Pool availability/timetabling issues/pools closing

• Share bookings with another school/class. The pool may not be at capacity and individual sessions maybe under used
• Access and maximise breakfast clubs and after school clubs. Often teaching pools are available at 8-9am and 3-4pm
• Consider purchasing swim vouchers for after-school learn to swim lessons or holiday lessons such as HAF provision.

Cost of transport

• Shared pool sessions and transport with other schools
• Book longer sessions (if suitable for pupils abilities) to reduce the number of swimming sessions and therefore the number of journeys but will still provide the same amount of water time.
• Transport tenders and greater buying power, either through the swimming lesson provider or collaborative schools purchasing transport together
• If risk assessment indicates it is suitable, maximise active travel
• Practice using public transport to travel to the pool
• Access bikeablity/cycle/scooter buses as active travel to the pool (if risk assessed as appropriate)
• Book first or last lesson of the day, other transport provision may be able to drop off or pick up from the pool.

Limited School budgets

• Maximise the Primary PE and Sport Premium funding for top up provision
• Pre-swimming familiarisation, download water Safety and activation resources from the Swim England Charter to ensure young people are fully prepared and progress during lessons is at an optimum rate
• Look for off-peak bookings such as breakfast clubs and after-school sessions.

Lack of SEND knowledge from swimming teachers

• Partnership working and collaboration between school staff and swimming teachers. Swimming teachers are the experts in technical knowledge relating to swimming and aquatics, school staff are the experts relating to the individuals abilities/likes and dislikes and learning styles
• School staff can complete the Support Teacher of School Swimming - eLearning
• School Staff and Swimming Teachers can complete the Supporting young people with SEND in School Swimming CPD, email [email protected] to arrange this course
• There are also courses available from organisations such as the Institute of Swimming and Aswim UK.

Staffing problems

• Use local students from secondary schools, sixth-form colleges or local universities to volunteer to work to support pupils on a one to one or small group level. This course is designed for young people to train to support learners Swimming Lesson Helper under the direction of an experienced swimming teacher. The pool operator would need to be consulted to review their risk assessment
• School staff to complete the Teacher of School Swimming course. Search here for Continued Professional Development (CPD) 

Fragmented local and national approach

• National messaging for the requirements for Key Stage 2 swimming are at Swim England and STA, understand the minimum standards for school swimming
• The organisations completing the online assessment tool will receive recommendations to work towards national recommendations and encourage a consistent approach to school swimming delivery
• Place based approach is a model which should be considered to meet the local community’s needs. An example of place based activity is Inspire 2022 project, helping people from all backgrounds learn to swim.

Use of pop-up pools

• The position statement released by Swim England, the STA and Swim Wales on use of temporary ‘pop-up’ pools can be found at Industry partners’ statement.