The following is a copy of a letter that will be sent to all families around 17 July 2009, with the outline of proposed changes to the 7.30pm main pool session from the first week of September 2009.
A hard copy of the letter will be available at the reception desk from 17 July 2009 along with a booklet from the Amateur Swimming Association with the targets for each new Stage.
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Dear Parent/Carer
The National Governing Body for Swimming, the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA), has produced a national syllabus for teaching swimming, the National Plan for Teaching Swimming (NPTS). The NPTS is an all inclusive programme which takes the non-swimmer from his or her first splash to developing confidence and competence in the water and this replaces the old levels 1-12.
The Club has introduced the new STAGES a while back but has found that they cover a much wider spectrum of activities and the outcomes/assessments are a lot stricter and much harder for the children to achieve.
The most significant change will be to the 7.30pm–8.15pm big pool session in that the children will be moving from swimming lengths to widths. Whilst this may seem a backward step, for the children to practice quality stroke development techniques and avoid fatigue the children need to swim shorter distances.
Please note there will also be a slight time change to allow for TLF to put the lane lines in for the 8.15pm session. The 7.30pm big pool session will end at 8.10pm from Thursday 3rd September. To maximise pool time can you please ensure your children are on poolside 5 minutes prior to their session starting eg 7.25pm.
Over the summer period the children will be assessed according to the NPTS stages and you will be notified what stage they have been placed in.
It is important for Parent/Carers to note that there is no comparison with the new stages and the old levels. Enclosed with this letter is the ASA NPTS Parent’s Guide which will hopefully answer any questions you may have (please note we have allowed for one copy per family).
As with any changes there will be some teething problems and your comments/feedback would be welcomed. So as not to disturb the teaching time for the children, Darren Gambrill has kindly agreed to make himself available from the 3rd September between 8.15pm and 8.30pm in the foyer area if parents wish to discuss the new changes or provide any feedback.
Yours sincerely
Tony Taylor
Chairman
