SWIM YORK is City of York Council's swimming lesson programme for adults and children from 6 months old and takes place at both Edmund Wilson Swimming Pool and Yearsley Swimming Pool.

We work in partnership with the Amateur Swimming Association and follow the National Plan for Teaching Swimming. This ensures that high standards of quality are maintained and our lessons create good competent swimmers.

We take complete beginners from 6 months through progessive stages up to coaching for comepition swimming.  We also teach adults of any age to learn to swim. The emphasis is on quality of swimming strokes and through repetition, revision and consolidation.  Participants are encouraged to develop a multi skilled approach to swimming.

Full details may be obtained by downloading the leaflet on the right hand side of this page.

Enrolling

You can enrol at either Edmund Wilson Swimming Pool or Yearsley Swimming Pool. Contact us on (01904) 552424 or email: swim.york@york.gov.uk for more information.

If you are new to SWIM YORK we offer FREE swimming assessments to ensure your child starts at the right level.

Costs

Swimming lessons cost £4.30 for a 30 minute class or £5.50 for 40 minutes.

1:1 learn to swim sessions cost £18.00 for a 30 minute class.

Quality teaching and supervision

All our teachers are qualified to at least the Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) Level 2 Certificate for Teaching and assistant teachers hold at least the ASA Level 2 Certificated for Teaching.  Teachers are police checked and experienced in teaching swimming to children and adults.  All sessions are supervised by qualified, police checked lifeguards to ensure a safe environment to learn to swim at all times.

Free swimming

Only SWIM YORK offers free swimming to children throughout the duration of the course.  Adults receive 10 free swims per course.

Convenient lesson times

Each course is 12 weeks long and lessons are available thoughout the year, weekdays, weekends and evenings with both group classes and 1:1 teaching offered.

We also run intensive additional courses during school holidays.

Lesson structure and content

Ducklings

This class assists parents or guardians in introducing their young children from 6+ months to the pleasures of water.  Different classes are available for different ages, up to the age of 5 years.  These sessions (with adult and child in the water) will help to develop water confidence and will encourage your child's physical development.  Skills learnt in Ducklings classes will assist progress through other swimming levels.  Awards: Ducklings Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4

Level One

In Level 1 your child will gain confidence and develop independent movement in the water.  Your child will be introduced to multi stroke swimming and develop skills from breaststroke, front crawl and back stroke leg kick, and learn water skills including safe entry into the water, push and glide and submersion.  Awards: ASA Level 1 / ASA Puffin Award

Level Two

Your child will develop the skills to swim 5 metres back stroke and front crawl leg kick and 5 metres full stroke breaststroke without the use of armbands.  General skill development will include unassisted jumps into the water with complete submersion including safe exit from the water and floating skills.  Awards: ASA Level 2 / ASA 5 metre award 

Level Three

From this level onwards your child's swimming will develop without the use of armbands.  Stroke technique will be improved and enable your child to swim 10 metres full stroke breaststroke, 10 metres back crawl legs only and 5 metres full stroke front crawl.  Awards: ASA Level 3 / ASA 10 metre award

Level Four

Level 4 will continue to develop technique in front crawl, breaststroke and back crawl which will include improved breathing technique and butterfly body movement will be introduced.  Your child must swim 10 metres back crawl, breastroke and front crawl with front crawl breathing to the side and 5 metres butterfly undulation.  Awards: ASA Level 4 

Level Five

Level 5 is a transition level from shallow to deep water and will enable your child to progress safely to the higher levels whilst continuing to develop stroke technique.  Your child must swim 25 metres breaststroke 25 metres back crawl, 10 metres front crawl breathing to the side and 10 metres butterfly undulation.  They will also be introduced to jumping into deep water and treading water.  Awards: ASA Level 5 / 25 metre award

Level Six

Level 6 continues development of basic stroke technique and co-ordinated breathing in deep water.  Your child must swim 50 metres breaststroke, 50 metres back crawl, 25 metres front crawl with breathing to the side and 10 metres butterfly undulation.  A sitting dive will be introduced.  Awards: ASA Level 6 / 50 metre award

Level Seven

Level 7 introduces more efficient stroke technique and continues to develop stamina.  Your child must swim 100 metres breaststroke (breathing face in the water), 100 metres back crawl, 25 metres front crawl with bi lateral breathing, 10 metres butterfly full stroke.  Awards: ASA Level 7 / 100 metre award

Level Eight

Level 8 continues development of efficient stroke technique.  Your child must swim 200 metres breaststroke, 200 metres back crawl, 50 metres front crawl with efficient techniques and 25 metres butterfly undulation and 10 metres butterfly full stroke.  Awards: ASA Level 8 / 200 or 400 metre award

Level Nine

Level 9 increases stroke efficiency and stroke technique and introduces correct touch turns in all four competitive strokes.  Your child must swim 800 metres, swum using front crawl, back crawl and breaststroke (a change of stroke may occur every 10 metres), 100 metres front crawl, 25 metres butterfly and 25 metres butterfly drills.  All strokes must be swum with efficient technique with basic ASA recognised turns for all strokes.  The correct underwater conversions to strokes following turns will be introduced.  Awards: ASA Level 9 / 800 metre award 

Coaching Levels One to Five

5 coaching levels will continue to develop your child's ability by encouraging good technique plus speed and stamina.  They will also offer a more competitive approach to swimming and can act as pathways to local competitive clubs.

Additional Courses

A variety of additional courses will be held to complement the standard levels.  These include Rookie Lifeguard, Bronze Medallion, The Honours Challenge Award, Personnel Survival, Synchronised Swimming, Water Polo and Dives and Turns Coaching.

Both Edmund Wilson and Yearsley Swimming Pools run sub aqua and canoeing courses for children during school holidays.

We also provide lifesaving and lifeguarding courses at the Royal Life Saving Society approved facility, Edmund Wilson Swimming Pool.

National pool lifeguard qualification courses run at Edmund Wilson Swimming Pool throughout the year.  This nationally recognised qualification entitles the participants to lifeguard at any pool in the United Kingdom. The course comprises of aquatic rescue skills, first aid, resuscitation and supervision of swimming pools.

Adult Swimming Lessons

Our swimming teachers are experienced in teaching adults to swim and individual and class lessons run throughout the year. 

Beginner

This class takes you from being a complete non swimmer through to swimming up to 15 metres on your front and back.  You will develop basic stroke technique for breastroke and back crawl, learn shallow water skills, overcome your fears and develop confidence in the water.

Shallow water improver

This class will continue to develop your stroke technique in breaststroke and back crawl.  You will become a length swimmer, developing the technique to enable you to swim 50 metres of breaststroke, 25 metres of back crawl and 10 metres of front crawl.  You will also learn to tread water and develop some deep water skills.

Deep water improver

This level is for those confident in swimming lengths on your front and back in deep water.  Now you will develop greater stamina and a more effective stroke technique in breaststroke, back crawl and front crawl with butterfly being introduced.  Jumping and diving skills, underwater swimming and sculling will all be included.

Advanced (technique and swim fit)

These sessions are for swimmers able to complete lengths of front crawl, back crawl and breaststoke.  You will be taught advanced technique for all the strokes including butterfly together with competitive starts and turns.  You will also develop greater fitness, stamina and speed through swim programmes and training sessions.