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Individual learning towards an independent life

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.

The three national curriculum outcomes 

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. 

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.

Swimming at The Wherry School: 

At The Wherry School every child (even into the Secondary Phase) has an opportunity to swim.  We are fortunate to have access to the Little Fish Swim School Pool located at The Hewett School, which is accessed from the school playground.  We swim every morning from 9-10am.  

The current arrangements for Swimming are:

  • Monday – Secondary rotation
  • Wednesday – Lower Primary swimmers: focussed taught session, water confidence, stroke development, water safety 
  • Friday – Upper Primary Swimmers: Friday – Primary non-swimmers –

Staffing:

The school has its own swimming teachers, lifeguards and staff with Rescue Award Qualifications, who are supervised by Little Fish School and part of the school staff, supporting teaching and learning across the curriculum, but leading on swimming teaching in the school.  In each session the  Swimming lead teacher ensures that staff are aware of their responsibilities with regards to the normal pool operating procedures (NOP) and emergency Action planning (EAP)

To support teaching and learning in swimming the school has 2 members of staff who are qualified lifeguards.

Resources to pupils:

The swimming lead develops the objectives for each session to ensure individual pupil development and confidence; we also seek opportunities for the pupils to provide their own “voice” in sessions to determine the direction of their own learning, swimming development and water safety.