Faversham Swim School runs every weekday with after school, and weekend classes. Our group lessons are for age 4 and above, and run for 30 minutes. Children are grouped by ability, not age. Our small group size – no more than 6 per lesson – makes learning faster, easier and safer. And our talented, dedicated instructors are all fully-qualified and DBS checked.

Lessons are purchased as a 12 week block, and run through the year with breaks for the Christmas, Easter and Summer holidays. Intensive crash courses are available through the school holidays if you wish to build upon your child’s learning. (From 2022).

We follow the Swim England ‘Learn to Swim’ programme to provide a complete progressive pathway for learners of all ages. Progress is continuously assessed, and children have the opportunity to achieve an award as each level is attained. On poolside, you may see our teachers with tablet computers assessing the children during their lessons. This information is uploaded onto the Swimsoft app, allowing parents to view progress made each week and monitor progress.

You can easily pay for your lessons via the Swimsoft app. We do not refund missed swimming lessons – however, if a serious illness or condition arises, we will review this on an individual basis. In the event of the pool not being able to offer lessons, a lesson credit will be offered.

These lessons are taken without a parent in the water. We teach the children to swim with the help of woggles, floats and swim fins. They’ll learn to be brave and challenge themselves. Our beginner levels (1-2) will have a teacher in the water for added support.

Once your child has reached level 7, they have the option to progress to swimming with Faversham Swimming Club.

Our lessons are extremely popular but spaces become available all the time. To join our waiting list, please click here.

Swim England Learn to Swim Awards 1-7

The Swim England Learn to Swim Awards 1-7 are divided into progressive stages. They make up the core, national syllabus of learning to swim for primary school aged children. They’re designed to reward your child for their development of the essential aquatic skills they need to be confident, competent and safe in the water.

Each of the Swim England Learn to Swim Awards 1-7 stages has a list of clear outcomes that need to be completed in order to gain each award.

By the end of each Stage of the Swim England Learn to Swim Framework pupils should have reached all outcomes for that stage. Swimmers must complete these outcomes with or without aids, equipment or support.

Stage 1

1. Enter the water safely.
2. Move forward for a distance of 5 metres, feet may be on or off the floor.
3. Move backwards for a distance of 5 metres, feet may be on or off the floor.
4. Move sideways for a distance of 5 metres, feet may be on or off the floor.
5. Scoop the water and wash the face.
6. Be comfortable with water showered from overhead.
7. Move from a flat floating position on the back and return to standing.
8. Move from a flat floating position on the front and return to standing.
9. Push and glide in a flat position on the front from a wall.
10. Push and glide in a flat position on the back from a wall.
11. Give examples of two pool rules.
12. Exit the water safely.

• 5 metre Distance Award

Stage 2

1. Jump in from poolside safely to a minimum depth of 1.0 metre.
2. Blow bubbles a minimum of three times rhythmically, with nose and mouth submerged.
3. Move from a flat floating position on the back and return to standing without support.
4. Move from a flat floating position on the front and return to standing without support.
5. Push from a wall and glide on the back – arms can be by the side or above the head.
6. Push from a wall and glide on the front with arms extended.
7. Travel using a recognised leg action with feet off the pool floor on the back for 5 metres.
8. Travel using a recognised leg action with feet off the pool floor on the front for 5 metres.
9. Perform a tuck to rotate from a flat floating position on the front, to a back floating position, then return to standing.
10. Perform a tuck to rotate from a flat floating position on the back, to a front floating position, then return to standing.
11. Perform a log roll from the back to the front.
12. Perform a log roll from the front to the back.
13. Exit the water without support.

• 5 metre Distance Award

Stage 3

1. Jump in from poolside and submerge to a minimum depth of 1.0 metre.
2. Sink, push away from wall and maintain a streamlined position.
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. Travel 5 metres on the front, perform a tuck to rotate onto the back and return on the back.
6. Fully submerge to pick up an object.
7. Answer correctly three questions on the Water Safety Code.
8. Push and glide and travel 10 metres on the back.
9. Push and glide and travel 10 metres on the front.
10. Perform a tuck float and hold for three seconds.
11. Exit the water without using steps.

• 10 metre Distance Award

Stage 4

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 towards the pool floor.
3. Kick 10 metres backstroke (one item of equipment optional).
4. Kick 10 metres front crawl (one item of equipment optional).
5. Kick 10 metres butterfly on the front or on the back.
6. Kick 10 metres breaststroke on the front (one item of equipment optional).
7. Perform a head first sculling action for 5 metres in a flat position on the back.
8. Travel on back and log roll in one continuous movement onto front.
9. Travel on front and log roll in one continuous movement onto back.
10. Push and glide and swim 10 metres, choice of stroke is optional.

• 20 metre Distance Award

Stage 5

1. Perform a flat stationary scull on the back.
2. Perform a feet first sculling action for 5 metres in a flat position on the back.
3. Perform a sculling sequence with a partner for 30-45 seconds to include a rotation.
4. Tread water for 30 seconds.
5. Perform three different shaped jumps into deep water.
6. Push and glide and swim 10 metres backstroke (performed to Swim England expected standards).
7. Push and glide and swim 10 metres front crawl (performed to Swim England expected standards).
8. Push and glide and swim 10 metres breaststroke (performed to Swim England expected standards).
9. Push and glide and swim 10 metres butterfly (performed to Swim England expected standards).
10. Perform a handstand and hold for a minimum of three seconds.
11. Perform a forward somersault.
12. Demonstrate an action for getting help.
13. 25 metre Distance Award

Stage 6

1. Give two examples of how to prepare for exercise and understand why it is important.
2. Sink, push off on side from the wall, glide, kick and rotate into backstroke.
3. Sink, push off on side from the wall, glide, kick and rotate into front crawl.
4. Swim 10 metres wearing clothes.
5. Push and glide and swim front crawl to include at least six rhythmical breaths.
6. Push and glide and swim breaststroke to include at least six rhythmical breaths.
7. Push and glide and swim butterfly to include at least three rhythmical breaths.
8. Push and glide and swim backstroke to include at least six regular breaths.
9. Push and glide and swim 25 metres, choice of stroke is optional (performed to Swim England expected standards).
10. Perform a ‘shout and signal’ rescue.
11. Perform a surface dive.

• 50 metre Distance Award
• 100 metre Distance Award

Stage 7

1. Push and glide and swim 25 metres backstroke (performed to Swim England expected standards).
2. Push and glide and swim 25 metres front crawl (performed to Swim England expected standards).
3. Push and glide and swim 25 metres breaststroke (performed to Swim England expected standards).
4. Push and glide and swim 25 metres butterfly (performed to Swim England expected standards).
5. Perform a movement sequence (linking skills with strokes and sculls) of one minute duration, in a group of three or more, incorporating a number of the following skills:
   1. Sculling: head first, feet first.
   2. Rotation: forward or backward somersault, log roll.
   3. Floating: star on the front or on the back, tuck float, create own.
   4. Eggbeater: Moving, lifting one or both arms out of the water
6. Perform a sitting dive or dive.
7. Push and glide and swim 50 metres continuously using one stroke (performed to Swim England expected standards).
8. Push and glide and swim 100 metres, using a minimum of three different strokes (performed to Swim England expected standards).
9. Tread water using eggbeater action for 30 seconds.
10. Complete an obstacle course (using minimum of four objects) with feet off the pool floor throughout.

• 200 metre Distance Award