‘Absolutely outstanding’ swimming assistant courses across the country

At Swim England we believe our qualifications and Approved Training Centre courses are unrivalled in both their quality and delivery. But then we would say that.  So what do the actual learners think? Rachel Moore completed her Level 1 Swimming Assistant (Teaching) course at Benfield School in Newcastle this month. Run by the Institute of Swimming and tutored by Chris Cook, the course certainly made a positive impression, as Rachel explains…

Going into the course with 20+ years of teaching experience, but no swim teaching experience was a little daunting, but I have to say that my experience of the course can be summed up in two words – absolutely outstanding.

The course subject matter is very succinctly delivered in all of the written materials, and the written work is challenging but simple to complete if you have been paying attention in class. The practical work has also been very well thought out, giving maximum opportunities to practice what we had learned in the classroom whilst giving us actual poolside experience, which was great.

What did I most enjoy about the course? Definitely working with the kids – they were a lovely bunch, and I found it so rewarding to work with the same children all week, see their progression and know that my assistance was a part of it. I also enjoyed being able to create and deliver some activities with the different stages.

Passion for the sport

I enjoyed the mechanics of breaking everything down to the bare bones, and adding layer upon layer to create a whole stroke. That was hugely valuable and educational for my own knowledge base and I feel I have gained a lot of personal and professional development from my Level 1 course.

Chris is truly an amazing tutor and I have learned so much from him – it really has been a total privilege to have gained my qualification from him. He was so positive about us as a group, that he certainly inspired me (and others I have spoken to) to decide to do the Level 2 course. I found his passion for the sport and for teaching absolutely infectious!

• Interested in following Rachel’s lead and embarking on a Swim England Level 1 Swimming Assistant (Teaching) course? Visit the Swim England Qualifications website or join the Swimming Qualifications Facebook group.