Swim England Teaching Framework

Pre-School Framework

Giving children confidence from the word go.

Teaching the core skills needed to learn the four strokes through fun and games.

The Pre-School Framework is about helping to support younger, less independent swimmers, pre-school children and babies. It also caters for toddlers, helping to keep them motivated if they are struggling with building water confidence. One of the ways to help keep them motivated is a range of bright Awards with fun and friendly characters to reward them as they progress.

Age group:

• Suitable for babies and toddlers between 0-5 years old

Key focus areas:

• Giving children confidence from the word go

• Teaching the core skills needed to learn the four strokes through fun and games

Corresponding Awards:

• Discovery Duckling

• Duckling

• I CAN

• Adult and Child

Learn to Swim (Stages 1-7)

The Swim England (ASA) 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.

It is the most widely known part of swimming lessons for children and is the backbone of swimming lessons for younger 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.

The outcomes for Stages 1-7 are attached below.

https://www.swimming.org/learntoswim/swim-england-learn-to-swim-awards-1-7/ 

Age group:

• Suitable for children from around the ages of 4-11 years old

Key focus areas:

• It consists of Learn to Swim Stages 1-7. The key focus areas of this Framework are:

Developing fundamental movement skills

Teaching children to swim using the four strokes of front crawl, backstroke, breaststroke and butterfly

Fun and enjoyment in the water to help children learn

Corresponding Awards:

• Awards for Learn to Swim Stages 1-7 

• Rainbow Distance 

• Other complementary Awards

Adult Swimming Framework

The Adult Swimming Framework is a national syllabus specifically designed to meet adult needs and motivations.

It caters for a range of abilities, from non-swimmers and nervous swimmers to those who want to build confidence. It helps develop swimming skills and improve stroke skills and technique.

Age group:

• Older teens and adults

Key focus areas:

• Building water confidence

• Learning to swim

• Developing swimming skills

• Enhancing stroke and swimming technique and competition skills

Corresponding Awards:

• Adult Swimming Awards

• Adult Distance Awards

Awards

Rainbow Distance

There are Rainbow Distance Awards available to reward a specific distance covered by the swimmers, from 5 metres right through to 5,000 metres.

These Awards are designed to test the child’s ability to swim the following distances:

5m, 10m, 15m, 20m, 25m, 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 600m, 800m, 1,000m, 1,500m, 1 mile, 2,000m, 3,000m, 4,000m and 5,000m!

Click the link below to view the outcomes!

https://www.swimming.org/learntoswim/swim-england-rainbow-distance-awards/ 

I CAN Awards

Swim England I CAN Awards are perfect for babies, toddlers and pre-school aged children. They recognise achievement of specific single successes for early learners, and can be awarded at any time by your child’s swimming teacher. The I CAN Awards are a brilliant way to motivate those who might be ‘stuck’ at a particular level of learning. They’re also great for rewarding learners with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Your child will enjoy receiving a badge and certificate for nine types of skill development.

The Awards are, I CAN…

…enter the water safely, …jump in, …float on my front, …float on my back, …roll over, …blow bubbles, …swim, …enter, turn, return, …exit safely.

Click the link below to view the outcomes!

https://www.swimming.org/learntoswim/swim-england-i-can-awards/ 

Discovery Duckling Awards

The Discovery Duckling Awards are the start of the learn to swim experience for all children. These awards are perfect for babies and toddlers and pre-school children who are new to swimming lessons.

Ideal for gaining water confidence while staying close to adult support, these awards are followed by the existing Duckling Awards. The Discovery Duckling Awards 1-4 each have their own certificate and badge.

Click the link below to view the outcomes!

https://www.swimming.org/learntoswim/swim-england-discovery-duckling-awards/ 

Ducking Awards

They are designed to help toddlers enjoy learning to swim with help from their parents or guardians.

With Duckling Awards your child can work towards four different colourful Awards. Each Award has its own certificate and badge.

Duckling 1 will see children start to move by themselves in the water. By Duckling 4 they will be jumping in, going underwater, floating and travel 10 metres without support. Duckling Awards are great at promoting increased independence and water confidence to help prepare for Stage 1 of the Learn to Swim Framework.

Click the link below to view the outcomes!

https://www.swimming.org/learntoswim/swim-england-duckling-awards/ 

Water Safety Awards

The Swim England Water Safety Awards are ideal for children who are taking part in the core Learn to Swim Stages 1-7 of the Swim England Learn to Swim Programme. There are three Water Safety Awards teaching water danger awareness, self-rescue techniques and vital survival skills in clothes, without swimming goggles. The Water Safety Awards have been developed in partnership with Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Royal Lifesaving Society UK (RLSS UK). They are a must for any parent to consider for their child.

Click the link below to view the outcomes!

https://www.swimming.org/learntoswim/swim-england-water-safety-and-survival-awards/ 

Water Skills Awards

The Swim England Water Skills Awards support intensive activity programmes and reward your child for successfully developing eight out of 10 skills across six grading levels, or six out of eight skills if your child has a disability.

The six Awards are represented by six colour-coded certificates and accompanying badges and focus on confidence, versatility, skills and endurance.

By the time your child succeeds at Water Skills 6, he or she should be able to swim 75 metres within two minutes using three different strokes.

Click on the link below to view the outcomes!

https://www.swimming.org/learntoswim/swim-england-water-skills-awards/ 

Swimming Challenge Awards

Swim England Swimming Challenge Awards; although the majority of recipients for the Awards are learners from the Learn to Swim Framework Stages 1-7 and Aquatic Skills Framework 8-10, the Bronze, Silver, Gold and Honours Awards are available for all to complete.

Learners will be challenged to develop a wide range of skills and stamina to achieve the Awards, focusing on good stroke style.

Together with four certificates and accompanying badges, the Awards also come with a metal lapel badge with butterfly fastener as an optional extra.

Click on the link below to view the outcomes!

https://www.swimming.org/learntoswim/swim-england-swimming-challenge-awards/ 

Adult Awards

If you are serious about your swimming then there are four Adult Learn to Swim Awards to work towards. These reflect the four Stages of the Adult Swimming Framework.

• Be Water Confident

• Be a Swimmer

• Be a Better Swimmer

• Be a Master Swimmer

You can also earn Distance Awards. The Swim England Adult Distance Awards can be gained by achieving 5 metres, 10 metres, 25 metres, 50 metres, 100 metres, 200 metres, 800 metres and 1 mile. They are designed to provide motivational milestones for swimmers who enjoy lane swimming, these Awards offer swimmers a clear target to achieve.

Click on the link below to view the outcomes!

https://www.swimming.org/learntoswim/swim-england-adult-learn-to-swim-awards/ 

https://www.swimming.org/learntoswim/swim-england-adult-distance-awards/ 

Award Certificate Examples

Info from Swim England. Info was retrieved and correct as of January 2024 - https://www.swimming.org/learntoswim/swim-england-awards-badges-certificates/