Swimming courses timetable
Strokes for life swimming courses stages 1 to 10 take place:
- Monday: 4:30pm to 8:00pm
- Tuesday: 5:00pm to 8:30pm
- Thursday: 4:00pm to 8:30pm
- Friday: 4:00pm to 6:45pm
- Saturday: 9:00am to 12:30pm
Strokes for life stages:
Stage 1
Strokes for Life Stage 1 helps to build water confidence, while introducing water safety skills and the basic skills needed to build swimming ability.
Stage 2
Strokes for Life Stage 2 sees swimmers develop streamlining to their strokes and travel without their feet on the floor, using a recognised leg kick. Swimmers are also introduced to aquatic breathing and taught to make safe entries into the water, including jumping
Stage 3
During Strokes for Life Stage 3, swimmers will develop their kicks, on both their front and their back. They streamline through push and glides, whilst also swimming underwater.
Stage 4
Strokes for Life Stage 4 sees swimmers perfect their leg kicks for all four strokes and further develop push and glides, while also being introduced to sculling.
Stage 5
During Strokes for Life Stage 5, swimmers will develop their skills in treading water, learn the correct arm pulls for all four strokes and learn how to do handstands and somersaults. The emphasis is on ensuring all work done in the previous stages is developed further.
Stage 6
Stroked for Life Stage 6 teaches swimmers how to prepare for exercise, while developing an efficient technique for all four strokes and further developing surface dives. The effective swimming skills taught include coordination, breathing and an understanding of water safety.
Stage 7
Strokes for Life Stage 7 focuses on fully developing all four swimming strokes, as well as building stamina and improving diving skills.
Swimmers should develop a quality stroke technique for up to 100 metres, incorporating the skills they have learnt throughout the stages and combining them to develop a linked routine.
Stages 8 to 10 Awards
The Strokes for Life Stages 8 to 10 Awards make up the Aquatic Skills Framework of the Strokes for Life Programme. They continue the swimmer’s journey past Learn to Swim Stage 7 of the Learn to Swim Framework.
Swimmers are encouraged to take part in different aquatic disciplines that develop their fundamental sports skills. You can find out more about the sports on the Swim England sport ‘hubs’ for swimming, artistic swimming, water polo, and diving.
Page last updated: 10 April 2025
