A row of multi-coloured woggles clutched by tiny hands are lined up alongside Bradford Grammar School’s onsite 25m swimming pool. Children chatter excitedly among themselves as they slowly climb out of the pool and take it in turns to jump in.
One of their number is not so sure, however. Backwards and forwards she rocks, looking more than once like she’s going to take the plunge but deciding to tug nervously at her costume instead. After several false moves, a determined look crosses her face, and she finally takes the leap.
“Yessss!” she says, when her smiling face bobs to the surface. “I did it!”
“Now float on your back, arms and legs wide,” says Hannah Smith, the Junior School’s Year 2 teacher and a qualified swim instructor. “Brilliant!”
Hannah teaches the less confident Junior School pupils how to become happier in the water in preparation for learning to swim. Lessons are offered from when the children join the Junior School (known as Clock House), currently from Year 2 but from September 2024, from Reception onwards. An assessment is carried out and they are placed in groups according to their confidence, ability in the water and if they are competitive swimmers or not. There are also two extra co-curricular sessions in the water during the week – one which is more recreational and involves games – and a more competitive session.
“When we have a group which is a lot less confident in the water, we play a lot of games and I’m in the pool with them, so they know they’re safe,” she says. “We get them used to the water, to having their faces splashed and feeling buoyant by floating on their backs before we start teaching them recognised swimming techniques.
“We build it up in small steps and for some children it takes them longer, they can be very scared of it. Others do have confidence in the water, and you can let them be a bit more independent, but they still need to learn tools to make them safe in the water. For us, it’s about getting to know the individual.”
While staff are always of the gently, gently approach, sometimes there are still pupils who refuse to get in the pool.
“There’s one little girl who panics if I’m not in the water with her and another boy who struggles to let go of the side,” says Hannah. “It’s about taking it at their pace. If we try and go too fast, they’ll just regress. We want them to know that the water is a safe space if we treat it with respect.”
For some children, accessing swimming sessions at BGS is the only pool time they have.
Simon Darnbrough, the rowing coach at BGS and a fellow Junior School swim teacher, says:
“Our parents are really busy so it’s great that we have the pool on site, plus the pupils get as much time in the water as possible. It means they can gain confidence and come on quickly.”
Proof of what he is saying is suddenly demonstrated as a six-year-old in a shark swim cap tries to catch up with her peers who are making their way to the other side of the pool. She’s still in the centre, her little feet making big splashes but not getting far.
“Come on,” encourages Simon, arms outstretched. “You can do it.” And her face beams back as she kicks harder and finally reaches the side.
The first Reception and Year 1 pupils will be welcomed in September 2024. To find out more, contact the admissions team at [email protected] or call 01274 553713/553702. To register for a future open event, visit bradfordgrammar.com/signup
“For us, it’s about getting to know the individual.”
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