Swimming

Since 1994, swimming and water safety has been a statutory element of the national curriculum for physical education in England. This means that every 11-year-old child should leave primary school with the skills to keep themselves safe while enjoying swimming with friends and family.

Swimming is the only sport to be included within the national curriculum physical education programme of study. All primary schools must provide swimming and water safety lessons in either Key Stage 1 or 2. At White Ash we are lucky to be able to provide school swimming for nearly all pupils (Year 2 and above) throughout the school year.

Each pupil is required to be able to do the following:

• Perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations
• Swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres
• Use a range of strokes effectively, for example, front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke

Pupils attend one half-term block each term of swimming lessons. This allows them to develop and secure the skills that are being taught during the swimming lessons at Hyndburn Leisure Centre.

For swimming lessons you will need to provide the school with the following:

- Swimming costume/short

- T-shirt (optional)

- Towel

- Bag

- Swimming nappies/Splashabout Shorts (if needed)

- Goggles (optional)

Swimming Awards

Duckling Awards - With Duckling Awards your child can work towards four different colourful Awards. Each Award has its own certificate and badge. Duckling 1 will see children start to move by themselves in the water. By Duckling 4 they will be jumping in, going underwater, floating and travel 10 metres without support.

Learn to Swim Awards - The Learn to Swim Stage 1-7 Awards are divided into progressive stages. They make up the core, national syllabus of learning to swim for primary school aged children. They are designed to reward your child for their development of the essential aquatic skills they need to be confident, competent and safe in the water. Each of the Learn to Swim Stage 1-7 Awards has a list of clear outcomes that need to be completed in order to gain each Award.