This is the starting point for children to attend lessons without their parents, aiming to take instruction and improve water confidence.

This stage is concerned with developing basic safety awareness, the ‘class’ scenario, basic movement skills and water confidence skills. Swimmers may use aids such as armbands or floats.

This stage focusses on developing safe entries to the water, including jumping in, basic floating, travel on the front and back up to a distance of 5 metres, and rotating the body to regain an upright position.

Concerned with developing safe entries in to the water- including submersion – travel up to 10 metres on the front and back, progressing water safety knowledge and body rotation skills from the previous stage. Stage 3 sees the swimmer being assessed without the use of aids or support.

This stage aids the learner in developing the understanding of buoyancy through a range of skills. Also covered is refining kicking techniques for all strokes. The swimmer has to swim 10 metres to a standard directed by the ASA.

During this stage, swimmers develop ‘watermanship’ through sculling and treading water skills and complete body rotation. They also perform all strokes for a distance of 10 metres to a standard provided by the ASA within the ASA Learn to Swim Framework.

Developing effective swimming skills including coordinated breathing across all strokes is the focus of this stage. Learners also have to swim a distance of 25 metres using a stroke of the swimmers choice. Children also learn about aspects of water safety and about preparing properly for exercise.

During this stage, children develop quality stroke techniques up to 100 metres incorporating the skills they have learnt, and combine them to develop a linked routine. It combines a variety of skills accomplished in Stages 1-7.

An introduction to competitive swimming that develops speed and endurance over 400m

Having completed the previous 8 stages these sessions will continue to improve stamina and swimmers will be able to complete the challenge awards: Bronze, Silver and Gold.

For older children to learn to swim with children of the same age. Children will be taught up to stage 3. When they complete this they will join in with the main group lessons.