Year 6 - Blog update

14/11/2022

Penguins can swim well, and now so can we! Not only did we learn and build on our water skills but our confidence and resilience has grown too!

Last Monday was our first day at Oaklands Swimming Pool. We learnt about pool safety such as walking around the pool, only jumping in the deep end and keep your voices calm. With ability groups sorted we were headed in for our first splash under careful lifeguard and instructor supervision.

In red group we started by becoming comfortable with how to submerge our faces in the water. We then progressed to swimming using flotation aids to help us swim on our fronts and kick our feet in the right position to push ourselves forwards. By the end of the week some of us were able to swim independently on our fronts whilst others started to combine movements of our arms with our legs.

In yellow group we practised swimming a variety of strokes using floatation aids. We also used pool noodles and twisted them into motorbikes making our learning even more fun! We worked really hard to improve our swimming skills and we feel more confident in ourselves. We really had to show our perseverance and determination this week to make sure we didn’t give up and kept improving even when we were tired or found it difficult.

Finally, in blue group, we started at the shallow end practising our swimming technique using floats and then by the end of the week we were in the deep end practising jumping and even diving! You start with keeping your upper arms against your ears, holding your hands flat, with one palm resting over the back of your other hand. Finally, remember to keep your chin tucked down to your chest.

We all really enjoyed this exciting opportunity and a new way to exercise. We now have a new life skill to help us stay safe when out and about near water.