SPPA Conference 2014 Start Swimming before you Start School Fiona - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Scottish Swimming SPPA Conference 2014

Start Swimming before you Start School Fiona Paterson

Scottish Swimming

Scottish Swimming is the National Governing Body for Swimming in Scotland and our vision is that ‘every child can swim’ Start to Swim Pathway Aqua Natal Adult and Child Pre-school

Early Years Swim Teacher

Qualification

Pre-requisite – UKCC L2 Swimming teachers or equivalent Course Info

• Pre-course work
• 3 day tutor lead course
• 4 theoretical 2 practical assessments
• Candidate funding available through SAAS

Early Years Swim Bags

Parent Education

• Activity cards: 0 to 6 months, 6 to 12

months, 12 to 24 months, 24 to 36 months and Preschool.

• Each card has top tips and activities which

a parents can do at home in the bath or at the pool to encourage water confidence, play and social bonding between parent and child.

• In addition the bag includes a few small

toys which can be used in the bath or in the pool.

Start Swimming Before You Start School!

• 30% of children in Scotland leave school unable to swim. A

high percentage of those who can’t swim live in socially deprived areas.

• Addressing health inequalities in 2010/11, 21.4% of

Primary 1 children were classified as overweight, including 9.6% obese and 5.5% severely obese

• http://youtu.be/eT3u5hpbNr8?list=PL0TY7qdnDKAm9FYk

RiWddsoT5qJUbOx1F

How it started

Fun Confidence Life skill

Bonding Play Play

Start Swimming Before You Start School!

• Scottish Swimming and the NHS Lothian Family Nurse

Partnership (FNP) have worked in collaboration to provide quality swimming provision to young first times parents

• By implementing a swimming element into their already

established program we have been able to introduce the children and their parents to swimming at a key age

• The parent education was delivered in two forms
• Parent education
• Structured lessons

Family Nurse Partnership Program

Results and Impact

• 95% of parents felt more confident in the water with their

children and some had taken them swimming out-with the lesson.

• 100% of children’s water confidence had improved greatly

and the children completed the fundamentals of swimming for the age range thus helping to improve their balance and motor skills.

• Improved what some might perceive as a simple task like bath
• time. For some parents this was a stressful and dreaded part
• f the day which then lead onto to an even more stressful
• bedtime. The lessons provided parents and children with

enjoyment and confidence in the water which then transferred to a happy and fun bath time at home.

What's Next…..

• The program is still continuing in the

Lothian's area

• We have had positive discussions with other

health boards to implement in their areas

• Work with partners to secure funding to roll
• ut nationally

Start Swimming Before You Start School!

• Scottish Swimming and Falkirk Community Trust worked

collaboratively to engage 40 children from Bowhouse and 30 children from Kinneil nurseries and provide them with structured lessons

• The Swimming coordinators attended the nurseries,

delivered an information session to parents and handed

• ut Sammie the Salmon Preschool swim bags

Falkirk Community Trust Pre-school Program

Results and Impact

• Prior to the lessons starting, 83.1% of children had never been

to a structured lesson

• 79.6% had little or no confidence in the water
• 41.6% have continued into mainstream swimming lessons
• 58.4% who did transition into mainstream swimming for

example if finance was a barrier

‘‘Really impressed with how well Isla’s swimming has improved from swimming underwater to swimming up the deep end without arm bands (my heart was in my mouth that day) and all without armbands. Well done this is a great thing to be doing with the kids. Thank you we will continue to go swimming and encourage her more.’

What's Next…..

• Offer preschool swimming again with the

addition of another nursery

• Look at a sustainable model to enable the

program to be rolled out to other nurseries

Any Questions?