Badges and Certificates

The Learn to Swim Stage 1-7 Awards are divided into progressive stages. They make up the core, national syllabus of learning to swim for primary school aged children. At the Durley House Swim School we teach swimmers up to stage 5. Once swimmers have passed their stage 5 we recommend they move on to swim school or swim club which holds classes in a 25m pool.  Winchester City Penguins Swimming Club is highly recommended.

Each of the Learn to Swim Stage 1-5 Awards has a list of clear outcomes that need to be completed in order to gain each Award.

Learn to Swim Stage 1- 5 Outcomes

Stage 1
By completing this Award students will be able to: WATER SKILLS
1. Enter the water confidently and safely using the steps or from the side of the pool (swivel entry), return and exit the pool safely. I CAN ENTER, RETURN & EXIT AWARD
2. Move freely about the shallow end of the pool using hops, skips and jumps.
3. Jump into the water from the side of the pool with confidence, May have assistance. I CAN JUMP IN AWARD
4. Scoop the water and wash their face, remaining calm.
5. Be at ease with water showered from overhead.
6. Put their face in the water, eyes looking down, and blow bubbles for 5 seconds. I CAN BLOW BUBBLES AWARD BACKSTROKE
7. Hold a relaxed star float on back for 5 seconds, arms and legs stretched out, ears in the water. Return to standing position. May have assistance. I CAN FLOAT ON MY BACK AWARD 8. 5m kick on back with hands by sides, flat body position, ears in the water and long legs. No floats but may have assistance. 9. 5m kick on back, independently, no assistance, supported only by a noodle. PUFFIN AWARD FRONT CRAWL 10. Push off the steps or platform on front into a streamlined ROCKET and kick with straight legs, blowing bubbles, face down for 5m. Assistance may be given to support the hands out in front.
11. 5m independent kick on front, no assistance given, supported only by a noodle. PUFFIN AWARD BREASTSTROKE
12. Basic breaststroke kick action (lift, star, snap) in the water lying on front supported by a noodle. Assistance may be given. BUTTERFLY 13. Basic dolphin action in the water on front. Assistance may be given.

Stage 2
By completing this Award students will be able to: WATER SKILLS
1. Starting with toes over the edge, jump into the water safely from poolside, landing feet first (no assistance).
2. Blow bubbles a minimum of three times rhythmically, with nose and mouth submerged, rolling head to the side to inhale. 3. Fully submerge and pick up an object with two hands, eyes open.
4. Starting from a front float, tuck to rotate, to a back floating position, then bring knees up and return to standing. Repeat in reverse order from back to front. BACKSTROKE
5. Push off from the wall or platform and glide on back - arms can be by the side or extended above the head (no assistance).
6. Push from a wall and glide on the back – arms can be by the side or above the head.
7. 5m backstroke kick, with hands by sides, flat body position, ears in the water, long legs, toes at the surface (no floats, no assistance).
8. 5m basic independent backstroke swim, with arms recovering over the surface of the water. Catch up style is acceptable. (no assistance). FRONT CRAWL
9. Push off the steps or platform on front in a streamlined ROCKET and kick with straight legs, blowing bubbles, face down, for 5m (no assistance).
10 Repeat kicking through a hoop underwater.
11. 5m front crawl kick, holding a float or noodle, taking a minimum of 3 breaths by rolling head to the side. 12. 5m front crawl kick, holding a float with 1 hand, the other arm pulling, breathing every1 or 2 arm pulls (as directed by the teacher). 13. 5m basic independent front crawl swim, with arms recovering over the surface of the water. Catch up style is acceptable. At least 1 breath to the side must be taken. BREASTSTROKE
14. 5m breaststroke kick (lift, push, snap) on front. A noodle or floats may be used but no assistance given. BUTTERFLY 15. 5m independent dolphin kick on front, with flowing hip movement and parallel leg kick.

Stage 3
By completing this Award students will be able to:
1. Jump in from poolside and fully submerge (no assistance given).
2. Two different styles of float, each of be held for a minimum of 5 seconds
3. Push and glide on the front with arms extended and log roll onto the back.
4. Push and glide on the back with arms extended and log roll onto the front.
5. Rocket 5 metres on the front, perform a tuck to rotate onto the back and return to starting point kicking on the back.
6. Fully submerge to pick up an object. BACKSTROKE 7. Starting from a push and glide on back swim 10m backstroke with a shallow arm pull. FRONT CRAWL 8. Starting from a streamlined rocket on front, swim 10m front crawl breathing rhythmically to the side. BREASTSTROKE
9. 10m breaststroke kick (lift, push, snap). Feet turned out, knees remaining shoulder width apart and incorporating a glide. Feet must be flat (dorsiflexed) during push back. A board or noodle may be used for support. BUTTERFLY 10. 10m dolphin kick on front, arms extended WATER SAFETY 11. Correctly identify three of the four key water safety messages.*
*The four key water safety messages include:
             1. Always swim in a safe place.
             2. Always swim with an adult.
             3. If you fall in, float, breathe, relax.
             4. If someone else in trouble, call 999/112.

Stage 4
By completing this Award students will be able to: WATER SKILLS
1. Perform a sequence of changing shapes (minimum of three) whilst floating on the surface and demonstrate an understanding of floating. 2. Push and glide from the wall, platform or steps and rocket down at an angle and through an under water hoop sitting on the pool floor. 3. Streamlined rocket into a forward somersault. 4. Streamlined rocket into a 360 degree log roll. 5. Head first sculling action for 5m in a flat position on the back. BACKSTROKE 6. From a push and glide on back, swim 10 metres back stroke, with straight arm recovery, little finger entry, thumb exiting. UW pull may be a shallow straight arm pull or a bent arm pull, but NOT a deep windmill action. Both the leg kick and the arm pull should be continuous. FRONT CRAWL 7. Starting from a push and glide on the front, swim 10m front crawl breathing to the side. Swimmers should have mastered aquatic breathing, exhaling under water and be able to turn their heads to both the left and right side to inhale. Arms should be alternating, front quadrant style and be recovering over the surface of the water. BREASTSTROKE 8. 10m breaststroke kick incorporating correct timing of breathing. The kick must be heels lifting to hips, no knees under tummy, thighs remaining still, feet turned out. At at the end of each kick there should be a glide with legs held straight and together. No screw kicks. No equipment to be used. 9. Correct timing of breaststroke breathing in combination with a straight arm out scull and in scull. Floats may be used as support under hands. Arms must be held straight. Can be practised with either front crawl or breaststroke kick. BUTTERFLY 10. Demonstrate basic butterfly arm pull (without any leg kick) in slow motion, standing waist deep in water and/or floating face down. A pull buoy may be used to support the legs at the surface.

Stage 5
By completing this Award students will be able to:
WATER SKILLS 1. Demonstrate streamlined fc/br/bk starts off the wall. Starting at the wall with 1 arm extended, one hand on the wall, the hand leaves the wall with arm recovering over the top, hands lock together squeezing the ears as swimmer drops down uw, eyes looking down. Swimmer pushes off, arms must be in a tight streamlined position,, squeezing ears, before toes leave the wall. 2. Demonstrate a streamlined backstroke start off the wall, with arms extended, either from a drop down uw or by arms being thrown over the top. 3. Push and glide off the wall into a handstand. 4. Tread water for 30 seconds, stress free. 5. Perform a sculling sequence with a partner for 30-45 seconds to include a rotation.
6. Perform a straddle entry, keeping head above water on entry.
7. Perform 3 different types of jump, with a vertical, foot first entry into the water.
8. Demonstrate action for requesting help (tread water, 1 hand above head and shout for help). BACKSTROKE
9. Push and glide and swim 10 metres backstroke (performed to Swim England expected standards). Body almost horizontal, hips slightly submerged, controlled roll of shoulders. Continuous leg kick from hips, legs close to the surface, small splash of the feet. Hand entry in line with the shoulder, little finger entering first. Straight arm recovery. The uw pull may be straight arm or bent arm. Pull and kick co-ordinated, steady head position. FRONTCRAWL 10. Push and glide and swim 10 metres front crawl (performed to Swim England expected standards). Front quadrant style. Regular breathing with ease to both sides. No sneaky looks forward. Steady, long leg kick, toes making a splash at the surface. Arm recovery may be straight over the top, or bet arm with a high elbow. Hand enters softly finger tips first stretching forward in a line between head and shoulder. BREASTSTROKE
11. Push and glide and swim 10 metres breaststroke (performed to Swim England expected standards). There must be a streamlined glide between strokes. The kick should be simultaneous, heels lifting to hips, not knees tucking under tummy, knees remaining stable. Feet turned out during the kick, feet together with toes pointed for the glide. The pull should be with a simultaneous sculling action, hands not pulling past shoulders and without taking a pause under the chest. Head and body lifts as arms out scull, breath is taken during the propulsive in scull, face returns to the water during the recovery of the arms. BUTTERFLY 12.. Push and glide and swim 10 metres butterfly (performed to Swim England expected standards). The whip like kick should be simultaneous with the hips lifting and lowering causing full action of the legs and feet. The arm action should be simultaneous with arms recovering over the surface of the water.