The Swim England Learn to Swim Framework

GoggleSquad is proud to be a Swim England Swim School and use the Swim England Learn to Swim Framework to keep track of learners’ progress.

Background

Swim England’s Learn To Swim Framework is the most widely adopted swimming programme in the UK. It is used by most schools so we also use it as part of our swim teaching programme, making it easy for learners and their parents to keep track of progress.

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

Like GoggleSquad, Swim England’s framework places a lot of value on having fun and enjoying being in the water, taking a games-led approach to learning to swim, which we know is the most effective way to help learners develop. 

What is Swim England?

Swim England is the national governing body for swimming in England. It’s a not-for-profit organisation that is responsible for promoting swimming and aquatic sports in England. The organisation’s mission is to inspire everyone to enjoy the water in a safe and fun way and to provide opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to learn to swim and develop their skills.

Swim England also oversees a wide range of swimming and aquatic sports, including diving, water polo, synchronised swimming, and open water swimming, providing support and guidance for clubs, coaches, and athletes at all levels, from grassroots to elite competition.

Essential aquatic skills

Swim England’s Learn to Swim framework provides a structured and comprehensive framework for teaching individuals of all ages and abilities how to swim. 

As well as helping learners develop fundamental swimming skills, it ensures that they are also taught essential water safety, such as recognising and avoiding hazards in and around the pool and knowing what to do in an emergency. 

By learning how to swim in a safe and structured way, children can develop their skills and confidence in the water, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries.

The framework consists of ten stages, each building on the skills learned in the previous stage, and provides a clear and structured progression for learners.

The program is flexible, allowing our swimming teachers to also tailor their teaching to meet the needs of individual swimmers.

The framework focusses on the core aquatic skills needed to become competent swimmers which are: 

  1. Entry

  2. Exits

  3. Floatation and Balance

  4. Rotation and Orientation

  5. Streamlining

  6. Aquatic Breathing

  7. Travel and Coordination

  8. Water Safety

  9. Health and Fitness

By learning and then applying these skills together, a learner will be able to understand the processes and skills needed to safely swim all of the four strokes; front crawl, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly.

Stages 1-7 of the Learn to Swim Framework

The Learn to Swim Stage 1-7 Awards are divided into progressive stages and make up the core, national syllabus of learning to swim for primary school aged children.

They are designed to reward children for their development of the essential aquatic skills they need to be confident, competent and safe in the water.

Each of the Learn to Swim Stage 1-7 Awards has a list of clear outcomes that need to be completed in order to gain each Award and are as follows:

Stage 1: Introduction to Water Skills

Stage 2: Fundamental Water Skills

Stage 3: Developing Water Skills

Stage 4: Strokes and Skills

Stage 5: Strokes and Stamina

Stage 6: Competitive Swimming Skills

Stage 7: Skill Development and Improvement

Each stage focuses on developing specific skills and techniques. For example, in Stage 1, swimmers learn how to submerge their face, blow bubbles, and float on their front and back. As swimmers progress through the stages, they learn more advanced techniques, such as different strokes, diving, and competitive swimming skills.

Stages 8-10 of the Learn to Swim Framework

The Learn to Swim Stages 8-10 Awards make up the Aquatic Skills Framework of the Learn to Swim Programme. They continue the swimmer’s journey beyond stage 7 and swimmers are encouraged to take part in different aquatic disciplines that develop their fundamental sports skills. All GoggleSquad learners have the opportunity to develop their swimming skills with stages 8-10.

Stage 8: Developing stamina and stroke technique

Stage 9: Developing speed, endurance and skills

Stage 10: Stroke mastery and complex technique

Child Swimming In A Pool