Water Confidence
Building confidence and independence in the water
Water Confidence is the starting point for children who are new to swimming lessons, nervous in the water or still developing basic independence. Teachers remain in the water throughout this level, providing hands-on support while gradually encouraging swimmers to become more confident on their own.
Swimmers develop the foundations needed for future swimming, including:
- Safe pool entries and exits
- Putting their face in the water, bubbles and breath control
- Supported floating on the front and back
- Regaining a standing position
- Jumping into the water and returning safely
- Front and back flutter kick
- Basic front and back swimming movements
- Confidence moving independently through the water
Progression: Once these foundation skills are completed confidently and consistently, swimmers progress to Learn Bronze.
Learn Bronze
Developing independence and the foundations of swimming
Learn Bronze is for swimmers who are becoming confident and independent in the water. Teachers remain in the water throughout this level, helping swimmers develop stronger movement skills, body position and the foundations of their first recognised swimming strokes.
Swimmers develop skills including:
- Independent front and back floating
- Push and glide on the front and back
- Jumping into the water and returning safely
- Swimming 5 metres front crawl
- Swimming 5 metres back crawl
- Introduction to breaststroke
- Collecting objects from underwater
- Treading water with support
- Introduction to a sitting dive
- Developing greater control and confidence in the water
Progression: Once these skills are completed confidently and consistently, swimmers progress to Learn Silver.
Learn Silver
Building stronger strokes and confidence in deeper water
Learn Silver is for swimmers who are becoming more capable and confident across the pool. At this stage, swimmers begin developing stronger stroke technique, deeper-water confidence and more advanced aquatic skills.
Swimmers develop skills including:
- Swimming 15 metres front crawl
- Swimming 15 metres back crawl
- Swimming 15 metres breaststroke
- Introduction to butterfly
- Log rolls and forward rotation skills
- Swimming, floating and swimming again
- Push and glide with controlled kicking
- Collecting objects from deeper water
- Treading water for 30 seconds
- Introduction to a kneeling dive
- Developing confidence and control in deeper water
Progression: Once these skills are completed confidently and consistently, swimmers progress to Learn Gold.
Learn Gold
Developing complete strokes, water safety and advanced aquatic skills
Learn Gold is the final stage of our Learn programme. Swimmers work towards completing all four recognised strokes over longer distances while developing stronger deep-water confidence, diving, lifesaving and water safety skills.
Swimmers develop skills including:
- Swimming 25 metres front crawl
- Swimming 25 metres back crawl
- Swimming 25 metres breaststroke
- Swimming 15 metres butterfly
- Standing dives
- Treading water for 1 minute and calling for help
- Reach rescues and water safety skills
- HELP position
- Swimming underwater in a streamlined position
- Sculling and water polo skills
- Sink, swim, sink sequences
- Introduction to tumble turns
Progression: Once these skills are completed confidently and consistently, swimmers progress to Swim Bronze.
Swim Bronze
Building endurance, stronger technique and advanced swimming skills
Swim Bronze is the first stage of our Swim programme. Swimmers begin working over longer distances while refining all four strokes, improving efficiency and developing more advanced aquatic and water safety skills.
Swimmers develop skills including:
- Swimming 50 metres front crawl
- Swimming 50 metres back crawl
- Swimming 50 metres breaststroke
- Swimming 25 metres butterfly
- Developing effective turns
- Breaststroke pullouts
- Diving followed by streamlined underwater kicking
- Sculling over 25 metres
- Treading water for 3 minutes
- Building continuous swimming endurance
- Completing a 200 metre distance milestone
Progression: Once these skills are completed confidently and consistently, swimmers progress to Swim Silver.
Swim Silver
Developing advanced technique, speed and endurance
Swim Silver challenges swimmers to maintain strong technique over longer distances while developing speed, race skills and greater control across all four strokes.
Swimmers develop skills including:
- Swimming 100 metres front crawl
- Swimming 100 metres back crawl
- Swimming 100 metres breaststroke with pullout
- Swimming 50 metres butterfly
- Developing effective race starts
- Completing an individual medley using all four strokes
- Swimming 100 metres in under 2 minutes
- Diving and swimming 25 metres in under 30 seconds
- Building continuous swimming endurance
- Completing a 500 metre distance milestone
Progression: Once these skills are completed confidently and consistently, swimmers progress to Swim Gold.
Swim Gold
Completing the pathway with advanced technique and endurance
Swim Gold is the final stage of our swimming programme. Swimmers work towards maintaining strong technique over significantly longer distances while combining all four strokes, individual medley skills and higher-level endurance.
Swimmers develop skills including:
- Swimming 400 metres front crawl
- Swimming 400 metres back crawl
- Swimming 200 metres breaststroke
- Swimming 100 metres butterfly
- Completing a 200 metre individual medley
- Maintaining effective technique over longer distances
- Swimming 200 metres in under 4 minutes
- Diving and swimming 50 metres in under 45 seconds
- Building sustained swimming endurance
- Completing a 1,000 metre distance milestone
Progression: Completing Swim Gold represents the end of our structured swimming pathway, giving swimmers a strong foundation to continue into fitness swimming, competitive swimming, lifesaving or other aquatic activities.