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    In this program, the focus is on physical, intellectual and personal development. Children 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.

    Children will learn to:

    • develop and refine swimming strokes
    • cooperate with and respect others in an aquatic environment
    • make safe and sensible decisions and solve problems in and around water.

    Our swimming teachers

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

    Program levels

    Teachers assess and progress children through the program levels, based on their individual ability.

    Level Description

    Octopus

    Ages: 5+ years
    Class size: 6 students
    • Kick on front and back with aid 5 metres
    • Paddle and kick
    • Torpedo 3 metres
    • Treading water
    • Introduction to freestyle and backstroke arms

    Sardine

    Ages: 5+ years
    Class size: 7 students
    • Jump entry into deep water and recover
    • Kick on front with aid and side breathing 10 metres
    • Introductory whip kick
    • Backstroke, freestyle and torpedo 5 metres
    • Float, scull and tread water for 30 seconds and signal for help
    • Duck dive

    Salmon

    Ages: 5+ years
    Class size: 8 students
    • Kneeling dive
    • Step in entry and recover
    • Freestyle and backstroke 12 metres
    • Survival backstroke with aid 5 metres
    • Breaststroke kick with aid 5 metres
    • Float, scull and tread water for 1 minute and signal for help
    • Duck dive, swim underwater for 3 metres and recover object

    Tuna

    Ages: 5+ years
    Class size: 8 students
    • Stride entry
    • Freestyle and backstroke 25 metres
    • Survival backstroke 25 metres
    • Breaststroke kick 12 metres
    • Forward somersault
    • Crouch dive

    Dolphin

    Ages: 5+ years
    Class size: 8 students
    • Freestyle and backstroke 50 metres
    • Survival backstroke and breaststroke 25 metres
    • Tumble turn
    • Dolphin kick and sidestroke 12 metres
    • Shallow dive

    Shark

    Ages: 5+ years
    Class size: 8 students
    • Feet first surface dive
    • Freestyle and backstroke 100 metres
    • Survival backstroke and breaststroke 50 metres
    • Butterfly 15 metres
    • Sidestroke 25 metres
    • Using combination of strokes 400 metre swim
    • Clothed swim, float, scull and tread water for 5 minutes, remove clothes and swim for 5 minutes

    Teen Swim

    Ages: 12+ years
    Class size: 10 students
    • For teens who have not had formal swimming lessons during their primary school years
    • Provides an introduction to swimming through to any level
    • Focuses on building confidence in the water
    • Buoyancy and flotation techniques, kicking
    • Introduction to strokes and refinement of technique
    • Focuses on improving swimming distance

    Pre-club

    Ages: 12+ years
    Class size: 10 students
    • For teens who are confident in the water and want to swim, but don’t want to start squad
    • Fun, non-competitive class environment
    • Continues to improve swimming technique
    • Prepares students for squad and competitive swimming

    Students must have completed Shark level, or equivalent, to participate in this class.

    Aqua-Guard 

    Ages: 12+ years
    Class size: 10 students
    • Suitable for confident swimmers who have passed all the levels but don’t want to swim competitively
    • Aims to develop students’ knowledge of safe water rescue and survival
    • Builds students’ skills for future employment in the aquatic industry
    • Develops water skills, water safety, knowledge and how to carry out aquatic rescues
    • Provides a fun and dynamic learning environment
    • Goal of achieving Bronze Medallion

     

    Swimming Lesson Information

    Enquire today

    • Program and Safety Requirements

      Infant and Preschool lessons

      • Babies must be at least 6 months old
      • Children in nappies must wear aqua nappies that are tight fitting around the thighs (you can buy them in centre)
      • Parents should bring bathers during the first few lessons, in case the child gets upset and needs support in the water

      All child lessons

      • Bring bathers, towel, goggles (recommended, but not required) and dry clothes
      • Come to the edge of the pool at the start of the lesson and directly hand over your child to the teacher
      • Watch the lesson (Preschool classes)
      • Stay as close as possible to the lesson (for example, by sitting in the chairs around the pool)
      • Come to the edge of the pool at the end of the lesson and collect your child
      • Photos are only allowed in the pool area with prior arrangement (never in the change room area). See our FAQs page for more information.

      To provide a safe environment for your child, parents/carers must stay in the pool with infants for the whole lesson.
    • Accessible, deaf & hard of hearing classes

      We can custom-design swimming programs for school or community groups of all ages with intellectual or physical disabilities. The programs focus on improvement of health and wellbeing and enhance self confidence.
      Our teachers are AUSTSWIM accredited, and provide a safe, social and encouraging learning environment. To find out more, contact our friendly customer service team on (03) 9486 7200.

      Northcote Aquatic & Recreation Centre offers swimming lessons to children and adults who are deaf or hard of hearing.

      Children can communicate during the lesson using AUSLAN and benefit from learning vital life skills.

      • Lessons run for 30 minutes once a week over a 40 week year
      • All our teachers are fully AUSTSWIM qualified and AUSLAN trained
      • Participants in our program have full access to the pool outside their lesson time
      • Children progress through 12 levels as their skills develop and are grouped based on skill (rather than age)
      • Classes are available in groups of 1:4 and 1:1, based on individual requirements.

      For more information, please contact (03) 9486 7200 or email northcote@ymca.org.au
    • Enrolment
      Feel free to come into the centre and speak to one of our customer service officers, or call us on (03) 9486 7200 to determine the right level for your child’s lessons. We also offer free, no obligation swimming assessments to determine which class is right for you.

      For more information, or to register your interest in swimming lessons, fill in the enquiry form on this page and one of our friendly customer service team will be in touch. 
    • Student and parent features

      Swimming lessons members receive:

      • One 30-minute swimming lesson per week
      • 8 make-up lessons per year
      • 48 week program
      • Unlimited pool access to the Northcote Aquatic & Recreation Centre outside of class times

      Parents of children will receive:

      • Parent-teacher feedback week (conducted 6 monthly.)
      • SwimDesk parent portal to allow you to track your child’s achievements as they progress through the swim program.
    • Fees

        Fee per lesson Fortnightly direct debit 
      Standard Rate   $18.00 $36.00
      Start-up fee $30

      Fees are paid by fortnightly by direct debit. No lock-in contracts. 14 days written notice are required to cancel.

      Fees effective 1 July 2019 - 30 June 2020. All centre fees and charges undergo an annual pricing review.

    For more information see our Swimming Lessons FAQ page

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    • Watch Around Water policy

      At YMCA Victoria we are a Watch Around Water endorsed aquatic safety organisation. The following information is the new watch around water policy launched in centre from 1 September 2019.

      Watch Around Water is a set of industry guidelines outlining the minimum supervision requirements of young children at all affiliated aquatic venues.

      Children under 5 years old

      All children MUST be accompanied into the centre by a person over the age of 18 and supervised within arms’ reach, at all times in the water.

      All children MUST wear a pink wristband supplied by YMCA staff to help identify their age while swimming.

      Children will not be admitted without a full fee paying parent/guardian who must also be in the water at all times. Groups will not be admitted entry where the number of parents/guardians supervising a group of children under 5 years exceeds the ratio of 1:2 (effective 1 September 2019).

      Children under 10 years old

      All children under the age of 10 MUST be accompanied into the centre by a person over the age of 18. All children MUST be actively supervised by an adult over the age of 18 at all times. The adult must have a clear and active view of the child with no physical or structural barriers between them (this includes tech and devices).

      All children MUST wear a yellow wristband supplied by YMCA staff to help identify their age while swimming. Groups will not be admitted entry where the number of parents/guardians supervising a group of children under 10 years exceeds the ratio of 1:4.

      Birthday parties

      All children under the age of 10 MUST be accompanied into the centre by a person over the age of 18 and handed over to the supervision of the birthday party leader (staff member).

      All birthday party participants must wear a BLUE wristband AND an age based wristband (pink or yellow) to identify their participation in a party (effective 1 September 2019). The adult guardian of the birthday party child MUST remain accessible and actively supervise the group at all times.

      At the conclusion of the birthday party the child/children will remain in the supervision of the birthday party leader and supervising parent until physically handed over to their supervising parent/guardian.

      Visit the watch around water website

      For more information visit the Watch Around Water website.

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