Have you logged on to Teaching School Swimming CPD?

“The Teaching School Swimming and Water Safety CPD is a great opportunity for swimming teachers to gain a better understanding of swimming and water safety in the National Curriculum. And also how to use this to meet the aims of the PE programme of study.”

Discussing the course is Swim England Programme Manager for School Swimming, Susan Barlow.

The online CPD has been developed by the Institute of Swimming and Swim England to give Level 2 swimming teachers an in-depth knowledge of how to deliver school swimming lessons that meet curriculum requirements.

The curriculum sets out three swimming and water safety outcomes which all pupils must demonstrate before they leave Year 6:

• Swim competently, confidently and proficiently over a distance of at least 25 metres.
• Use a range of strokes effectively including front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke.
• Perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations

Swimming teachers are perfectly placed to support schools to fulfil this statutory requirement and this course give them an understanding of what primary schools are required to teach and report on.

The CPD sets out some important considerations for how swimming teachers can support schools. To make the most of swimming lessons, it reveals teaching methods relevant to the wider curriculum and school environment.

It also covers the Swimming and Water Safety Charter and its awards framework which provides progressive outcomes for school swimming lessons.

School swimming expertise

“Qualified swimming teachers who deliver school swimming lessons have a great knowledge of swimming,” explained Susan. “But they may not have the knowledge and understanding of where swimming and water safety fits as part of the National Curriculum.

“Therefore this CPD was created to give teachers the right skills, knowledge and confidence to deliver swimming lessons in line with the Physical Education programme of study.

“This ensures swimming teachers have an understanding of the differences between school swimming lessons and Learn to Swim lessons. And also how they can identify activities that will challenge and engage pupils more fully whilst enhancing learning in other areas of the National Curriculum.”

Learners can start this course as soon as they are booked on and it can be accessed multiple times before completion, allowing them to learn at their own pace.

• Find out more about the Teaching School Swimming and Water Safety CPD here.
• Have you joined the Swimming Qualifications (Swim England) Facebook group yet?