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Swim safe programme

South Lanarkshire Leisure has put in place an innovative scheme aimed at improving the current primary school swimming programme. The intended outcomes of the programme are for every pupil by the end of primary 7 to be able to:

• Swim a distance of 25m unaided
• demonstrate a knowledge and proficiency in personal survival techniques

The underpinning principle of the programme will be to ensure that each school has a programme of 12 swimming instruction visits for the selected primary level. The programme has four main strands (details below).

Strand 1 – Twelve week swimming block

Our target outcome is for every child to swim 25 metres unaided by the time they leave primary school.
At the end of the school swimming block every child who achieves the 25 metres standard will receive a graduation certificate.

• School’s will receive support to help them to participate for 12 weeks

Strand 2 – Support programmes

During school swimming lessons
Extra teachers will be brought in to ensure that classes with high numbers of weak or non-swimmers are taught on a low ratio basis. Where appropriate teaching will take place on a 1-1 basis.

After completion of school swimming lessons
Any child who is unable to swim 25m competently will receive further swimming instruction, free of charge until this distance is achieved.

Strand 3 - Save a Life project

This area represents a vital part of the overall programme. It is an innovative and hopefully very useful addition to the normal school swimming block. It is envisaged that this strand will assist children to be safe around water and in the water. The children will be taught how to save their own life and how to perform a rescue on someone else without endangering themselves. In addition to this South Lanarkshire Leisure staff will visit each school to show basic safety in the home and emergency situation management. This will cover obtaining help, basic first aid and airway management.

School-based session
The school will receive a dry land session which will last for around 1hour and will include the following:

• emergency situation management
• airway management
• recovery position
• basic first aid
• water safety theory

During the visit, the member of Swimming Development staff will also lead a 30 minute session with the primary level that will attend next years' school swimming block. This will include the following:

• what to expect at school swimming
• safety at the pool
• correct use of equipment
• basic water safety

Pool-based session
Each school will receive an extra visit to the pool which will focus on the theme 'Save a Life' and will include the following:

• emergency situation management
• poolside rescues
• water rescues
• water safety practical

Strand 4 - Free casual swimming programme

All pupils who have taken part in the school swimming programme will be entitled to a ten swim pass.

Summary

It is the intention of South Lanarkshire Council and South Lanarkshire Leisure that our school children are among the safest in and around water in Scotland. It is also expected that a real impact can be made in dealing with emergency situations in everyday life, even at such a young age.

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