Y3/4 Swimming Lessons

Dear Parent/Carer,

This term, we have an EXCITING opportunity! We have hired a pop-up swimming pool for 3 weeks. Within this time, we are able to offer our pupils the opportunity to start to develop their swimming skills as part of the PE curriculum. Having the pool on our site means that we will not have to waste time travelling to the pool and as a consequence the children will have more time in the water! 

By the time a child is ready to leave primary school they should be able to swim, know how to get out of trouble if they fall into the water, know the dangers of water and understand how to stay safe when playing in and around it.   This includes understanding and adhering to national and local water safety advice, being able to use appropriate survival and self-rescue skills if they unintentionally fall in or get into difficulty in the water, and knowing what to do if others get into trouble.

Year 3 children will have 2 lessons on Monday 27th and Tuesday 28th March and Year 4 will have 3 lessons from Wednesday 29th to Friday 31st March.  This will then be continued and developed next year.

The company supplying the pool will also supply a qualified swim teacher and a lifeguard. There will always be a member of IVJS staff with the children who is also trained in school swimming lessons.
Your son/daughter will be taught the national swimming curriculum which includes the following skills and strokes:

• ​how to enter and exit the water,
• floatation,
• submerging,
• rotating from back to front and front to back and regaining an upright position,
• pushing and gliding and an understanding of streamlining,
• aquatic breathing,
• moving effectively and efficiently through the water using alternating and simultaneous strokes on front and back, such as front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke, side stroke,
• swimming longer distances and for increasing amounts of time,
• using swimming skills and strokes for different purposes such as water polo and synchronised swimming,
• survival and self-rescue skills: treading water, Heat Escape Lessening Position (HELP) and Huddle positions, floating and resting in the water, attracting attention, sculling and swimming in clothes/buoyancy aids,
• water safety: knowledge and understanding of different water environments, how to stay safe when playing in and around water including recognising flags and warning signs and understanding national and local water safety advice,
• what to do if others get into difficulties: stay safe: shout, signal; throw, do not go into the water; raising the alarm 999,
• play competitive games such as water polo and apply basic principles suitable for attacking and defending. 

To help us group the children according to their swimming ability we would appreciate you completing and returning the slip on the paper version of this form sent home with your child or emailing [email protected] with the following information:
Child's name, child's class, whether your child has previously attended swimming lessons and up to how many metres your child can swim (0/up to 10m/up to 25m/more).

Yours sincerely,
 
Mrs Chapman Allen