Life skills: getting in the swim

Swimming is good for us – and it’s especially good for children. Learning to swim isn’t just about building confidence and safety around water – it has numerous benefits for mental wellbeing too.

‘Swimming is so relaxing and is really good at building self-esteem. It’s just an all-round brilliant sport!’ says Vivacity’s Swimming Coordinator Sarah Snodgrass. With so much pressure on today’s schoolchildren, swimming is the perfect way to take their minds off schoolwork. ‘It’s a great way to clear the mind and recharge the brain so it’s fresh for study.’

Swimming is in fact part of the National Curriculum, with pupils expected to be able to swim 25 metres ‘competently, confidently and proficiently’ by year six. In reality a significant proportion of children fail to achieve this due to a lack of resources and time in the school week. ‘Learning to swim or improving your swimming technique outside of school gives children the luxury of focus and time, which will dramatically boost their competence,’ adds Sarah.

Vivacity’s Swim Academy (Team England accredited)
Vivacity runs its own Swim Academy – a programme of weekly swimming lessons ranging from absolute beginner to an advanced level. Children may be enrolled from as young as four-years-old. The Swim Academy takes place across all of Vivacity’s indoor swimming pools: Vivacity Premier Fitness, the Regional Fitness & Swimming Centre, and Jack Hunt Pool & Gym.

The programme is broken down into stages. Stage one is where it all starts, with lessons designed to teach basic water safety awareness, movement and water confidence, with the use of swimming aids. There are ten stages in all, so children can progress at their own speed in a friendly, supportive and safe environment.

‘By stages three and four its about building on the fundamentals to develop technique. Then from stages eight to ten they can specialise. Currently that means concentrating on rookie lifeguarding or competitive swimming, but we’re hoping to develop a diving option too to give a bit more variety,’ explains Sarah.

‘The teaching style within the Swim Academy is very much focused on creating an enjoyable atmosphere so that children can learn without undue pressure. The Academy’s big advantage is that it’s tailored to the individual, so if for whatever reason children do get stuck at a particular stage it’s very easy to try a different approach to find the teaching style that works. We’ve got every approach under the sun, so we will find the best one for your child.’

Support and encouragement
Vivacity’s swimming lessons run across the three sites every day of the week and are predominantly held after school and at the weekend so they are as accessible and convenient as possible. It’s affordable too, with prices starting at just £25 per month when paying by direct debit.

There’s lots of encouragement along the way too. Children receive an Award Passport in which they can collect stickers as they progress, together with up to 25 badges and certificates across the first seven stages. You’ll also get access to Vivacity’s free online assessment tool so you can track your child’s progress from lesson-to-lesson via real-time feedback from the teachers.

Perhaps the biggest benefit to joining the Vivacity Swim Academy is the opportunity to learn essential life skills while building healthy habits that will continue with them through life.

For more information or to book: 01733 864760,

www.vivacitypeterborough.com/sport/swim-academy

• Vivacity Premier Fitness: Hadfield Road, Hampton, Peterborough PE7 8BT. Call: 01733 864744.
• Regional Swim & Fitness Centre: Bishops Road, Peterborough PE1 5BW. Call: 01733 864760.
• Jack Hunt Pool and Gym: Ledbury Road, Netherton, Peterborough PE3 9PN. Call: 01733 864759.

Under 5’s swim free!

Don’t forget that all children under the age of five swim for free at all Vivacity swimming pools, including the Lido. Get them into a healthy routine from an early age and develop their skills to prepare them for school. Benefits of learning to swim from a young age include more confidence later on in childhood, improved motor skills, knowledge of how to behave in water and so much more.