Classes

We offer classes for all ages and abilities. If you would like more information on classes or to see which class your child might be suited to please see all of the classes we offer below and a brief description of the level they are aimed at.

If you would like any further information please get in touch.

Baby & Toddler Lessons

3 months - 3.5 years

Each lesson is structured around fun, bonding, water safety, child development stages and most importantly is led by each baby/toddler. This is achieved through songs, games and activities.

Lessons are 30 minutes long, at the end of the lesson there is usually 5 minutes to spend time with your child to either practice an activity, bond some more or to have some well earned fun!

Starfish 1

This is the first award in the starfish series and is aimed at, but not exclusive to, our 3-6 month old Adult & Child swimmers.

Once acheived you and your baby will have learnt and be able to:

Safely enter the pool
Using swing dips to introduce baby to the water
Supporting baby on the front and move freely around the pool
Supporting baby on the back and move freely around the pool
Cueing baby and washing face with water
Exiting pool safely

Starfish 2

This award is aimed at but not exclusive to our 6-8 month old Adult & Child swimmers.

Once acheived you and your baby will have learnt and be able to:

Holding baby facing you and submerging yourself in the water for baby to see
Moving freely around the pool using the safety hold
Moving around the pool using the seat hold, bobbing baby up and down
Supporting baby on the back while walking backwards and zigzagging through the water
Encouraging baby to wash their face with water or submerging baby in the water, holding baby towards the adult
Encouraging baby to hold onto the poolside, with assistance, if necessary

Starfish 3

This award is aimed at but not exclusive to our 6-12 month old Adult & Child swimmers.

Once acheived you and your baby/toddler will have learnt and be able to:

Supporting baby under the arms and encouraging baby to flop gently into the water from a sitting position on the poolside
Encouraging baby to move from a front position to a back position using flip-flop rhythmical movements
Encouraging baby to reach for a toy while moving around the pool, supporting baby on the front
Helping baby to use a kicking action to move through the water while supporting baby on the back
Using the safety hold to support baby and rolling baby away from you, then gently back towards you
Using a buoyancy aid to support yourself, float in the water and lay baby on your chest or have baby sit on your tummy, all the while making eye contact

Starfish 4

This award is aimed at but not exclusive to our 8-12 month old Adult & Child swimmers.

Once acheived you and your baby/toddler will have learnt and be able to:

Supporting baby by the arms or hands to encourage movement into the pool from a sitting position
Using a forward hold to encourage and gently submerge baby
Using the Little Harbour hold to move around the pool while encouraging movement from baby
Encouraging baby to roll from a front position to a back position with support
Encouraging movement from baby by swiftly walking backwards while supporting baby on the back.
Assisting and encouraging baby to hold onto the poolside and climb out (if baby has the physical ability)

Starfish 5

This award is aimed at but not exclusive to our 12 month and over Adult & Child swimmers.

Once acheived you and your toddler will have learnt and be able to:

Holding baby’s arms or hands, encouraging baby to jump into the water from a standing position on the poolside
Supporting baby while encouraging them to roll from a back position to a front position
Encouraging baby to make kicking movements with support either in a front surf hold or using a woggle
Encouraging baby with cues to submerge in a Duckling Dive
Swimming around the pool with baby holding onto your back
Cueing baby to submerge vertically and rotate 180° in the pool
Supporting baby in a front hold, encouraging baby to move forwards and grasp a toy, then return with support in a back float position

Starfish 6

This award is aimed at but not exclusive to our 12 month and over Adult & Child swimmers.

Once acheived you and your toddler will have learnt and be able to:

Encouraging baby to enter the water freely from a sitting position on the poolside
Encouraging baby to move freely through the water, either with minimal support or with the use of a buoyancy aid
Cueing baby to submerge vertically and rotate 360° in the pool
Supporting baby by the hands and encouraging movement in a figure of 8 or snaking pattern through the water
Taking baby for a front or back ride through the water, with or without support
Cueing baby to submerge in a Duckling Dive towards the poolside and encouraging baby to hold onto the poolside and climb out (if baby has the physical ability)

Stanley 1

This is the first award in the stanley series and is primarily aimed at but not exclusive to our pre-school swimmers, however we will award this to our Adult & child swimmers 2 years and over who have acheived all the Starfish series and are ready to start progressing to swimming alone.

Once acheived your child will have learnt and be able to:

Identify the teacher
Enter the water safely
Splash feet at water’s surface while supported by wall/ woggle/adult and then return to a standing position
Walk forwards, backwards and sideways through the water unaided for 5 metres. If in deeper water, unassisted walking actions may be substituted
Move through the water on the front for 2 metres, turn around and move back to start position
Move through the water for 2 metres on the back, roll to regain feet.
Blow a small object across the pool for 2 metres
Travel under a woggle bridge and through a shower created by a watering can
Push and glide on the front
Exit pool safely

Stanley 2

This award is aimed at but not exclusive to our 2 years and over Adult & Child swimmers.

Once acheived your child will have learnt and be able to:

Show an understanding of poolside safety
Enter the water safely from the poolside
Blow bubbles into the water, with mouth or nose and mouth submerged
Move through the water for 2 metres on the front while blowing bubbles, return to an upright/standing position
Move through the water for 2 metres on the back using an alternating leg action, ears in water and return to an upright/standing position
Perform a star floating position on front or back
Use front paddle action to move a ball across the pool
Push and glide on the back
Roll from front to back, looking at the ceiling
Climb out of the pool safely

Pre-school Lessons

3.5 years - 5 years

Each lesson is structured around fun, water safety, water confidence, independent swimming and so much more. We achieve this through songs, games and swimming activities with a focus on the children being independent in the water.

Lessons are 30 minutes long and are unaccompanied without a parent/guardian in the water. At the end of the lesson there is usually 5 minutes free play where the children can discover the water, practice skills and swimming, build water confidence without realising it.

Once your child has completed the pre-school lessons they will move onto the main stream lessons entering in either Stage 1 or Stage 2.

Stanley 1

This is the first award in the STAnley First Steps Series and aimed at but not exclusive to our 3 years and over Pre-school swimmers.

Once acheived your child will have learnt and be able to (Buoyancy aids may be used):

Identify the teacher
Enter the water safely
Splash feet at water’s surface while supported by wall/ woggle/adult and then return to a standing position
Walk forwards, backwards and sideways through the water unaided for 5 metres.If in deeper water, unassisted walking actions may be substituted
Move through the water on the front for 2 metres, turn around and move back to start position
Move through the water for 2 metres on the back, roll to regain feet.
Blow a small object across the pool for 2 metres
Travel under a woggle bridge and through a shower created by a watering can
Push and glide on the front
Exit pool safely

We also award this to our Adult & Child swimmers who have acheived all the Starfish series and are ready to start progressing to swimming alone.

Stanley 2

This award is aimed at but not exclusive to our preschool swimmers.

Once acheived your child will have learnt and be able to (Buoyancy aids may be used):

Show an understanding of poolside safety
Enter the water safely from the poolside
Blow bubbles into the water, with mouth or nose and mouth submerged
Move through the water for 2 metres on the front while blowing bubbles, return to an upright/standing position
Move through the water for 2 metres on the back using an alternating leg action, ears in water and return to an upright/standing position
Perform a star floating position on front or back
Use front paddle action to move a ball across the pool
Push and glide on the back
Roll from front to back, looking at the ceiling
Climb out of the pool safely

We also award this to our Adult & Child swimmers who have acheived Stanley 1 and are ready to start progressing to swimming alone.

Stanley 3

This award is aimed at but not exclusive to our preschool swimmers.

Once acheived your child will have learnt and be able to (Buoyancy aids may be used):

Answer a question on poolside safety rules
Enter the water from poolside, move forward 1 metre, then return and exit the pool unassisted
Blow bubbles into the water with face submerged
Perform a star float while on the back and regain the feet
Move through the water while on the back, using an alternating leg action for 5 metres
Move through the water 5 metres on the front, using front paddle action
Complete a 360° turntable with feet off the pool floor
Roll from back to front and return onto the back
Jump or step into the water from poolside with hand support from a swimming teacher or assistant
Show treading water action with legs on woggle – (seahorses)

Stanley 4

This award is aimed at but not exclusive to our preschool swimmers.

Once acheived your child will have learnt and be able to (Buoyancy aids may be used):

Answer 2 questions on poolside safety
Swim 5 metres of front paddle, roll onto back and swim 5 metres on the back
Bob up and down, submerging the face 4 times, exhaling underwater
Pick up an object from below the water surface
Perform 2 float positions, which may be in a sequence and performed on the front or the back
Push and glide on back, tuck and roll forward to return to poolside
Tread water, using arms and legs
Attempt a circular action of either arms or legs
Jump or step into pool safely unaided
Climb out of pool safely unaided

Stanley 5

This award is aimed at but not exclusive to our preschool swimmers.

Once acheived your child will have learnt and be able to (Buoyancy aids may NOT be used):

Answer 2 questions on poolside rules
Swim 2 metres of front paddle or back paddle, without support
Hold 3 different types of floating positions, each for 3 seconds
Breathe rhythmically for 4 cycles, either supported or moving
Jump or step in from poolside, tread water, turn and swim back to poolside
Push off on the back and kick with a simultaneous leg action for 5 metres using a woggle or float
Perform a push and glide on the front, keeping the face in the water and blowing bubbles
Retrieve an object from bottom of pool
Demonstrate front crawl arm action
Demonstrate back crawl arm action

Stanley 6

This award is aimed at but not exclusive to our preschool swimmers.

Once acheived your child will have learnt and be able to (Buoyancy aids may NOT be used):

Answer 2 water safety questions
Push and glide on the back, arms by side, ears in water
Swim through a submerged hoop
Swim 3 metres on front using a breaststroke type leg action, holding 2 floats or woggle
Swim 2 metres on the front and 2 metres back, paddle with a smooth transition in between (log roll)
Step, star or pencil jump into the pool, tread water then return to poolside
Hold the side of the pool and push off on the side under water
Swim on the front, tuck up and return swimming on the back
Swim 5 metres of either front crawl or back crawl
Scull forwards, backwards or in a circle, using a woggle

Stanley 7

This award is aimed at but not exclusive to our preschool swimmers.

Once acheived your child will have learnt and be able to (Buoyancy aids may NOT be used):

Answer 3 water safety questions
Perform a star float, slowly change to a narrow float and return to a star float on either the front or back
Push and glide on back with arms stretched then roll onto front
Swim 2 metres, dolphin leg kick on the front or back
Tread water for 10 seconds
Swim 5 metres using a frog breaststroke type action of the arms and legs
Swim 10 metres of front crawl confidently, attempt side breathing
Swim 10 metres on the back confidently
Swim through a submerged hoop and retrieve an object
Scull/scoop head first ,using a woggle, and arms only

Main Stream Lessons

4 years and over

Each lesson is structured around fun, swimming stroke/skill and water safety.

We encourage each child to grow their swimming and water confidence at their own pace through fun and games, we are great believers in a child will play when they are comfortable in their surroundings but also if you are learning through play and having fun you learn 90% quicker.

Stage 1 to Stage 4 lessons are 30 minutes in duration and Stage 5 to Stage 7 lessons are 45 minutes in duration the difference in lesson length is because as the children progress more emphasis is needed on stroke technique.

Please take a look at the awards your child could achieve below and a brief class description.

Stage 1

This class/award is aimed at complete beginners, who lack water confidence and don't like getting their faces wet or being splashed and for those who are not yet swimming without support and/or flotation devices.