S4 SWIM SCHOOL GROUPS STRUCTURE
S4 Babies and Toddlers
S4 Babies is an adult & child baby swim programme designed to give your baby a happy confident start in basic swimming skills. Thirty minute classes are available for ages from four months to five years and are organised according to age.
S4 Teaching
S4 Teaching is a childrens swimming programme designed to give your child swim teaching of the highest quality. Our top priority is to provide a relaxed & friendly environment for children to learn to swim. Thirty minute classes are available from the age of five years and are organised according to age & ASA grouping.
S6 Squad
S6 Coaching is an introduction to coaching for children and is more of a swimming club for our squad level swimmers. It is an extension of S4 swim teaching, incorporating two coaching based disciplines 'Speed' & 'Stamina'. Sixty minute sessions are available for swimmers aged 8+ years.
S4 Adults Swimming
At S4 we provide adult swim sessions for adults. For the weaker swimmer with little water experience and confidence to the more advanced swimmer who may need advanced swim techniques or coaching sessions.
S4 SWIM SCHOOL PROGRESSION AND AWARDS
S4 Babies and Toddlers
At S4 children can start swimming lessons as early as 4 months. Once a child has developed water confidence, basic propulsive movement (swimming unaided) and flotation, they can progress to our main learn to swim programme at one of our larger swimming pools. For further information regarding lesson times, pool locations & course information click on the links at the top of this page.
For our Babies/Toddlers (aged 4 months to 2 years) we follow the ASA 'Swim a Song' series.
For our children (aged 2 to 5 years) we follow the ASA 'Ducklings' series. We follow Ducklings awards 1 - 4 at this early developmental stage. The Ducklings series focuses on creating fun, positive experiences for young children that will not only help them to develop physically, but also emotionally, intellectually and socially too, whilst equipping them with key safety skills in the water.
S4 Teaching Groups
For our S4 Teaching Groups (children aged 5+), we follow the ASA National Plan, stages 1 - 7
OCTOPUS
The main focus here will be on children building their confidence further, with additional emphasis placed on propulsive movement. Before progressing to the next group children must demonstrate a basic over arm action on both frontcrawl & backstroke, and a simultaneous kick action on breastroke & butterly.
GOLDFISH
Once children reach goldfish level swimming, the main emphasis turns to technique introduction. In this group children will learn the basics on breaststroke, frontcrawl & backstroke paying greater attention to detail (turning the head to breathe, turning feet out on breaststroke, & little finger entry on backstroke). Butterfly kick will still be the major emphasis on this stroke progressing to dolphin shape (rhythm & timing).
ANGELFISH
To progress to angelfish groups children must demonstrate frontcrawl showing continuous correct breathing patterns. The backstroke & breaststroke arm action must be demonstrated correctly and rhythm and timing must be evident on butterfly (no arms at this stage). The main emphasis in angelfish groups will be technique developement (bent arm pull on backstroke, timing on breaststroke & an introduction to butterfly arms).
SHARKS
At shark level children can slowly start to increase the distance on frontcrawl, backstroke & breaststroke. Stamina building will only be introduced when the child is performing correct technique. The main emphasis here will be on advanced technique with a lot of focus on stroke length on breaststroke & frontcrawl, and rhythm & timing on backstroke & butterfly.
S6 Advanced Coaching Groups: S6 Swim Squad
Entry into the S6 Squad is by invitation only. Decisions will be made by the head coach in communication with the instructors. Sessions are 1-hour in duration and the main emphasis is an introduction to speed & stamina swimming and race skills (dives/turns/finishes on all strokes).
For our S6 Swim Squad we follow the ASA Stage 8 Award. This incorporates many coaching based criteria. We also adopt the A.S.A National Speed Awards in all four swimming strokes. Bronze, silver and gold speed awards are based on target times to achieve.
