Teachers introduce young swimmers to the water teaching recognised water skills within the Swim England Learn to Swim Programme whilst encouraging independent movement through the water. As the swimmers ability increases teachers will introduce all four strokes and teach new skills such as diving, streamline starts and tumble turns throughout the Learn to Swim stages. We will work with all swimmers that clearly want to progress and who are receptive to Teachers/Coaches feedback. However, we will also advise you if you if we believe they are no longer benefiting from the classes or have reached their full potential.
1 Tadpoles
Teachers will conduct swimming trials from three and a half years old in order to start swimming at the club when places are available from four years old, teaching recognised skills within the Swim England Learn to Swim Programme. GNSC have a high Teacher to pupil ratio at this stage to encourage confidence and independent movement through the water using equipment. At this stage Teachers will support pupils to move through the water kicking with equipment blowing bubbles and introduce arms to develop independent movement.
2 Goldfish
Teachers will assist swimmers to attempt the correct body position in the water using push and glide techniques, we also introduce breathing in the water. At this stage swimmers will be able to move independently without floats. We introduce all four strokes (front crawl, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly) starting with the leg kick techniques.
3 Dolphins
Swimmers at this stage will aquire skills in all four strokes. They will gain deep water confidence and learn water safety skills. Teachers will deliver lessons in each of the four strokes encouraging appropriate stroke technique.
4 Sharks
Swimmers at this stage develop appropriate starts to include the underwater phase and recognised breathing techniques over a distance of 10-25m developing stamina and stroke technique during each session.
5 Whales
Swimmers will learn to use the pace clock and develop their spatial awareness in the pool. They will learn lane disipline, counting strokes to prepare them for competitive swimming. Swimmers will improve their stamina over 25-50m and learn new skills such as tumbling in the appropriate stroke phase.
6 Seahorses
Swimmers improve their stamina and stroke technique over 100m in all four strokes. Teachers will introduce swim and rest times using the pace clock and prepare the swimmers for competition.
As GNSC is considered to be a competitive swimming club, upon completion of Stage 6 there will be an assessment carried out by the Learn to Swim Teachers and the Coaching team. Any swimmer under 12 years of age by the 31st of December that year, who can demonstrate they meet the entry criteria will join the "Rookie" squad providing the swimmer is willing to enter galas when requested as a competitive swimmer.
The remaining swimmers will proceed into the Pre-Squad stage where they will be given an additional 12 months coaching in an effort to meet the entry criteria to join the "Bronze" or "Club Development" squads. If after the additional 12 months the swimmer cannot meet either of these squad criterias, they will leave the club considered to be "water confident".
