Allerton C of E Primary School is a large Primary School in North Leeds for 2-11 year olds. The large majority of children come from a variety of ethnic minority backgrounds. 40% of children are in receipt of pupil premium. PE and sport continue to be a focus at our school and curriculum provision and participation in extra curricular sports is strong.
In previous years, swimming lessons have been organised with Leeds City Council, and year groups are selected to participate every year. The swimming lessons are 30 minutes long, weekly, for 33 weeks. The qualified swimming instructors are leisure centre staff and school also provides staff to assist in the lessons.
Many of our children do not access swimming lessons outside school and consequently have very little confidence in the water. Our children have struggled to learn to swim through the weekly swimming lessons in large groups.
Our aim is to increase the number of children who can swim 25 metres by the end of KS2 and to improve their confidence in the water.
In our cohort of 41 Year 5 children, there are only 9 children who can swim 25 metres. These children have accessed swimming lessons outside school. In a pupil questionnaire, 5 children said “I have never been swimming before” and the majority of this cohort had swam only occasionally on holiday, or at the local leisure centre. The parents of these children were also asked about their swimming patterns, and most swam only occasionally through the year, or not at all.
In July 2015, 16 Year 5 children were given ‘Top up’ swimming lessons at the Grammar School at Leeds. These lessons consisted of a daily programme of swimming, and is an extremely effective way of supporting those children who have been unable to pass the KS2 requirement during regular school swimming lessons. To be fully effective, the recommended pattern of delivery is 10 lessons over 10 days for a minimum of half an hour each day, with the same swimming teacher. Groups should be as small as possible as many of these children will have already struggled to learn in larger classes.
The children were driven to the Grammar School in our school minibus and three instructors from Water Babies were employed to give lessons to small groups of no more than five children. One of our teachers is a qualified swimming instructor and also assisted the instructors in the pool. They delivered 10 lessons over 10 days, one hour per day.
What does success look like and what has changed for the children?
All the staff involved have been very positive about the swimming experience at the Grammar School. The children’s progress has been outstanding: 16 children started the lessons with little water confidence. At the end of the 10 lessons, 19 children can swim 25 metres. 8 children can swim a minimum of 10 metres and the remaining children have improved their water confidence to enable them to enjoy being in the water.
Through pupil voice questionnaires, the children were able to feedback their views about the experience.
Pupil A:
“ When I started I couldn't swim but now I can swim 25 metres.”
Pupil B:
“I was not confident at all. I can almost swim. I can swim 10 metres.”
Pupil C:
“I was really terrified before. Now I can swim with a back stroke for about 2 metres”
Review of intensive two week lessons from Chris Jones (Water Babies coach)
“When I was asked to organise two weeks of intensive swimming lessons for the school, my only anxiety was, that if there were a number of children who were very anxious about the water, would they be able to overcome their fear in a two week period, or would it be better for these children to have a weekly swimming lesson over a school academic year?
Having been involved with Leeds City Council leisure services, where primary school children have one lesson a week over a longer period, and having just finished the intensive course, I can honestly say that the intensive two weeks has surpassed the lesson per week alternative.
Although many of the children were very nervous and had little or no pool water experience, they totally got on board with pushing themselves and trying to get the most out of the two week course.
A major factor in the success of the two week course was the small class sizes, with each instructor only having to teach five or six children, so each child could get the attention they needed to progress in such a short period of time.
I think it’s fair to say that some of the results have been amazing. It has been a pleasure to observe the children’s progress, to see their confidence growing and to witness the pride at their own success.”
Chris Jones
This project had been an outstanding success for all the pupils involved. The impact of these lessons is evident through the children’s confidence and self-esteem and has introduced them to the sport of swimming, which they will not experience through their family lives.
Many thanks to Chris Jones, all the swimming instructors and to Andy Mirfin at the Grammar School at Leeds.
Liz Willis Assistant Head Teacher July 2015