Swimming - Key Stages 1 and 2

Swimming forms a vital part of PE in the National Curriculum. The school has a legal requirement to teach all children water safety and to swim 25m by the time they reach the age of 11. We are very fortunate at King Athelstan as every year group (Years 1 - 6) is able to swim for one term each academic year.

The lessons are taught by the PE Coordinator and a team of instructors at the Kingfisher Leisure Centre - a 10 minute walk from the school. The centre has an 8m training pool (up to 0.8m depth) and a 25m pool for the more able swimmers.

The children are taught the following:

• To swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres.
• To be able to use a range of strokes effectively - front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke.
• To perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.

We adhere to strict ratios in line with health and safety and lifeguards are on duty during all lessons.

Swimming Provision Autumn 2020

Unfortunately, due to the closure of the Kingfisher Leisure Centre, there is no swimming until further notice.  

Preparing your child for swimming lessons

Some children can become quite anxious about their swimming lessons, particularly if they are non-swimmers. If you feel that your child is worried, please let the class teacher know as soon as possible so they we can give the appropriate support. We recognise that some children may need time to develop their confidence in the water. Obviously regular practice is very important therefore we are always grateful if parents and carers are able to take children swimming after school or at weekends to give them additional practice.

Each child will need:

• A towel.
• Swimming trunks or a one piece swimming costume.
• A large waterproof bag to put their clothes in while they swim (not a backpack).
• Long hair will need to be tied back and covered by a swimming hat.
• Please remove all jewellery, including stud earrings.