Swim School Classes

As important as walking and talking, swimming is a skill for life!

Wai o Rua Swim School offers classes to suit a wide range of ages and abilities. Each programme is designed to develop your child's swimming ability as well as teach personal and group survival and rescue techniques.

Learn more about the following progression levels for your child using our drop down menu below.

Baby classes
Pre-schooler classes
Water confidence classes
Gliding classes – Gliding Stingrays
Beginner stroking – Junior Dolphins
Middle level stroking – Intermediate Dolphins
Beginner Breathers – Advanced Dolphins
Middle level Breathers – Junior Sharks
Advanced Breathers – Intermediate Sharks
Transition into 25m Pool – Advanced Sharks

Babies/Toddlers

Swimming with your baby or toddler is fun!

Swimming with babies and toddlers builds confidence, trust and communication skills. It’s socially stimulating (for both you and your child) and an excellent way to bond.

Swimming enables babies and toddlers to have free movement, giving them the opportunity to develop actions they wouldn't normally have experienced.

Here are a few tips to help you and your child get the most from your visit:

We recommend that babies are at least 6 months old before introducing them to a public swimming pool
A properly supervised baby or toddler must be within arms reach at all times
Your child should wear swimwear that is tight fitting around the legs to help stop faecal matter (poo) from leaking into the pool
Regular nappies are not be used while your baby is swimming. Disposable and reusable swim nappies can be purchased from reception.

Our swim school classes for babies and toddlers involve a range of progressions:

Safe Entry and Exits – Parent Guided, Assisted and Guided
Verbal Cues
Water familiarisation
Supported front float
Assisted front float
Supported back float
Assisted back float
Supported submersion
Confidence with submersion
Froggy arm action and kick
Paddle arm action
Assisted under water U Turn

Our specialised babies, tots and preschoolers programme ensures that through exploration, play, songs, challenges and water safe practices, each child is given every opportunity to develop their full potential.

Our lesson planning ensures children are introduced to the right skills at the right time. Through high repetition of key skills, we are confident we will have children swimming to the best of their ability.

Jellyfish Babies Stage 2 (6-12 months)

Safe Entry and Exits – Parent Guided
Verbal Cues
Water Familiarization
Supported Front Float
Supported Back Float

Jellyfish Babies Stage 3 (12-24 months)

Safe Entries and Exits – Assisted
Verbal Cues
Water Familiarization
Supported Front Float
Supported Back Float
Supported Submersion
Froggy Arm Action

Jellyfish Tots Stage 4 (24-36m)

Safe Entries and Exits – Guided
Assisted Front Float
Assisted Back Float
Confidence With Submersion
Assisted Under Water U Turn
Froggy Arm Action and Kick
Paddle Arm Action

Pre-School

Our swim school classes for pre-schoolers includes:

Safe ¼ turn entry
Assisted and unassisted front float
Assisted back float
Streamline glide on front
Assisted kick on front
Assisted kick on back
Froggy and Paddle arm actions
Unassisted U Turn to swim to safety
Confidence in guided jumps into the pool

Jellyfish Pre-Schoolers Stage 5 (36-42 months)

Safe ¼ Turn Entry
Assisted and Unassisted Front Float
Assisted Back Float
Streamline Glide on Front
Assisted Kick on Front
Assisted Kick on Back
Froggy and Paddle arm Actions
Unassisted U Turn to Swim to Safety
Confidence in guided jumps into the pool

Gliding Stingrays

¼ turn entry and exits
Confidence submerging to retrieved object from pool floor.
Unassisted streamline glides
Correct kick with board-front and back
Streamline kick on front.
Assisted Streamline kick on back.
Introduction to arm strokes.
Introduction to Assisted butterfly body action.
Assisted seated dives.

Water Confidence Dolphins

Safe Entries and Exits
Confidence in Independent Movement Around the Pool
Confident Independent Submersion
Unassisted Front Floats
Assisted Back Floats
Assisted Kicking on Back.
Assisted Kick on Front
Assisted Jump into the Pool

School Age

Our swim school classes for school age children include the following:

Junior Dolphins

Safe ¼ Turn Entry
Unassisted Streamline Glides
Streamline Kick on Front
Streamline Kick on Back
Assisted Freestyle
Assisted Backstroke
Assisted Horizontal Rotation
Assisted Butterfly Body Action
Assisted Seated Dive

Intermediate Dolphins

Safe ¼ Turn Entry
Streamline Kick on Front and Back
6m Freestyle – Unassisted
6m Backstroke – Unassisted
Horizontal Rotation – Unassisted
Sculling – Assisted
Butterfly Body Action – Unassisted
Assisted Introduction to Breaststroke Kick
Seated Dives

Advanced Dolphins

Introduction to Roll to Breathe
6-9m Freestyle with Correct Breath Technique
6-9m Backstroke
Breaststroke Kick Action
Breaststroke Arm Action
Sculling Headfirst
Assisted Kneel/ Crouch Dives

Junior Sharks

Breathing Drills
10m Freestyle with Bilateral Breathing
10m Backstroke with Rotation
Breaststroke arm and kick action
Butterfly Body
Butterfly Arm Action
Sculling Headfirst and Feet First
Kneel/ Crouch Dive

Intermediate Sharks

Breathing Drills
15m Freestyle – Bilateral Breathing
15m Backstroke with Rotation ‘
10m Breaststroke with Breath Action
10m Butterfly with Arm and Kick Action
15m Sculling – Feet and Headfirst
Introduction to Treading Water
Forward Flip
Assisted Stand Dives

Advanced Sharks

25m Freestyle
25m Backstroke
15m Breaststroke – Correct Timing
15m Butterfly – Correct timing
Survival Backstroke
25m Sculling – Feet and Headfirst
Tread Water 3 Minutes
Assisted Tumble turns.
Stand Dives