Curriculum Corner

The Importance of Learning to Swim

Australia's love of the water is part of our way of life and swimming is an essential life skill for every child. 

Learning to swim is about much more than recreation. It helps children develop the skills, confidence and knowledge they need to stay safe in and around water. Regular swimming lessons build water awareness and teaches children how to respond safely in a variety of aquatic environments. 

At St Helena's, we value swimming lessons as an important part of our health and physical education program. School swimming provides students with: 

• Access to qualified swimming instructors. 

• Structured lessons that cater for a range of ability levels. 

• Opportunities to develop water safety knowledge. 

• Increased confidence and independence in aquatic environments. 

• Essential life-saving skills that can help keep them safe. 

   

While school swimming lessons provide an excellent foundation, a short swimming block each year is not enough on its own to build lifelong competence in the water. 

Children make the greatest progress when they: 

• Swim regularly throughout the year. 

• Continue lessons outside of school programs. 

• Visit local pools with family supervision. 

• Participate in holiday swimming programs. 

• Practise their skills in different aquatic environments. 

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Regular exposure helps children maintain their confidence, strengthen their technique and continue progressing through swimming levels. 

VacSwim 

One of the best ways to continue swimming development outside of school is through VacSwim, the Western Australian Department of Education's school holiday swimming program. 

VacSwim offers affordable swimming lessons during the October and summer school holidays, helping children build confidence, improve their swimming ability and develop important water safety skills. The program is available for children aged 5 to 17 years and is delivered by qualified instructors at more than 175 locations across Western Australia. 

VacSwim programs typically run for between 5 and 10 days in pool, calm water and surf environments, providing valuable opportunities for children to extend the skills they learn during school swimming lessons. 

Families can enroll online through the Department of Education's VacSwim website.  www.education.wa.edu.au/vacswim  

We encourage all families to view swimming as a year-round skill. By combining school swimming lessons with regular practice and programs such as VacSwim, we can help our children become confident around safe around water.