Learning and Teaching

Swimming and the Victorian Curriculum

This week, we started our swimming program from Prep to Year 4. Swimming and water safety are included in the Health and Physical Education Curriculum from Foundation to Level 10. This means that schools must ensure that they implement a swimming and water safety program that meets the curriculum's requirements.

The Health and Physical Education curriculum includes four focus areas with specific reference to swimming and water safety which schools are required to teach:

• Fundamental movement skills = Develop foundation movement and skills to enable students to participate in a range of physical activities, such as floating and moving the body through water.
• Safety = Practise behaviours and skills to keep themselves and others safe in and around water. E.g. Sun safety, use of protective equipment and first aid.
• Lifelong physical activities  = Understand that swimming can enhance lifelong health-related fitness and wellbeing.
• Challenge and adventure activities = Participate in challenging swimming activities in a range of contexts. E.g. Triathlon, diving, water polo.

As the children participate in the swimming program at the Maribyrnong Aquatic Centre, they learn the different skills outlined above. The development of knowledge and skills relating to survival swimming and basic water safety can significantly reduce a child’s drowning risk and enhance community safety.

Skills from F - 6

Deborah Courtney

Director of Learning and Teaching