School Age Learn to Swim Programme

Why Aquatics Aberdeen?

Aquatics Aberdeen manages a highly acclaimed learn to swim programme, providing swimming tuition for school-aged children (from 4 ½ years upwards) across the city.

Swimming Clubs

The programme follows the Scottish Swimming Framework which enables your child to:

  • Take part in swimming lessons recognised by the Scottish national governing body for swimming
  • Work through exciting and progressive stages
  • Receive Scottish Swimming Awards Scheme certificates
  • Continue to develop the confidence that learning to swim can bring.
Class Levels

Children move through our progressive pathway from Swim Skills 1–4 to Club Ready, learning the basic skills through to water competence and technical efficiency. Please see below for details.

Swim Skills 1 (A and B)

Aim:

To develop water confidence and core aquatic skills without aids.

Objectives:

  • Develop confidence and ability to perform a wide range of core aquatic skills without buoyancy aids
  • Develop the basic technique of the four strokes
  • Introduce the basic technique of sculling
  • Develop balance and buoyancy through a variety of activities.
Swim Skills 2 (A and B)

Aim:

To increase the competency of the core aquatic skills and develop basic stroke technique.

Objectives:

  • Introduce and progress new core aquatic skills
  • Develop stroke technique to include all four strokes
  • Introduction to diving (pool permitting)
  • Develop awareness and feel for the water through a variety of core aquatic skills.
Swim Skills 3

Aim:

Introduce more advanced stroke technique and achieve Triple S standard.

Objectives:

  • Further develop competency in all four strokes
  • Development of diving
  • Further develop butterfly and breaststroke aiming to achieve legal technique
Swim Skills 4

Aim:

To improve the quality of stroke technique, introduce multi-aquatic skills/disciplines and basic lifesaving skills.

Objectives:

  • To demonstrate competent technique in all four strokes
  • Introduce lifesaving skills and basic aquatic discipline skills
  • To provide basic skills to enable progression in to all aquatic disciplines including lifesaving.
Club Ready

Aim:

To improve and maintain stroke technique over distance and develop basic training and race skills producing a swimmer who is ready to progress to a swimming club.

Objectives:

  • Increase swimming stamina in all four strokes while maintaining technique
  • Improve efficiency in all four strokes
  • Develop turn technique for all four strokes
  • Knowledge and understanding of club training practices in a variety of core aquatic skills.
Aquatics Aberdeen is the proud winner of the Scottish Water Learn to Swim Provider of the Year 2017, awarded by Scottish Swimming and was a finalist in 2019 and again in 2023. The programme has also been awarded SwiMark Plus which is Scottish Swimming’s highest quality mark for learn to swim programmes and clubs.

The aim of SwiMark Plus is to provide a nationally recognised standard that will enable programmes to:

  • Develop safe, effective and child friendly environments, based on good practice
  • Improve swimmers, teachers, coaches and volunteers
  • Encourage lifelong participation through sustainable swimming development pathways.

Whatever your age, learning to swim should be fun! For some fun games you can do with your child in the pool and some essential water safety tips – Swimming Games.

Venues

Aquatics Aberdeen runs lessons at the following pools:

Learn to Swim Programme Membership

Sign up for swimming lessons with Aquatics Aberdeen and become a learn to swim programme member.

All our school age lessons are a 50-week continuous programme, payable by monthly direct debit with a minimum contract of four months. There is a two-week break over the Christmas period.

Benefits include:

  • A minimum of 46 lessons per year (depending on public holiday and other closures)
  • Free swimming during public sessions at any Sport Aberdeen pool
  • Easy direct debit payment method with the cost of lessons spread throughout the year
  • Seamless pathway through progressive class levels from Swim Skills 1–4 to Club Ready, with no additional cost for longer lessons at Club Ready stage
  • No need to queue to re-book
  • Ongoing progress information through our Aquatics portal.
Lesson Cost
School age £25.00 per month

We are committed to making sport and physical activity accessible to everyone. Our ‘Get active for Less’ discounted access scheme offers a range of pay and play and membership discounts to those who meet the eligibility criteria. Find out more here.

How to Book

For more information or to book please contact the Aquatics Aberdeen administration team on coachedprogrammes@sportaberdeen.co.uk or call 01224 047934, if engaged listen to the recorded message.

Important Information

Please see our learn to Swim information page for important information for Learn to Swim Members regarding dates, terms and conditions, direct debits etc.

Sport Aberdeen Venue Shoot