (performed to Swim England expected standards)
• Perform a movement sequence (linking skills with strokes and sculls) of one minute duration, in a group of 3 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
• Push and glide and swim 50 metres continuously using one stroke (performed to Swim England expected standards)
• Push and glide and swim 100 metres, using a minimum of three different strokes (performed to Swim England expected standards)
• Tread water using eggbeater action for 30 seconds
• Complete an obstacle course (using minimum of four objects) with feet off the pool floor throughout Remove Swim minimum 800m

Key Learning Points for stage 8

• Complete a set lasting 400 metres (e.g. 16 x 25 metres, 8 x 50 metres, 4 x 100 metres) on a specific turnaround time agreed by the teacher or coach (e.g. 1.00 minutes for each 25 metres) with a focus on stroke technique and consistency.
• Swim 400 metres continuously using one stroke.
• Push and streamline then kick 25 metres backstroke with or without using a board.
• Push and streamline then kick 25 metres breaststroke with or without using a board.
• Push and streamline then kick 25 metres butterfly without using a board.
• Push and streamline then kick 25 metres front crawl with or without using a board.
• Perform a backstroke turn from 10 metres in to 15 metres out.
• Perform a breaststroke turn from 10 metres in to 15 metres out.
• Perform a butterfly turn from 10 metres in to 15 metres out.
• Perform a front crawl turn from 10 metres in to 15 metres out.
• Perform a dive track or grab start, and kick butterfly underwater in a streamlined position for 5 metres with the focus on progressing it to 10 metres.*
  
  ‍*Delivery will depend on the pool design and facilities available.

Key Learning Points for stage 9

• Complete a set lasting 800 metres (either 16 x 50 metres, 8 x 100 metres, 4 x 200 metres) on a specific turnaround time agreed by the teacher or coach (e.g. 1.30 minutes for 50 metres) with a focus on stroke technique and consistency.
• Swim 800 metres continuously using one stroke.
• Swim a continuous 100 metre individual medley (4 x 25 metres) using recognised turns with a focus on stroke technique and consistency.
• Perform a 15 metre underwater kick on front from a push and glide in a streamlined position.
• Perform a backstroke start then butterfly kick in a streamlined position underwater up to a maximum of 15 metres from the start point (wall). Transfer into stroke and complete the remainder of the 25 metres.*
• Perform a front crawl start then kick in a streamlined position underwater up to a maximum of 15 metres from the start point (wall). Transfer into stroke and complete the remainder of the 25 metres.*
• Perform a butterfly start then kick in a streamlined position up to a maximum of 15 metres from the start point (wall). Transfer into stroke and complete the remainder of the 25 metres.*
• Perform a breaststroke start then perform a one and a half pull underwater. Transfer into stroke and complete the remainder of the 25 metres.*

*Delivery will depend on the pool design and facilities available.

Key Learning Points for stage 10

• Complete a set lasting 1600 metres (either 16 x 100 metres, 8 x 200 metres, 4 x 400 metres) on a specific timed turnaround set by the teacher or coach (e.g. 2.30 minutes for 100 metres), focus on stroke technique and consistency.
• Swim 1500 metres continuously using one stroke.
• Perform a continuous 100 metre individual medley kick (4 x 25 metres) without using a kick board.
• Swim a continuous 200 metre individual medley (4 x 50 metres) using recognised turns.
• Perform a front crawl relay take over – as an incoming swimmer.
• Perform a front crawl relay take over – as an outgoing swimmer.

*Delivery will depend on the pool design and facilities available.