• Having Fun is at the heart of personal success
• Positioned to breath!

Programme

Introduction 

Floaters uses the much admired and imitated SwimCare© programme developed from the best swimming teaching programmes and experts from around the world. One of its strengths is that it is constantly reviewed and updated so that it is always in line with and often leading the latest thinking on how to best achieve the best potential of the pupils as individuals.

What is a programme?

The vast majority of swimming tuition providers structure their lessons based on an award scheme and and deliver it by what is called a "scheme of work". Very few understand how to build a programme, which is one of the main reasons why so many swimming lessons are no more than "supervised water time". A good programme actually teaches pupils how to swim rather than how to survive and gain an award. SwimCare is such a programme.

So how does it work?

The main thing to know is that it challenges accepted practice and asks questions all the time. Mostly, How can we do this better?

It only teaches what the pupil needs to know (eg. we do not teach them to doggy paddle - why, because this does not exist in any of the main strokes). We call this Key Element Teaching, a process that has been invented and perfected by, and unique to Floaters.

It goes way beyond what teachers have learned on their swimming teachers course (eg. it takes account of suitable pool space, pupils language and social development, their confidence and dependability on support, time needed to absorb increasingly complex information etc.).

It does not pay lip service to the dogma of any "recognised" organisation or governing body. (eg. where it is beneficial to the pupils for teachers to teach in the water, that is what we do.)

It recognises the importance of "skills" and integrates these into the strokes at the right time (eg. "sculling" is an integral part of the success of every stroke, so we give time to develop  the pupils sculling skills.)

It builds the foundation blocks upon which quality swimming strokes can be built (eg. we do not teach pupils how to breath, they have been doing this since birth!, We teach them where to position their bodies so that they can breath.)

It delivers the lesson information at the right time and a the right level, in a balanced and flexible way that focuses on individuals capabilities and abilities, rather than teaching a group as a group. We have called this "multi-disciplinary" teaching.

It recognises that swimming mechanics are not rocket science and does not try to baffle or mislead. We do not try to make it something that it is not. The honest, "keep it simple" approach works every time.

It understands that children cannot "swim" until after they are five years old. There are exceptions but natural physical  movements are not yet automatic.

All this seems quite straight forward. It is. The key however is knowing how to put it together; what to teach to whom and when; how to communicate complex information in an age appropriate way; how to monitor appraise and assess; how to design and build a delivery framework; etc.

It is the understanding of these things (and many more) that makes SwimCare so successful.