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    School-age swimming lessons with the Y teach stroke and skill development, water safety, and personal survival. We also focus on physical, intellectual and personal development.

    In the school-age program, we teach your child swimming, water safety and basic rescue and survival skills that can save lives. Your child will establish a lifelong appreciation for safe activity in the water and learn vital survival skills not just for the pool, but for rivers, lakes and the ocean. They'll also be introduced to skills that will build their foundational skills in aquatic sport.

    Children will learn to:

    • develop and refine their swimming strokes;
    • cooperate with and respect others in an aquatic environment;
    • make safe and sensible decisions and solve problems in and around water;
    • challenge themselves to build endurance and strength for the sport of swimming.

    Our swimming teachers

    All of our teachers hold nationally accredited swimming teacher and water safety certificates. They have current CPR certificates, Working with Children Checks and have training in safeguarding children and young people.

    School-age swimming levels

    Your child will progress through the program levels based on their ability, which is assessed by our swimming teachers and program supervisors. Below is an overview of some of the skills your child will learn in each level.


    Octopus

    Class size: five to six students
    • Kicking and floating on front and back
    • Paddle and kick
    • Torpedoes
    • Treading water
    • Introduction to freestyle and backstroke
    • Two National Swimming and Water Safety benchmark skills achieved

    Sardine

    Class size: maximum six students
    • Jump entry and recover to safety
    • Kicking on front and side breathing
    • Introductory whip kick
    • Foundational backstroke and freestyle
    • Floating, sculling and treading water
    • Duck diving
    • Five new National Swimming and Water Safety benchmark skills achieved!
     

    Turtle

    Class size: maximum six students
    • Underwater push and glides
    • Side breathing skills
    • Breaststroke and survival breaststroke kick
    • Survival sequences
    • Freestyle and backstroke

    Salmon

    Class size: maximum seven students
    • Crouch dive
    • Step-in and compact entries
    • Freestyle and backstroke (12 metre achievement)
    • Survival backstroke (25 metre achievement)
    • Breaststroke kick with breathing

    Tuna

    Class size: maximum eight students
    • Stride entry
    • Freestyle and backstroke (25 metre achievement)
    • Survival backstroke (50 metre achievement)
    • Breaststroke (25 metre achievement)
    • Performance skills: pace clock, tumble turns, egg-beater kick
    • Shallow dives
    • Five new National Swimming and Water Safety benchmark skills achieved!

    Dolphin

    Class size: maximum eight students
    • Freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke (50 metre achievement)
    • 20 minute endurance swim
    • Performance skills: backstroke starts, complex tumble turns, racing dives and water polo basics
    • Butterfly (15 metre achievement)
    • Sidestroke kick
    • Survival sequences wearing clothing and using life jackets
    • Three new National Swimming and Water Safety benchmark skills achieved!

    Shark

    Class size: maximum eight students
    • Various safe entry techniques
    • Freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke (100 metre achievement)
    • 20 minute endurance swim
    • Butterfly (50 metre achievement)
    • Performance skills: individual medley swimming, pace clock interval training, touch turns, water polo ball skills
    • Survival sequences including basic emergency response

    Squad training and performance programs

    We offer squad programs for confident swimmers who have progressed past Tuna level. These programs will vary, however may include Fitness Squads and Club Development Squads.

    Fitness Squad is ideal for children who want to continue training for fitness, while Club Development Squad is perfect for those who want to transition into competitive swimming.


    Fitness Squad

    Class size: eight to 10 students
    • For confident swimmers who want to swim in a fun, non-competitive session
    • Continues to improve swimming technique
    • Continues to improve endurance and fitness
    • Students must have completed Shark level to transition into this squad 

    Club Development Squad

    Class size: eight to 10 students
    • For confident swimmers who want to transition into a Swim Club program
    • Continues to improve swimming technique, including stroke refinement
    • Focuses on increased endurance and speed
    • Prepares students for competitive swimming by teaching sprints, starts, turns and finishes, as well as competition rules

    Enquire today

    • Prices

      Please see the current prices for swimming lessons below.

      Price per lesson Fortnightly direct debit
      Standard rate $22.15 $40.90
      Third and subsequent children
      		 $21.05 $37.30

      Start-up fee $30.00 per child (not applicable if enrolled at Boroondara Leisure and Aquatic Facilities less than six months ago).

      Payment for our swimming lesson membership is taken fortnightly by direct debit, with the total cost spread out across the year with 26 equal payments. This minimises the cost impact to families and ensures your membership is easy to maintain.

      No lock-in contracts – simply provide 14 days' written notice to cancel.

      We review our prices each year.
    • What benefits do swimming lesson members receive?

      Swimming lessons members receive:

      • 48 lessons every year - one per week;
      • unlimited pool access for the student, along with a supervising parent - great for practise or play;
      • unlimited pool access at Hawthorn Aquatic and Leisure Centre and Boroondara Sports Centre;
      • 10% merchandise discount;
      • access to four make-up lessons per year for children who miss a lesson;
      • optional summer suspension during non-program weeks;
      • certificates for each level of the program achieved.

      Parents of children will receive:

      • access to the SwimDesk parent portal to track your child’s achievements as they progress through the swim program.
    • What should I bring to school-age swimming lessons?
      • Swimwear for your child
      • Towel
      • Goggles (highly recommended, but not essential)
      • Swimming cap (optional)
      • Warm, dry clothes for after class
    • What are your safety requirements?

      To provide a safe environment for your child, parents / carers must:

      • come to the edge of the pool at the start of the lesson and directly hand over your child to the teacher;
      • be present and visible on the pool deck at all times (if your child is under the age of 10);
      • come to the edge of the pool at the end of the lesson and collect your child;
      • only take photos in the pool area with prior arrangement (never in the changing room area);
      • follow the Watch Around Water policy for active child supervision at all times. 
    • Are school-age swimming lessons accessible for all?

      Yes. If a group setting is not an appropriate learning environment for your child, we can develop swimming lessons on request to cater for children with varied needs. This may be in a small group setting or a 1:1 class, depending on the needs of the child.

    How to enrol in swimming lessons with the Y

    To enrol in swimming lessons or find out more, submit an enquiry using the form on this page. You can also speak to us in centre.

    Our friendly customer service staff will help you determine the right swimming program level for your child.

    For more information see our swimming lessons FAQs page

    FAQs

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