Water Safety Week: East Renfrewshire pupils dive into new swim programme

East Renfrewshire pupils have been making a splash as part of a new schools swim programme, led by East Renfrewshire Culture.

Article Source: East Renfrewshire Culture & Leisure
Last Updated: 19 June 2023 13:45

Figures released for Drowning Prevention Week (18-25 June 2023) show that over 1,700 East Renfrewshire pupils participated in the new programme from August 2022 to June 2023, with 87.5% of surveyed school staff reporting that pupils learned new skills, 87.5% improved their water confidence and 100% enjoyed the experience and had fun in the water.

The six-week programme is run by East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure's Swimming Development team in conjunction with Active Schools. The programme focuses on supporting children to become more water confident and developing core aquatic techniques, with emphasis on water safety and drowning prevention.

The school sessions are offered to primary four pupils, following research and collaboration with East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure, Education Scotland, Scottish Swimming and local schools, which indicated the age group would benefit the most from the lessons. The initiative has been offered to all local primary schools, with sixteen East Renfrewshire schools participating from August 2022 to June 2023.

The schools programme delivery fits into the National Framework for Swimming in Scotland and all sessions are delivered by fully qualified swim teachers, hosted at four swimming pools at Eastwood Park, Barrhead Foundry and Neilston Leisure Centres as well as Eastwood High School.

Robert Hammond from East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure said: "The uptake of our new schools swim programme has been phenomenal. It's fantastic that children are learning and developing these essential life skills.

"Our six-week programme starts with an assessment of each child's swimming ability. We have a tailored programme for each level, which increases their understanding of water safety information and guidance and drowning prevention awareness, develops confidence in the water and improves their swim technique and ability.

"We'd like to thank all the staff and schools in the local area for working with us on our swim school programme. We hope to continue this collaboration to support pupils in the local area in developing these important skills."

The programme focuses on safe entries and exits to the pool, submerging and aquatic breathing, floatation and rotation, streamlining and propulsion and sculling and treading water.

Suzanne Martin, Head Teacher of St. Joseph's Primary in Busby, said: "Our children have loved their block of swimming lessons this session. Many of the children have commented that they enjoy working with the instructors and for some this is their first experience in the pool. We are very proactive in St. Joseph's, ensuring we highlight the importance of water safety, especially in the last term when the children will be in or around water during the summer. Providing the opportunity for children to develop basic skills in the water is a very important part of the curriculum.

"Participating in swimming lessons with their peers can also make the water less 'scary' and reduce anxiety that some children may have because they see their friends are doing it and they know that the instructors and lifeguards are keeping them safe."

Swim instructor Graeme Hudson, who leads the swimming lessons for pupils from Isobel Mair school, said: "It's fantastic that the kids are getting this time in the pool and are becoming more water confident as part of their school day. Working with children who have additional support needs is different to mainstream swimming because you're really trying to get to know the kids themselves and what they like.

"It's very rewarding when you realise you've made a difference in that child's life. Being in the water gives them pleasure and I get a big kick from seeing them happy. This gives them something different in their day and might just change their outlook on life."

Around 2,300 children also participate in East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure Trust's swimming lessons, offered outside school hours, at four swimming pools in East Renfrewshire. The Trust has partnered with Scottish Swimming and recently invested in the Learn to Swim programme, with all existing swimming teachers upskilled to ensure the delivery of the best quality programme for young swimmers and teaching essential life skills for the long term.

Water safety and drowning prevention is now a regular part of East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure's Learn to Swim programme timetable, delivered four times each year in March, June, September and December. The Trust also includes Water Safety lessons as part of its intensive swimming lessons during spring, summer and October holidays.

Gordon Hunter from Scottish Swimming said: “It is great to see the work of our partners at East Renfrewshire Culture and Leisure, supported by Scottish Water. The provision of school swimming sessions, as well as community learn to swim programmes, are critical to ensuring all children have the opportunity to learn essential life skills to keep them safe in and around water.

Delivering lessons specially adapted to include key water safety guidance including the Water Safety Code and basic aquatic skills such as floating are a key part to helping more children learn to be confident and competent swimmers so we can create a generation of happy, healthy and active young people."

Find out more about East Renfrewshire swimming: www.ercultureandleisure.org/fitness-swimming/

For more on Drowning Prevention Week, visit: www.rlss.org.uk

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