Swimming Awards and Certificates

Swim England Learn To Swim Programme And Framework

The Swim England Learn to Swim Programme is the national syllabus used to help teachers deliver swimming lessons and the one that, as an affiliated member, we follow. 

1. Pre-School Framework – This Framework is aimed at babies, toddlers and pre school children . It helps to build the foundation for a lifelong love of water. Every child should be given a chance to learn to swim and feel like they are comfortable and able to do so in any situation. A child's  first experiences during their early years, of water and the pool environment, should be positive, fun and memorable.
2. Learn to Swim Framework – The Swim England Learn to Swim Framework is about developing confident and competent swimmers through fun and enjoyment, and Learn to Swim Stages 1-7 are at the heart of the Swim England Learn to Swim Programme which we follow at School of Dolphins. It is the most widely known part of swimming lessons for children and is the backbone of swimming lessons for primary school aged children.

   Each of the seven stages of the Swim England Learn to Swim Framework has a clear set of targets for the pupil to meet so they can get to the next stage.

A Brief Overview Of Our Swimming Certificates

For more information regarding the criteria for the levels of swimming taught you may wish to look at the Swim England Parents Guide

LEVEL 1 – Developing basic safety awareness, the ‘class’ scenario, basic movement skills and water confidence skills. Little Fins may use aids, e.g. floats and woggles.

LEVEL 2 – Developing safe entries to the water, including jumping in, basic floating, travel and rotation unaided to regain upright positions. Little Fins may use aids, e.g. floats or woggles.

LEVEL 3 – Developing safe entries including submersion, travel up to 10 metres on the front and back, progress rotation skills and water safety knowledge.

LEVEL 4 – Developing the understanding of buoyancy through a range of skills, refining kicking technique for all strokes, and swimming 10 metres to a given standard as directed by Swim England.

LEVEL 5 – Developing ‘watermanship’ through sculling and treading water skills, and complete rotation, also performing all strokes to the given standard as directed by Swim England.