junior aquatics

A range of activities designed to challenge those who wish to continue beyond the Junior Lessons programme.

our programme

Those swimmers who have got to a point where they are ready to finish Learn to Swim Stage 7 of the Swim England Learn to Swim Programme can be ready to move on to new sports and try different aquatic activities.

Our Junior Aquatics programme is designed to provide new and exciting challenges to keep children actively engaged in swimming. Take a look at the options available to children close to completing Stage 7.

Challenge Awards

Swim England Swimming Challenge Awards are for young people working towards the latter stages of Learn to Swim Stages 1-7, with Bronze, Silver, Gold and Honours Awards available.

Children will be challenged to develop a wide range of skills and stamina in order to achieve the Awards, with a focus on good stroke style.

Bronze

For the following grades Sections A and B may be completed on two different occasions, but each section must be completed without pause and in the order listed. This group of skills test the pupil’s ability:

Section A

  1. Jump into water of at least full reach depth.*
  2. Swim 10 metres, followed by a surface dive into water of at least full reach depth* and underwater swim for a distance of 5 metres.
  3. Tread water in a vertical position for three minutes.
  4. Scull head-first on the back for 15 metres with the feet at, or near, the surface throughout.

Section B

  1. Swim 400 metres using two strokes. (Changes of stroke can only occur at the completion of a length of the pool. A minimum of 100 metres is to be swum with each stroke.)
  2. Climb out at the deep end without assistance.

* Full reach depth is the distance from feet to finger tips of hands reaching above the head.

Silver

By completing this Award, you will have shown your ability to complete each of the following sections in the order listed without pause:

Section A

  1. Plunge dive into water of at least full reach depth.*
  2. Swim 100 metres in less than three minutes using any stroke. A change of stroke may only occur at the completion of a length of the pool.
  3. Tread water for two minutes with one hand behind the back.
  4. Swim 10 metres, followed immediately by two surface dives into water of full reach depth*, one head first and one feet first, bringing an object to the surface on each occasion.
  5. Scull head first on the back for 10 metres and return by sculling 10 metres feet first. A horizontal position must be maintained throughout.

Section B

  1. Swim 800 metres: 400 metres on the front and 400 metres on the back. A change of stroke may only occur every 50 metres.
  2. Climb out at the deep end without assistance.

* Full reach depth is the distance from feet to finger tips of hands reaching above the head.

Gold

By completing this Award, you will have shown your ability to complete each of the following sections in the order listed without pause:

Section A

  1. Plunge dive into water of at least full reach depth* and swim 100 metres in two minutes 30 seconds or less, using two different strokes, 50 metres of each.
  2. Tread water for three minutes with one hand remaining above the head throughout. The arm raised may be changed no more than five times.
  3. Scull head first on the back for 10 metres, move into a tucked position and turn through 360 degrees keeping the head above water. Return to the starting point by sculling feet first with the feet at or near the surface throughout and the hands close to the hips.
  4. Swim 10 metres, perform a forward somersault without touching the pool bottom and continue to swim in the same direction for a further 10 metres.

Section B

  1. Swim 800 metres using three of the following strokes: front crawl, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, English backstroke or sidestroke for a minimum distance of 200 metres per stroke. A change of stroke may only occur every 100 metres. This swim to be completed in 25 minutes.
  2. Climb out at the deep end without assistance.

* Full reach depth is the distance from feet to finger tips of hands reaching above the head.

Honours

By completing this Award, you will have shown your ability to complete each of the following sections in the order listed without pause:

Section A

  1. Make a straddle entry into water of at least full reach depth*, swim 5 metres into a piked surface dive to retrieve an object weighing approximately 2kg from water of full reach depth*; carry the object using a backstroke or sidestroke for a distance of 20 metres, to place it on the poolside.
  2. Scull 10 metres head first on the back; complete a back somersault finishing in a back layout position; perform a roll to take up a front layout position; carry out a front somersault finishing in a front layout position; tuck and rotate backwards into a back layout position and continue to scull feet first for 15 metres. Throughout all sculling and layout positions, the hands must remain close to the hips and the feet must be kept together on or near the surface of the water.

Section B

Complete the following in a total time of 20 minutes without a pause:

  1. Swim 200 metres front crawl, 200 metres backstroke and either 100 metres breaststroke or 50 metres butterfly. A change of stroke may only occur every 100 metres (except for butterfly).
  2. Swim 500 metres freestyle during which surface dive twice head first and twice feet first; on each surface dive, swim through two hoops 4 metres apart without surfacing. The tops of the hoops are to be at least 1 metre below the surface of the water.

* Full reach depth is the distance from feet to finger tips of hands reaching above the head.

Rookie Lifesaving

The Rookie Lifeguard Awards are for your children if they are budding lifeguards.

Developed by the Royal Life Saving Society UK in partnership with Swim England, the Rookie Lifeguard Awards offer parents the comfort of knowing their children are aware of how to avoid dangers and enjoy the water safely.

Bronze

On completing Bronze Stages 1, 2 and 3 children should be able to:

  1. Enter shallow water safely and confidently
  2. Tread water for 1 minute, using arms to occasionally signal for help
  3. Swim continuously in clothing for 50m (long sleeved top, trousers or skirt)
  4. Swim Lifesaving Backstroke over a distance of 50m
  5. Scull head and feet first on their back over a distance of 15m
  6. Hold the ‘HELP’ position for 2 minutes 30 seconds
  7. Demonstrate a non-panicking, panicking, and unconscious casualty
  8. Demonstrate a ‘Shout and Signal’ rescue to a casualty 5m away
  9. Enter shallow water and wade to a casualty 5m away
  10. Throw a buoyant aid to a casualty 5m away and instruct them back to the side
  11. Demonstrate a reach rescue to a casualty 2m away
  12. Throw a non buoyant aid (rope) to a casualty 8m away
  13. Enter deep water safely and confidently
  14. Perform a feet first surface dive and swim underwater 5m before surfacing
  15. Climb out in deep water without using the steps
Silver

On completing Silver Stages 1, 2 and 3 children should be able to:

  1. Swim continuously in clothing (long sleeved top, Trousers, or a skirt) for 200m on your front and back (100m on your front and 100m on your back), in less than 10 minutes.
  2. Demonstrate a reaching rescue to a casualty 2m away, instruct them what to do
  3. Throw a buoyant aid to a casualty 8m away. Instruct them what to do
  4. Enter shallow water and wade to a casualty 10m away. Using a throwing aid, instruct the casualty what to do.
  5. Enter shallow water and wade to a casualty 10m away. Using a rigid aid instruct the casualty what to do.
  6. Place casualty in the support position
  7. Tread water for 3 minutes, shouting and signalling for help every 30 seconds or so
  8. Swim 100m during which perform 2 feet first and head first surface dives, recover an object in 1m of water before surfacing
  9. In shallow water turn a face down ‘unconscious casualty’ face up and walk to the poolside whilst shouting for help.
  10. Coil and throw a rope to a casualty 10m away and pull to the side in less than 45 seconds
  11. Enter deep water using a straddle jump
  12. Demonstrate a fall-in entry into clear deep water
  13. Swim 20m continuously with your head out of the water on your front
Gold

On completing Gold Stages 1, 2 and 3 children should be able to:

  1. Coil and throw a rope to a casualty 12 metres away and pull to the side, in less than 30 seconds
  2. Swim 400m continuously in clothing (long sleeved top and trousers) using three different strokes. Each stroke must be performed continuously for 100m (Lifesaving Backstroke, Sidestroke, Breaststroke or Front Crawl) in less than 15 minutes
  3. Tread water for two minutes before removing clothing then swim 50m to a point of support in deep water. Climb out of deep water unaided
  4. Demonstrate any two from the following in clear deep water; fall-in, compact jump or shallow dive
  5. Swim 10 metres then demonstrate a Reverse
  6. Swim 10 metres then demonstrate a Standoff
  7. Swim 20 metres to an unconscious casualty. Surface dive and recover an object from 1m depth of water. At the surface swap the object for and unconscious casualty. Turn the casualty over then perform a swim and tow for 20m using sidestroke. This is a timed swim and must be completed in less than 2 minutes 30 seconds. Shout for help
  8. Demonstrate supported rescue breathing whilst waiting for help
  9. Demonstrate the support position
  10. Using initiative, assist 2 casualties in difficulty up to 15 metres away in shallow water. Demonstrate non-contact rescues of both casualties instruct casualties what to do and assist to land. Treat for shock
  11. Using appropriate hand signals from land direct another swimmer to a point where an unconscious casualty has disappeared from sight in deep water
  12. Using any recognised competitive stroke, swim 400m continuously, in less than 12 minutes
  13. Complete the Rookie Life Support Award